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Blackbeard

Page history last edited by carolynmessman@... 16 years, 1 month ago

 

 

 BLACKBEARD

 

 

"Edward Teach- who for his remarkably black ugly Beard, was more commonly

called Blackbeard"

 

 

 

 

The Man

 

 

“This fellow was a good Sailor, but a most cruel hardened Villain, bold and daring to the last Degree, and would not stick at perpetrating the most abominable Wickedness imaginable…” (Defoe)

 

 

 

Piratical Beginnings

 

Blackbeard’s background is pretty much clear as mud. Other than Blackbeard, he is reported to have gone by Edward Teach, Thatch, Tach, Tash, and even Drummond. Defoe, in his work The General History of the Pyrates, claims that Blackbeard was a native of Bristol, but other sources place his hometown in London, Jamaica, and even Philadelphia. Defoe claims Blackbeard sailed out of Jamaica as a privateer during a war with France but then for some reason or another “went a Pyrating.”

 

Roving the Seas

 

Blackbeard started his pirating career near the end of 1716, when pirate Captain Hornigold gave him command of a captured sloop. In the West Indies, Hornigold and Teach took a French Guiney Man, named the Concorde, full of slaves, cocoa, copper and gold dust.  With Horningold’s consent, Teach was made captain of this ship, which he mounted with 40 guns and named the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

 

In his new tricked out ship, Blackbeard ravaged the seas and eventually ran across the pirate ship of Major Stede Bonnet. Teach told the Major that he was not a very skilled Captain, and invited him upon his own ship to live and pirate with less responsibility. Bonnet accepted the deal and the Queen Anne’s Revenge went on to pillage ships from every nation. Upon the capture of a Bostonian ship named the Protestant Cesar, Blackbeard took all of the cargo and then set the vessel ablaze. This was an act of revenge – an attempt to get back at Boston for their recent hanging of several members of Black Sam Bellamy’s crew. (link to "Black" Samuel Bellamy, Captain of the Whydah)

 

 

Blockade of Charleston

 

In late May of 1718, the good people of Charleston, South Carolina were in the middle of conflict with the local natives. However, they had other problems lurking offshore. Blackbeard and his crew had taken the ship of Robert Clark, who had set out from Charleston to London. In the next few days, Blackbeard and company took all the ships attempting to leave or go into the city and kept the crew as prisoners, “…so that the trade of the place was entirely interrupted” (Defoe). The whole town was completely terrorized and put up no resistance as they had just recently been visited by the pirate Charles Vane.

 

It turns out the Blackbeard orchestrated this blockade because his crew was in need of medicine. He demanded that the government of South Carolina deliver a medicine chest. If they failed to comply by his terms, Blackbeard vowed to burn all their ships and kill all the prisoners, delivering their severed heads to the governor. While the government decided their course of action and rounded up the appropriate medicine, the pirates freely roamed the city. Once the medicine was delivered to the pirate Captain, Blackbeard and his gang let the prisoners leave and set off for North Carolina.

 

Governor Eden and North Carolina

 

It was here that Blackbeard hoped to ditch most of his crew so that he wouldn’t have to share so much of the treasure. Blackbeard apparently enacts his plan by pretending that he wanted to clean the Queen Anne’s Revenge. He“accidentally” ran the ship aground, and deceitfully asked The Adventure, another ship in his fleet, to help him, causing this smaller ship to run aground as well. David Herriot had been the original captain of the sloop Adventure, and he related how these events transpired at Beaufort Inlet in a deposition published in London in 1719. The following excerpt supports the suspicion of Blackbeard (referred to as Thatch) conspiring against his crew.

 

"Twas generally believed the said Thatch run his Vessel aground on purpose to break up the companies, and to secure what Moneys and Effects he had got for himself and such other of them as he had most Value for. That after the said ship and this Deponent's sloop were so cast away, this Deponent requested the said Thatch to let him have a Boat, and a few Hands, to go to some inhabited Place in North Carolina, or to Virginia, there being very few and poor inhabitants in Topsail-Inlet, where they were; and desired the said Thatch to make this Deponent some Satisfaction for his said Sloop; Both which said Thatch promised to do. But instead thereof, ordered this Deponent, with about sixteen more, to be put on shore on a small Sandy Hill or Bank, a League distant from the Main; on which Place there was no Inhabitant, nor Provisions. Where this Deponent and the rest remained two Nights and one Day, and expected to perish; for that said Thatch took away their Boat."

 

After marooning some of his men on a deserted island (as mentioned in the above account), Blackbeard met with the Governor of North Carolina, Charles Eden. He accepted the governor’s pardon for piracy, but “…it did not appear that their submitting to this Pardon was from any Reformation of Manners, but only to wait a more favourable Opportunity to play the same Game over again” (Defoe). Through bribes and the governor’s own want for spoils, Blackbeard not only received the pardon but also got in tight with the Governor and his secretary, Tobias Knight. This relationship is especially apparent in Eden’s granting Blackbeard the legal right a ship he had taken while captaining the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Having legal right to a vessel, Blackbeard returned to sea in June of 1718 and robbed English and French ships, returning the plunder to divide with the corrupt governor. In order to advert suspicion, Eden granted Blackbeard permission to burn and sink the stolen vessels.

