Over two hundred and fifty years ago Perico, one of the so-called “fortified islands” lying in Panama Bay, was the scene of a most bloody battle between the Spaniards and the English pirates. Strictly speaking “pirates” did not take part in the battle or in the connected incidents, as the aggressors dignified themselves with the name of “privateers” or “buccaneers.” As a matter of fact, however, a privateer of the seventeenth century was little more than a pirate who seldom molested shipping flying the flag of his own country but who was absolutely ruthless to others, especially vessels under the banner of Spain.
The preliminaries of the Battle of Perico took place in the latter part of 1679 when about a dozen buccaneer ships, mounting perhaps 50 guns and with crews numbering almost 500 men, assembled at Negril Bay near the western end of the island of Jamaica preparatory to a raid on Porto Bello. The commanders of the vessels included Bartholomew Sharp; Richard Sawkins, “a man who was as valiant and courageous as any could be”; John Coxon, a hard-boiled, foulmouthed blackguard; Peter Harris; Edmund Cook; and several others among whom were two Frenchmen. The most famous member of the expedition was William Dampier, the foremost explorer and navigator of his time, yet to make the first of his three voyages around the world, and then fresh from a trading trip to Yucatan. We also find Lionel Wafer, the surgeon, and Basil Ringrose, gentleman and scholar, who had been induced to join the privateers and who later, in 1686, was killed at the taking of Santiago, Mexico. Both Wafer and Ringrose, as well as Dampier, Sharp, and Coxon, have left accounts, more or less accurate, of the venture.
Just after Christmas, 1679, the pirates set out for Porto Bello, the taking of which was a farce as the inhabitants surrendered promptly upon demand—probably because of their terror of the assailants induced by the bloodthirsty Morgan a few years before. The booty amounted to approximately 30 English pounds per man, no inconsiderable sum in those days. After dividing the spoils the fleet sailed for a rendezvous at Golden Island in the Gulf of Darien, an island forming part of what was then known as the Sambaloes group, inhabited largely by San Bias Indians. Here it was decided to abandon their ships and march across the Isthmus to try their fortune on the Pacific side.
Captain Sharp was selected as commander in chief and, with his men, led the march. His company carried a red flag adorned with a bunch of white and green ribbons. Next came Sawkins with a red flag striped with yellow, followed by Harris flying two green flags. Then came Coxon’s men under a red flag, and last was Cook whose colors were “red, striped with yellow, with a hand and sword for his device.” Red, of course, was a favorite color with these early gentry and it was not until the later days of the more petty pirates of Captain Kidd stamp that the black flag with skull and crossbones was flown. Most of the men were armed with “fusee” or musket, pistol, and hanger (a small sword), and carried short rations. In all they are reported to have numbered 327 with 6 Indian guides.
The march began on April 5, 1680, and by the 12th the buccaneers were near the town of Santa Maria on the river of that name which runs into the Bay of Panama. En route they visited an Indian chief known as “Golden Cap” and received from him a contingent of 150 or so Indians armed with bows and arrows. Upon reaching the river the pirates divided into two parties. That composed of Sharp, Coxon, and Cook with their men embarked in canoes, while the others proceeded by land. About April 16 or 17 both parties met before the town of Santa Maria and delivered a fierce attack on the garrison. After a desultory defense the Spaniards retreated with a loss of over 40 killed and wounded while the pirates had lost only 2 men. Many of the Spaniards were caught in the jungles by the Indians they had oppressed and were slaughtered without mercy.
Immediately after the engagement the pirates deposed Sharp from his leadership and gave the chief command to Coxon, a thoroughgoing bully. Ringrose says that the change was made because of Sharp’s “backwardness in the fight,” but I suspect an equally potent reason was disappointment at the insignificant booty in the town. The pirates were in bad luck all the way around, for they just missed capturing over 300 pounds of gold which had been sent to Panama as soon as the approach of the invaders had become known to the garrison through word brought by a friendly Indian. At the same time the Governor of Panama was told to prepare for an attack.
In approaching Santa Maria the buccaneers had partly traveled down the river in canoes, something like the cayukas of today, and at the town had secured several more, making a total of about 35. With these they intended cruising along the coast, entertaining a hazy idea of attacking Panama City. Near the mouth of the Santa Maria River the pirates captured a small ship which was immediately manned by Sharp, Cook, and 137 men. The entire force, ship and canoes, then sailed toward Panama City, off which they arrived on the morning of April 23. Ringrose gives a graphic account of the trip and particularly of one day, April 19. At daybreak he was thoroughly soaked by a heavy tropical rain; at 10:00 a.m. his canoe was wrecked; around noon he saved the lives of several Spaniards; the early afternoon he spent sketching the coast; in the evening he was captured by some Spaniards and at 9:00 p.m. was condemned to death; he was pardoned at 11.00 p.m. and a little later got away from his captors; at midnight he was once again free and looking for his companions. Some of the old-time pirates seemed frequently to compress almost a lifetime of thrills in a day or two.
When the expedition arrived off Panama they found the garrison standing to arms, and a fleet, consisting of five large ships and three “pretty big barks” of the armadillo type, waiting outside to receive them. Sharp in his ship and a few others in canoes sailed for the Perlas Islands, ostensibly for water but more likely in dudgeon at having lost his command; he, and perhaps Dampier who very likely was with him, did not participate in the ensuing battle. Ringrose says that only 68 Englishmen were engaged, but, though he is usually reliable, this seems an incredibly small number out of the 300 or so men in the entire expedition. The Spanish ships were crowded with soldiers, perhaps to the number of 1,000 to 1,500. The English, however, were undaunted by the Spanish numerical superiority as they had become overbold through a long series of victories and seldom hesitated at what would appear to have been overwhelming odds.
