Henry Morgan's raid on Lake Maracaibo, also known as the Sack of Maracaibo and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo, was a military event that took place between 16 March and 21 May 1669 during the latter stage of the Anglo-Spanish War. English privateers commanded by notable Buccaneer Henry Morgan launched an attack with the purpose of raiding Spanish towns along the coastline inside of Lake Maracaibo in the Spanish Province of Venezuela.
After capturing and sacking the towns of Maracaibo and Gibraltar, Morgan was trapped by the Spanish Armada de Barlovento led by Don Alonso del Campo y Espinosa. Despite being outgunned, Morgan's fleet defeated and wiped out the Spanish fleet in a pitched naval battle on the bar of Maracaibo. Following this, Morgan was able to escape getting past the fortress guarding the lake after successful ruse. His fleet returned to Jamaica unscathed with a significant amount of plunder.
Background
England and Spain had remained in a state of war in the Caribbean following the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. England's taking possession of Jamaica since 1657 had yet to be confirmed by Spain in a treaty. As a result, Buccaneers were invited, to base themselves at Port Royal, to help defend against Spanish attacks.
Henry Morgan, who had been in charge of the Port Royal militia and the defence of Jamaica, took over further privateering expeditions as Admiral in Chief of the Confederacy of Buccaneers. Thomas Modyford the Governor of Jamaica gave Morgan a letter of marque. who then conducted a raid on Puerto Principe which yielded a satisfactory profit. Another larger raid took place on Porto Bello which was even more successful.
Soon after the 26 gun HMS Oxford was given to Morgan as a gift from King Charles II of England. In October 1668 Morgan sailed with ten ships and 800 men for Île-à-Vache, a small island he used as a rendezvous point. His plan was to attack the Spanish port of Cartagena de Indias, the richest and most important city on the Spanish Main. On 2 January 1669 Morgan called a council of war for all his captains, which took place on Oxford. Anchored off the Île à Vache, a party took place onboard - somehow during the drunken excitement the powder magazine was ignited by a loose spark and subsequently the ship was blown up. Over 200 were killed with the only survivors being six men and four boys of the crew. Morgan was lucky as he and the six other captains that sat on the same side survived, while those opposite him were killed.
Recovering from the disaster, Morgan needed another ship. The French 36 gun warship Le Cerf Volant had been captured a month before by Edward Collier in the Oxford. The French had been accused of committing acts of piracy against English merchants. Collier's crew searched their ship and found a Letter of Marque given by the Governor of Baracoa, the evidence they needed to cement their claims. The Letter of Marque stated the French were permitted to trade in Spanish ports, however they were also allowed to engage English pirates. Le Cerf Volant was renamed the Satisfaction and the French tried as Pirates in Jamaica but they were reprieved.
The loss of Oxford meant Morgan's flotilla was too small to attempt an attack on Cartagena. By the time they had reached Saona, at the eastern end of Santo Domingo, three more of his ships deserted which included vast majority of the French, bitter about the treatment of their fellow countrymen, leaving only eight ships with 500 men as a whole. With their much-reduced numbers Morgan decided to loot Trinidad, but the fleet broke up en route when other captains chose their own targets. Instead he was persuaded by a French captain Pierre Le Picard under his command to repeat the actions of the Tortuga corsair Jean-David Nau, or better known as François l'Olonnais. Two years previously he led an attacks on Maracaibo and Gibraltar, both on Lake Maracaibo. The lake was eighty six miles long, and up to sixty miles wide. Morgan planned to sail right to the very far end and raid Gibraltar.
Since l'Olonnais and Picard had visited Maracaibo, the Spanish had built the San Carlos de la Barra Fortress, 20 miles (32 km) outside the city, on the approach. The brand new fortress was placed in a strategic position to defend the town, nevertheless it was undermanned, leaving only nine men to load and fire the fortress's eleven guns.
Before heading to Maracaibo, Morgan's fleet came to anchor at the Dutch island of Aruba and stocked up on food and supplies. Other notable privateers who sailed with Morgan were and at least five other captains, veterans of the Portobello attack, Jeffrey Pennant, Richard Norman, Richard Dobson, Edward Dempster, Adam Brewster and John Morris.
Raid
Morgan arrived off Lake Maracaibo on 9 March - Picard knew the approaches to the lagoon, and was able to guide the fleet through a narrow and shallow channel. Within the day they came across the San Carlos de la Barra Fortress and immediately bombarded the fort. One of Morgan's ships Lilly gave covering cannon fire whilst his men landed on the beach. They waited till it was after dark and then stormed the fortification and breached its defences. The privateers were surprised to find the fort abandoned. They soon discovered that it had only been garrisoned by an officer and eight men. Nevertheless, they had left a slow-burning fuse leading to the fort's powder kegs as a trap for the buccaneers. Morgan's men however managed to extinguish all of the fuses. All sixteen of the fort's guns were spiked and then buried so they could not be used against the privateers when they returned from the rest of their mission.
Morgan then ordered the rest of the ships through the channel and was able to victual the fleet from the much needed fort's powder and firearms. Morgan proceeded South to Maracaibo navigating the shoals - some areas were too shallow to navigate and rather than risk grounding, the Privateers took to small boats and canoes.
