In General Henry Morgan Summary

This just in! Early this morning at 7:00am January 28, 1671 Admiral and Captain Henry Morgan launched pursuit on the city of Panama and it's wealth. With the city out of reach from the shore, Morgan began the morning by giving the call to his men to press inward from the shore across the mainland and jungle to the city. Within the first few hours it seemed Morgan and his buccaneers had the upper hand. The Spaniards caught wind of Morgan's decent on the city and sent men out along with Don Juan, the city's councilmen and head of defense. Morgan's men anticipated the Spaniards approach and decided to move to the hill to the right. The Spaniards thought they were retreating and stormed in pursuit, however the buccaneers took them head on and …show more content…
At this point the victory seemed to be in Morgan's hand however, while he had encroached upon the city, ships off the coast had been loaded with all of the city's vast wealth and had begun to set sail. Don Juan would not let the city fall into the hands of the buccaneers without one last fight. As Morgan approached the city from the depths of the jungle, Don Juan ordered every wooden building to be set afire and for gunpowder to be placed in houses. With a large armory and ammunition variety, the captain of artillery feared the buccaneers getting their hands on their ammunition so he ordered the fuse to be lit and blew up a large portion of the city, "with a blast that could be heard six miles away" (Cordingly 52). Once Morgan laid eyes on the city he saw a literal hell. All buildings and structures that could burn had been set ablaze and came tumbling to the ground. The city that once set a gleam in his eye now lay in shambles and ash at his feet. Just behind the leaping flames he could see the ships just out of reach sailing away with the treasure and wealth he once wished to claim as his