Don Jacinto de Barahona (Baronha) was Admiral of the Spanish fleet, and was assisted by Don Diego de Carabanal in the barks and by Don Peralta, who ten years before had saved the church treasure of Panama from Morgan.
About dawn on April 23, the pirates rowed in between Perico and Taboguilla islands and met the defending ships. For some reason or other, perhaps lack of gunners, the large ships or galleons remained at anchor while most of their crews were sent to the barks. The Spaniards held the weather gauge and, squaring their yards, ran down the wind with the intention of ramming the canoes. They were in a rather irregular column with the bark commanded by Don Diego de Cara- banal in the van. The pirates, realizing the tactical advantage possessed by the Spaniards, rowed lustily into the wind and, eluding the barks, soon had them pretty much to leeward. Carabanal’s ship poured broadsides into some of the canoes, but in return was greeted by such heavy musket fire that at least half of his real seamen were killed and his ship got out of control. The Spanish Admiral attempted to pierce his opponent’s line, expecting with his heavy guns to blow the canoes out of the water. As he came between a canoe commanded by Sawkins and one containing Ringrose a lucky shot killed his helmsman; the ship broached to with sails aback and came to a stop, whereupon the buccaneers swarmed around the Spaniards and poured volley after volley from their small arms along the deck, putting the ship out of action in a few minutes.
The third bark drew close and engaged Sawkins. Peralta was a brave man and despite the disaster to the first two ships sailed straight among the pirates. The fighting was bloody but with some advantage to the Spaniards when a lucky shot from a musket in Ringrose’s canoe exploded a powder barrel on the Spaniards’ deck, blowing a number of men into the sea. Peralta, burned though he was, jumped overboard and effected several rescues. A second explosion followed almost immediately and in the smoke and confusion Sawkins and his men boarded the ship and forced its surrender.
In the meantime Springer, one of the English pirates, had caused heavy losses on Carabanal’s ship, which, as soon as it again came under control, sailed for refuge under the guns of the forts of Panama, thus evading capture. Coxon and Harris were devoting their attention to the Admiral’s vessel, which they had disabled by wedging the rudder. The accurate musketry of the pirates accounted for over half of the Spanish crew, including the Admiral himself who was killed, following which the ship was boarded and captured. Harris was mortally wounded in the struggle. The Spanish losses were extremely high. Aboard the flagship 61 men had been killed and practically all the others wounded. On Peralta’s vessel only 25 men were left alive and these were badly disabled. Cara- banal lost over half of his crew. According to Ringrose the buccaneers lost 18 killed and 22 wounded, a startlingly small number considering the disparity in ships and men between the two opponents.
The battle had started about dawn and was practically over by noon. The pirates were in possession of two comfortable ships with which to go cruising along South America and the South Sea and many of them favored an immediate retirement. Sawkins, however, learning from a prisoner that two of the galleons were carrying only a handful of men, dashed into the harbor and cut out two of the large ships; after taking from them parts of their cargoes of wines, sugar, flour, and other desirable commodities he set fire to them and cast them adrift to burn to the water’s edge.
During the evening and night most of the buccaneers landed on Perico island to rest themselves, to dress their wounds, to await the return of Sharp, and to prepare plans for the future. Captain Peter Harris, the Kentish sea dog, had succumbed to his wound and was buried on the island.
After a day or two Coxon, who apparently had had his fill of fighting, attempted to order the entire party to march back across the Isthmus to the Atlantic side, and when he was unsuccessful in persuading the men, most of whom wanted to remain in the Pacific “to try their fortunes,” he marched off himself with a few disgruntled followers. Coxon showed himself in his true colors in thus deserting, for he left his wounded behind to be taken care of by others and at the same time took with him the best surgeon. Sawkins, always popular with his crews for his daring and his liberality, was elected leader.
For ten days the pirates remained at Perico where they were joined by Sharp who had been off at Chepillo and who demanded part of the booty. Several Spanish merchantmen were captured and then the ships sailed over to Taboga where, in accordance with the irregular customs of those days, they were followed by the merchants of Panama who bought back much of the captured goods. Sharp, although he had not taken part in the Battle of Perico and although he had been criticized for his conduct at Santa Maria, now proved himself an able and brave seaman by capturing a Spanish galleon laden with wine and brandy and carrying 51,000 pieces-of-eight intended for paying the garrison of Panama, and by further capturing two flour ships under the guns of the forts which caused him considerable loss.
Sawkins sent several of the prisoners to the Governor of Panama demanding from him tribute and a promise “not any further to annoy the Indians.” The Governor asked to see their privateering commission, whereupon Sawkins, with a valiant gesture, answered “that as yet all his company were not come together; but that when they were come up we would come and visit him at Panama, and bring our commissions on the muzzles of our guns, at which time he should read them as plain as the flame of gunpowder could make them.” Poor Sawkins, however, did not foresee that on May 25 he would be killed in the repulse of the attack on Puebla Nueva near Panama and that his company would not further molest the Governor.
The pirates had been only partially successful in accomplishing the aims of the expedition. They had hoped, by a surprise attack, to capture and loot Panama City and even to capture the treasure ship from Lima. While they failed in these respects they did capture two vessels for employment in their cruising as well as a considerable amount of money and supplies from other ships. And, historically at least, they had again proved that even against desperate odds the English Brethren of the Main were more than a match for the Spaniard.