MORGAN, Sir HENRY (c.1035-S8). The most famous of English buccaneers, born at Llan rhynny, Glamorganshire. Wales. He is said to have been kidnaped at Bristol when a boy, and sold as a servant in Barbados, whence after a time he worked his way to Jamaica. There he joined the buccaneers, participated in several of their expeditions, and by 1663 was in com mand of a privateer of his own. In 1068 Morgan was sent by Modyford, Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, to Cuba. He took and sacked Puerto Principe, and then sailed to l'nerto Bello, Pana ma. which he captured after a brilliant attack. After levying a heavy ransom Morgan sailed for Jamaica. Later in the year he led an expedi tion which ravaged the entire Cuban coast. and in January. 1669, with a fleet of eight ships. he started on his famous expedition against Mara caibo. The capture and sack of the town was fol lowed by the greatest excesses on the part of the buccaneers. who were surprised in their orgies by the arrival of three Spanish ships of war. Mor gan assembled his half-drunken comrades, manned his ships, and after parleying with the Spanish commander suddenly attacked him, to tally defeated him, and escaped. Returning to Jamaica, he was lightly reproved by Modyford, and was at once commissioned 'commander-in chief of all the ships of war in Jamaica.' In
August. 1670. he ravaged the Cuban and main land coasts, and in January, 1671, he captured and plundered the city of Panama, one of the riehest in Spanish America. On February 14th 1%lorgan withdrew and embarked for Jamaica. The attack had been made after a peace had been arranged between England and Spain. and in April. 1672. Morgan was sent to England on a British frigate; but he took enough gold along with him to secure his vindication, eventually receiving knighthood and high favors from the King. and in December, 1674, was sent back to Jamaica with Lord Vaughan, the new Governor. as Lieutenant-Governor and eommander-in-chief of his Majesty's forces in the colony. There he spent the remainder of his life in comparative quiet, and at two different periods served as Acting Governor.
Consult: Esquemeling. Buccaneers of America (1684), an interesting contemporary account by one of Morgan's lieutenants, reprinted in the Series" ( London. 1891); Burney, History of Buccaneers in ( London, 1816; reprinted 1902) ; Ilutcheson, Sir Henry Morgan Howard Pyle, Buccaneers of America Frank R. Stockton, Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coast (1898).