Maracaibo
The privateers rowed steadily into Maracaibo and after landing assaulted the fort first - only to find it deserted. As they moved into the city itself it was clear its residents had been forewarned of their approach by the fortress's troops. The privateers then searched the surrounding jungle upwards of some thirty miles to find the escapees. Some 100 prisoners were taken in addition to cattle, slaves and other valuables. The remaining occupants, were tortured in different ways to find where money or treasure had been hidden.
Over the course of three weeks the English held the town with Morgan using the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral as his headquarters. Six merchant vessels were captured and some 500 pieces of eight was gathered, nevertheless some of the privateers were underwhelmed with the plunder. Around 100 of the towns wealthiest prisoners were kept as a collateral. Morgan nevertheless was satisfied with what he had taken and set off South to the next target - the town of Gibraltar, leaving a small number of privateers in Maracaibo.
Gibraltar
Morgan arrived at Gibraltar and sent some prisoners ashore to demand the town's surrender. The town's occupants however refused to surrender, and the fort fired enough of a barrage to ensure Morgan kept his distance. He anchored a short distance away and his men landed by canoe and assaulted the town from the landward approach. The fort was swiftly captured and as they descended into the town met scant resistance. Many of the occupants had fled into the surrounding jungle so Morgan sent out several parties to search the various plantations for prisoners and valuables. Soon some 250 prisoners were taken but none were willing to tell Morgan and his men where they had hidden valuables.
The Privateers then spent the next five weeks in Gibraltar, and there was again evidence that torture was used to force residents to reveal hidden money and valuables. The location of the town's governor was given away by a captured slave. Morgan sent out a 250-man party to a river with an island further inland and discovered the hideout with a small hastily built fort. The island was captured with ease and a number of prisoners of high value were captured. The town's governor managed to escape further south into the hills - the English went after him but heavy rain swelled the rivers and forced their return. Overall the privateers took a good haul - stray vessels contained some valuable goods as well as a large number of slaves from the plantations. Morgan released the prisoners who had paid their ransoms but kept four prominent citizens of the town as collateral. The Privateers were satisfied with what they had captured and headed back North to Maracaibo.
Armada de Barlovento
Morgan returned to Maracaibo four days later, but on arrival he was told that a Spanish defence squadron, the Armada de Barlovento, was waiting for him at the narrow passage between the Caribbean and Lake Maracaibo. The Armada consisted of three ships - the 412 ton flagship Galleon Magdalena of 48 guns, the 210 ton Patache San Luis of 38 guns and the fifty ton frigate Soledad of 24 guns. Another frigate Nuestra Senora del Carmen had been wrecked but the eighteen guns were retrieved and sent into the San Carlos de la Barra Fortress. The forces, under the command of Don Alonso del Campo y Espinosa, had in all some 126 cannon and some 500 men with which to attack Morgan. Morgan was also informed that Alonso had managed to restore the fortress with what he could - some forty arquebusiers and six guns were repaired or salvaged along with the guns from 'Carmen'. Alonso then dispatched messengers inland calling for further assistance. Alonso lightened his ships so that it could sail into the lake. He also called on Morgan to surrender, giving him a choice; two days to surrender or face annihilation. Morgan in a cheerful message said he looked forward to the 'hazard of battle'.
Although Morgan had more ships, none were as powerful as any of the Spanish ships, even Morgans largest ship Lilly was barely a match with the smallest Spanish ship, the frigate Soledad. The Spaniards had orders to end piracy in the Caribbean, and negotiations between Morgan and Alonso continued for a week. The final offer put by the Spanish commander was for Morgan to leave all their spoils and slaves and to return to Jamaica unmolested. No agreement however was reached that would allow Morgan and his men to pass the fleet with their spoils but without being attacked. Morgan put the Spaniards' offers to his men, who voted instead to fight their way out. As they were heavily outgunned, one privateer suggested that a fire ship attack citing Francis Drake's use against the Spanish Armada eighty years earlier. The idea was accepted and they would direct the fire ship towards Alonso's flagship, Magdalen to cause the most confusion.
In Maracaibo, a crew of twelve prepared a ship that had been seized in Gibraltar. They disguised vertical logs of wood with Montera hats, to make the Spaniards believe that the vessel was fully crewed. To make it look more heavily armed, additional portholes were cut in the hull and logs placed to resemble cannons. Barrels of powder were placed in the ship with fuses ready to be lit, tar was spread along with dried palm leaves. Grappling irons were laced into the ships rigging ready to catch the ropes and sails of Magdalen and ensure the vessels would become entangled. Alonso was informed of this activity by runaway slaves and other informants. With this information he drilled his men and set up some defensive measures - barrels of water were placed on the ship in case of the need to put out fires, and long poles were placed in case the privateers came too close.
Battle of Lake Maracaibo
By April 29 Morgan was satisfied that his small fleet was ready. They had twenty miles to cover the distance between him and the Spanish who lay on the sand bar of the lake. The following day they set sail, and by days end his flotilla saw the Spanish ships anchored across the channel. Morgan decided to anchor given the coming darkness.