When the power Dynasty of Habs-Burg learned the intention of other powerful and noble families in getting the riches of the New World, this milicia were in charge to protect the Pacific Coast from the French contraband of goods and precious metals and from the English and Dutch who sent their pirates.
The famous English Henry Morgan was a Welsh guy who happen to be the eldest son of Robert Morgan (1615) a descendant from a "Cadet Branch" of the "Tredegar Morgans". Robert had two brothers, Thomas and Edward. There is no record of Robert Morgan before 1655. He later said that he left his place of birth and went to sail. Morgan came to Jamaica in 1658 as a young man, and raise himself to fame and fortune.
The Anglo-Spain War, was a conflict between the England Protectorate (which at that time included Wales, Ireland, and Scotland) in the hands of Oliver Cromwell and the Dynasty controlling the Crown of Spain. Each side attacked the other's commercial and colonial interests in various ways on the Sea.
In 1657, England formed an alliance with France, merging the Anglo-Spanish War with the larger Franco-Spanish War.
A Cade Branch that consisted of the male-line descendants of a Monarch or patriarch's younger sons (cadets) in ruling Dynasties and "Noble Families" of much of Europe, were trained to defend their interest and the first to participate in any type of conflict. Family's major assets -Realm, Titles, Fiefs, Property and Income- have historically been secured in this way and passed from father to his firstborn son in what is known as primogeniture; younger sons -"Cadets"- inherited less wealth and authority to pass to future generations of descendants and the wealth accumulated in any manner by their own hands were kept as a personal reward or shared with the Monarchy when they needed large funds to cover up expenses as the one done by Cristobal Colon.
Henry Morgan's uncle was made Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica after the restoration of Charles II of England in 1660. Morgan was entrusted with a fleet willing to engage in bold attacks on Spanish settlements. In the Cartagena's Raid he attracted 900 men to his 11 ships. Morgan brought his men to the Isla de Vaca (Cow Island), just to decide which city to attack first. The night they decided to attack Cartagena, they celebrated. During the rum-filled activities, a number of intoxicated sailors lit a fuse that ignited explosives on board of the Morgan's Flagship, "The Oxford" and destroyed it. Many men lost their lives, and many others deserted, seeing the tragedy as a bad omen. This decreased the fleet to 10 ships and 800 men. Morgan anyway continued to his plan, supplementing his fleet with another ship (a French Vessel: Le Cerf Volant), coincidentally, he desired to acquire it on the night of the explosion.
The voyage was disastrous. The sailors were too exhausted and the ships under too much stress. The French vessels that he seized under false accusations were sent to Jamaica and the sailor imprisoned and
threatened with hanging. A commission from the Governor of Baracoa determined that the French were legally trading with with Spain. A French captain (Pierre Le Picard) on board suggested to Morgan that they attemp to sack Maracaibo. This captain had spent 3 years under the leadership of the notorious brutal pirate Francois L'Olonnais. Also Maracaibo was not an easy feat. The town was located on Lake Maracaibo, but to reach the Lake they had to go through a narrow and shallow channel. Unknown to the French Captain was that the Spanish constructed a Fortress at the channel narrowest point. During the night Morgan and his men approached the Fort and found a great amount of explosives ready to blow up. Morgan's crew discovered it on time to disarm the trap. Morgan stole all the supplies abandoned inside the Fortress. The residents were able to escape before the pirate's arrival. Then they set to attack Gibraltar on the Southern shore of Lake Maracaibo, again with unsuccessful results.
On 15 December 1670, he recaptured Santa Catalina, and on 27 December he gained possession of the Fortress of San Lorenzo in the Caribbean Coast of Panama, killing 300 men on the garrison. Then with 1,400 men he reached the Pacific Coast and Panama City. Morgan discovered that Panama City had roughly 1,200 infantry. Much of the city's wealth had been removed unto the Spanish treasure galleon, The Holy Trinity, which then sailed out into the Gulf of Panama., beyond the looters'reach.
Morgan's men decided to celebrate without knowing that the treasures of the city had been sailed away.
When they discovered the news they burnt the city and killed all the remained residents and looted it.
After Morgan's attack, the city had to be rebuilt in a new site, close by the old one. Because the sack of Panama "violated" the 1670 Peace Treaty between England and Spain, Morgan was arrested and sent to the Kingdom of England in 1672. He "proved" he had no knowledge of the "Treaty." Morgan was "Knighted" in 1674 before returning to Jamaica to take the post of Lieutenant Governor.
By 1681, then-acting Governor Morgan had "fallen out of favor"with King Charles II (His father was executed at White Hall on 30 January 1649 at the climax of the English Civil War), who his intent was to weaken the semi-autonomous Jamaican Council, and was replaced by long-time political rival Thomas Lynch.
Morgan is an example of a bloodthirsty man, an opportunist, like many who happened to be related with the ruling Monarchies in Europe, and was able to successfully use the conflicts of interests between England and the rest of Europe, both to support England Monarchy and to enrich himself and his crews. The Viceroys were the other side of the Battle with the same purpose to enrich their Crowns and themselves.
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