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Instructions for
(Admiral Name)
Admiral Henry Morgan, Esq.
Delivered him 22nd of July, 1670 together with his
commission.You will with these Instructions receive my commission which you are to
enjoyned with all expedition to publish and put in due execution,
according to the full extent and import of the same, for the accomplishing
whereof, you shall have all the assistance this Island can give you.
Accompanying these instructions was his Letter of
Marque which was to be his authority to invade Cuba so as to protect Jamaica
from the Spaniards stationed there who would invade Jamaica.
You are to make known to me what strength you can possibly make, what your
wants may be, that on due calculation of both, we may supply you with all
possible speed.
They wanted to know what size fleet he could muster
and what he needed to accomplish his mission to free the hemisphere of Spaniards.
You are to take notice and advise your Fleet and Souldiers that you are
on the old pleasing Account of, no purchase no pay, and therefore that all
which is got shall be devised amongst them according to accustomed Rules.
The old
pleasing account means that if they didn't capture
any booty they would not be paid.
In case you shall find it prudential as by your Commission you are
directed, to attain St. Jago de Cuba, and God blessing you with victory,
you are hereby directed, in case you do it without any considerable
hazards, to keep and make good the place and country thereabout, until you
have advised me of your success and received my further Orders touching
the same, least your suddenly quitting and their suddenly returning, beget
us new work, and put on new charges and hazards for the second defeating.
You are to take
Cuba, and if you can, hold it until you can tell the Governor of Jamaica the situation and see what
he says. If Morgan force leaves Cuba the Spaniards might come back and
make more work for them
later to get rid of them again.
In order to do this you are to proclaim mercy and enjoyment of states
and liberty of customs to all the Spaniards that will submit and give
assurance of their Loyalty to His Majesty, and Liberty to all Slaves that
will come in; and to such as by any good service may deserve the same; you
are to give notice that their fugitive Masters' Plantations are to be
divided amongst them as rewards for the same & make them sufficient
Grants in writing, both for their Liberties and for their Estates,
reserving to the Crown of England the fourth part of the produce to be
yearly paid for the yearly maintenance of such Forces as shall defend
those parts.
Any Spaniard who swears allegiances
to England is to be treated well. Any slave who does the same and provides
good service is to be given their former master's plantations to be shared
equally amongst them. They are to be given these Grants in writing; one
for their freedom and one for the land. The Crown would get one fourth of
their produce every year. That share would be used to pay for
their defense.
In case you find that course to take approvable, you are as much as
will stand with the same, to preserve the Sugarworks and Canes; but if it
otherwise appear to you, that in reason you cannot make good the place for
any long time, and that the Spaniards and Slaves are deaf to your
proposals, you are then, with all it as a Wilderness, putting the
Men-slaves to the Sword and making the Women-Slaves Prisoners to be
brought hither, and sold for the account of your Fleet and Army, such of
the men that cannot speak Spanish, or any new Negro, you may preserve for
the same account; or if any Ships to be present to carry them for New
England or Virginia, you may send them all on the same account.
As much as practical, he was to try
to save the sugar works and the sugarcane fields. If the Spaniards or the
slaves resisted, he was to put the men to the sword and save the women
to sell to pay for Morgan's military expense. If there are special men who
don't speak Spanish or any blacks he could keep them for sale or send them to New
England or Virginia.
You are to enquire what usage our Prisoners have had, and what Quarter
hath been given by the Enemy to such of ours as have fallen under their
power, and being well informed, you are to give the same, or rather as our
custom is to exceed in Civility and Humanity, endeavouring by all means to
make all sorts of People sensible of your Moderation and good nature, and
your inaptitude and loathing to spill the blood of men.
Morgan was to find
out how the English prisoners were treated by the Spanish and treat the
Spanish prisoners just the same or better. Let everyone know that he was
not bloodthirsty.
You have hereby power to execute Marshall Law, according to such
military Laws as have been made by me, and the Laws made by Act of
Parliament for the government of the Fleet, which I approve of as fitting
for the Service; and hereby authorize you to put them in execution against
such as shall offend you, having first published the Laws unto them, that
none may pretend ignorance.
After he published
notice, he
could execute Marshall Law.
If any Ship or Ships shall be present, which have not any Commissions,
you are hereby impowered to Grant Commissions to them according to the
form I have used, taking security of £1,000 for the performance of the
same.
Morgan was authorized to issue Letters
of Marque for any civilian ship to arm itself as a Privateer. For this
Authority he was to collect £1,000 as bond toward the Governor and
Morgan's share of the plunder they might capture.
What Ships in this Expedition you shall keep with you under your
Command and then order and dispose for the best improvement of this
Service, not suffering the takers or pretenders to sell them until they
come into their Commission Port.
Any ship he captured
was to be taken to an authorized port where it's value could be
determined and the appropriate commission would be paid to Morgan.
In regard as many things may happen in this Action which cannot be by
me foreseen and provided for in these Instructions, therefore all such
matters are left to your well known prudence and conduct, referring to you
that are in the place to do therein what shall be needful, thus wishing
your success and this Island made happy thereby.
This is the most
important clause of these Instructions because it gives Morgan unlimited
power over anything that was not covered in these Instructions.
I remain your faithful Friend and Servant
Thos. Modyford |
