The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish MainExquemelin, A. O. (Alexandre Olivier)
History
The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish Main
Exquemelin, A. O. (Alexandre Olivier)
Buccaneers; Pirates; Spanish Main; West Indies -- History
On Friday the 13th, three negroes, from the enemy, came swimming aboard
our admiral; these brought intelligence that all the pirates upon the
island were only seventy-two in number, and that they were under a great
consternation, seeing such considerable forces come against them. With
this intelligence, the Spaniards resolved to land, and advance towards
the fortresses, which ceased not to fire as many great guns against them
as they possibly could; which were answered in the same manner on our
side, till dark night. On Sunday, the 15th, the day of the Assumption of
our Lady, the weather being very calm and clear, the Spaniards began to
advance thus: The ship _St. Vincent_, riding admiral, discharged two
whole broadsides on the battery called the Conception; the ship _St.
Peter_, that was vice-admiral, discharged likewise her guns against the
other battery named St. James: meanwhile, our people landed in small
boats, directing their course towards the point of the battery last
mentioned, and thence they marched towards the gate called Cortadura.
Lieutenant Francis de Cazeres, being desirous to view the strength of
the enemy, with only fifteen men, was compelled to retreat in haste, by
reason of the great guns, which played so furiously on the place where
he stood; they shooting, not only pieces of iron, and small bullets, but
also the organs of the church, discharging in every shot threescore
pipes at a time.
Notwithstanding this heat of the enemy, Captain Don Joseph Ramirez de
Leyva, with sixty men, made a strong attack, wherein they fought on both
sides very desperately, till at last he overcame, and forced the pirates
to surrender the fort.
On the other side, Captain John Galeno, with ninety men, passed over the
hills, to advance that way towards the castle of St. Teresa. Meanwhile
Major Don Joseph Sanchez Ximenes, as commander-in-chief, with the rest
of his men, set forth from the battery of St. James, passing the port
with four boats, and landing, in despite of the enemy. About this same
time, Captain John Galeno began to advance with the men he led to the
forementioned fortress; so that our men made three attacks on three
several sides, at one and the same time, with great courage; till the
pirates seeing many of their men already killed, and that they could in
no manner subsist any longer, retreated towards Cortadura, where they
surrendered, themselves and the whole island, into our hands. Our people
possessed themselves of all, and set up the Spanish colours, as soon as
they had rendered thanks to God Almighty for the victory obtained on
such a signalized day. The number of dead were six men of the enemies,
with many wounded, and seventy prisoners: on our side was only one man
killed, and four wounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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