Panama burns: Henry Morgan in 1671 (Draft)
| Panama City |
19 Jan 1671 |
Historical Situation or Mission
In late 1670 Henry Morgan united the two pirate forces of the Caribbean, those from Port Royal with those from Tortuga (The Life and Time of Sir Henry Morgan). With the resulting 36 captains and 1800 men, Morgan headed south for Panama. He conquered the little island of Old Providence on the way. He then took Fort San Lorenzo at Chagres and then, travelling up the Rio Chagres he headed for his main goal - Panama City. Governor Don Juan Perez de Guzman, viceroy of Panama, met him in battle outside Panama on 19 Jan 1671, outnumbering Morgan's forces by something between 500 and 1,800. Though superior in numbers, the Spaniards' resistance was a fiasco, many of Guzman's troops fleeing after the first shots were fired. It appears that Morgan's reputation had preceded him and that in their heart of hearts the Spanish ranks no longer believed they could overcome the mighty buccaneer.
Their city fell and, the origins of the fire are disputed, burnt to the ground (The Life and Time of Sir Henry Morgan). An estimated 400,000 pieces of eight were eventually stolen and/or extorted from the formerly great Spanish city, but most men are believed to have been disappointed by this amount. Panama was understood to be the capital city of Spanish America (one of the richest cities in the whole world!) and hence it had been expected that one would carry away unseen riches. But the silver gathered from the Peruvian mines and the merchants' fortunes had all been taken to safety before Morgan's army arrived
Henry Morgan with a force of 1,200 buccaneers defeated a Spanish force of 4,000 under Don Guzman. The battle was fought on the prairie 3 miles outside Panama city, and lasted less than 2 hours.
Rules
DBR.
Map/Terrain
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(Click on the map to the full size version) |
Key features are: |
Pre-game preparation
None.
Spanish Player (Defending)
Objective
Defeat the Buccaneers in open battle.
Forces Available
Don Guzman with 600 armoured cavalry with lances and swords, 2,000 infantry of which 2/3 were Negro and Indian Slaves, and a herd of cattle (for stampeding into the rear of the Buccaneers). Don Francisco de Haro commanded the cavalry and the herd of cattle.
|
Generals |
|
Ln(I) |
10 |
48 |
|
Lancers |
24 |
Ln(I) |
10 |
240 |
|
Arquebusiers |
8 |
Sh(I) |
4 |
32 |
|
Pikes |
16 |
Pk(I) |
3 |
48 |
|
Artillery |
1 |
Art(S) |
25 |
25 |
|
Negro & Indian Slaves |
48 |
Sk(I) |
2 |
48 |
|
Herd of Cattle |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
413 |
Deployment
As per DBR.
Reinforcements
None.
Buccaneer Player (Attacking)
Begins scenario with initiative.
Objective
Defeat the Spanish in open battle.
Forces Available
Morgan’s men were weakened and starved by a long and arduous march through thick jungle. Morgan’s subordinates were John Morris and Colonel Prince who jointly commanded the advance guard, and his cousin Bledri Morgan who commanded the rearguard.
|
Generals |
3 |
Wb(O) |
24 |
72 |
|
Pirates |
24 |
Wb(O) |
4 |
96 |
|
Pirates |
12 |
Sh(F) |
6 |
72 |
|
Sharpshooters |
2 |
Sk(S) |
4 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
248 |
Deployment
As per DBR.
Reinforcements
None.
Victory Conditions
Use DBR victory conditions.
Scenario Special Rules
None.
Notes
None.
Sources
Phipps, J. S. (??). The burning of Panama. Wargames Illustrated, 38, 20-24.