User:Captain Cudjoe

Captain Cudjoe aka the Mountain Lion was said to be one of the greatest maroon leaders in Jamaica. The maroons were slaves that had escaped their captivity and formed a community of their own. He refused to be a slave, fought hard against his oppressors and freed thousands of fellow slaves in the process.

Captain Cudjoe originates from Ghana. His name Cudjoe is an adaptation of the name kojo or kwadwo, which is a popular Akan name from Ghana. His father was Naquan, he was said to be a chief of the Akan people, who was captured and thrown into slavery in Spanish Jamaica in the 1640’s. Naquan led a revolt and managed to lead his people to the mountainous interior of the island, setting up homes, thus creating a community of free slaves, later known to be maroons.

Captain Cudjoe was born in 1680 little is known about his younger years, but he grew up to become a, rugged, short, stocky, dark skinned, illiterate young man. But he was a born leader, one who would lead by example, he was strong, brave and fearless, he possessed all the qualities of a high ranking commander. When it came to tactical battle there was no one better. He had endless amounts of energy and a vast enthusiasm to do battle with his oppressors.

When the British came to try and re-captured the run away slaves, Captain Cudjoe and his forces would defeat them every time. The might of the man wouldn’t settle for just victory, he would also set about raiding their plantation, gathering arms, ammunitions, destroying crops, mansions, freeing slaves, killing the white plantation owners as well as their loyal black slaves.

In the years to come Cudjoe had become so strong and feared, the English settlers thought it best to abandon their plantation and return to England. It was commonly said that the British commander General Williamson ruled Jamaica by day and Captain Cudjoe by night.

The Government decided to make a huge effort to capture Cudjoe. It built forts and outposts near the maroon settlements and brought in hundreds of American Indians to track Captain Cudjoe3down Cudjoe and his men. They also assembled a force of 1000 soldiers led by a Captain Lemelia to defeat Captain Cudjoe. But with far inferior weapons and manpower Captain Cudjoe was still equal to the challenge, gathering information from his spies, he derived a plan. He sent out one of his spies to give the British false information of where he could be found. Then Cudjoe crept stealthily down the mountains and took up position overlooking a deep path, through which his enemy had to pass.

Dividing his force into four parts, he stationed one of each high up on the peaks of the sides of the path. Captain Lemelia was totally unaware of in ambush and imminent danger that awaited him. He still believed Cudjoe was miles away. His men tired from a long treacherous march, dragging a cannon and other heavy artillery, struggled down the path. Captain Cudjoe waited until the narrowest part of the path was filled with Lemelia men, and then gave the order to fire down onto them. With cross fire coming from every direction hundreds of Lemelia men died and the rest were so traumatized that they abandoned their guns and supplies and fled down the mountains.

Wounded!
Captain Cudjoe lost his eye as he tried to stop Ishmael's spear from stabbing him.