 

For the next few months of 1718, Blackbeard set up camp in the inlets of coastal North Carolina, trading his stolen pirate plunder with the plantation owners, merchants, and common people there. Sometimes he went about his business fairly and other times he embraced his piratical ways, plundering the ships of local merchant trading sloops. Finally, the plantation owners grew fed up with Blackbeard’s growing hold on the local economy. They knew that any appeal to the Governor Eden would be futile, so in desperation they secretly wrote a letter to the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, asking him to send help to defeat this pirate.

 

Epic Demise

 

After receiving the complaints, Governor Alexander Spotswood assigned Lieutenant Robert Maynard to an expedition to kill or capture Blackbeard. Spotswood knew that many people in North Carolina, including the Governor Eden, supported Blackbeard and therefore he planned the expedition with, “…such Secresy that I did not so much as communicate to his Maj’ty’s Council here, nor to any other Person but those who were necessarily to be employed in the Execution, least among the many favourers of Pyrates we have here in these Parts some of them might send intelligence to Tach” (Rediker). Despite the efforts for secrecy, Blackbeard did catch wind of the plan for his capture. However, he didn’t take much notice of the news considering much of the intelligence he received failed to materialize. 

 

 

 

above: Ocracoke Inlet today

 

Maynard approached the unprepared Blackbeard in North Carolina’s Ocracoke inlet and bloody battle ensued. Blackbeard fired a broadside to the British ship and threw hand grenades (a new technology) at the enemy. Knowing another broadside would be their end, Maynard ordered his crew to lay down – making it appear they all had died. Blackbeard and his few men board the ship only to be attacked. Hand to hand combat continued and Blackbeard fought viciously, “…til he received five and twenty Wounds, and five of them by Shot” (Defoe). While cocking a pistol for one more shot, Blackbeard fell over dead. After sustaining an inhuman amount of wounds (think Scarface…), the notorious pirate was no more. Three months after his death, the Boston News-Letter prints a dramatically descriptive account of the event:

 

“Demelt struck in between them with his Sword and Cut Teach’s Face pretty much; in the Interim both Companies ingaged in Maynard’s Sloop, one of Maynard’s Men being a Highlander, ingaged Teach with his broad sword, who gave Teach a cut on the Neck, Teach saying well done Lad, the Highlander reply’d, if it be not well done, I’ll do it better, with that he gave him a second stroke, which cut off his Head, laying it flat on his shoulder” (Public Enemy).

 

After throwing his war-torn body to the sea, Maynard kept Blackbeard’s head and hung it from his sloop – a warning to all potential pirates. Upon hearing the news of Blackbeard’s death, a young Benjamin Franklin in Boston composed the following poem/song which he published and distributed on the streets.

 

 

 

The Downfal of Pyracy

 

 

by Benjamin Franklin

 

Will you hear of a bloody Battle,

Lately fought upon the Seas,

It will make your Ears to rattle,

And your Admiration cease;

Have you heard of Teach the Rover,

And his Knavery on the Main;

How of Gold he was a Lover,

How he lov'd all ill got Gain.

 

When the Act of Grace appeared,

Captain Teach with all his Men,

Unto Carolina steered,

Where they kindly us'd him then;

There he marry'd to a Lady,

And gave her five hundred Pound,

But to her he prov'd unsteady,

For he soon march'd of[f] the Ground.

 

And returned, as I tell you,

To his Robbery as before,

Burning, sinking Ships of value,

Filling them with Purple Gore;

When he was at Carolina,

There the Governor did send,

To the Governor of Virginia,

That he might assistance lend.

 

Then the Man of War's Commander,

Two small Sloops he fitted out,

Fifty Men he put on board, Sir,

Who resolv'd to stand it out:

The Lieutenant he commanded

both the Sloops, and you shall hear,

How before he landed,

He suppress'd them without Fear.

 

Valiant Maynard as he sailed,

Soon the Pirate did espy,

With his Trumpet he then hailed,

And to him they did reply:

Captain Teach is our Commander,

Maynard said, he is the Man,

Whom I am resolv'd to hang Sir,

Let him do the best he can.

 

Teach reply'd unto Maynard,

You no Quarters here shall see,

But be hang'd on the Main-yard,

You and all your Company;

Maynard said, I none desire,

Of such Knaves as thee and thine,

None I'll give, Teach then replyed,

My Boys, give me a Glass of Wine.

 

He took the Glass, and drank Damnation,

Unto Maynard and his Crew;

To himself and Generation,

Then the Glass away he threw;

Brave Maynard was resolv'd to have him,

Tho' he'd Cannons nine or ten:

Teach a broadside quickly gave him,

Killing sixteen valiant Men.

 

Maynard boarded him, and to it

They fell with Sword and Pistol too;

They had Courage, and did show it,

Killing the Pirate's Crew.

Teach and Maynard on the Quarter,

Fought it out most manfully,

Maynard's Sword did cut him shorter,

Losing his Head, he there did die.

 

Every Sailor fought while he Sir,

Power had to weild [sic] the Sword,

Not a Coward could you see Sir,

Fear was driven from aboard:

Wounded Men on both Sides fell Sir,

'Twas a doleful Sight to see,

Nothing could their Courage quell Sir,

O, they fought courageously.

 

When the bloody Fight was over,

We're inform'd by a Letter writ,

Teach's Head was made a Cover,

To the Jack Staff of the Ship:

Thus they sailed to Virginia,

And when they the Story told,

How they kill'd the Pirates many,

They'd Applause from young and old.

 

 

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

The Myth

 

 

       

 

 

“The activities of Blackbeard and his piratical brethren have been shrouded in legends and folklore for so long that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between myth and reality.” (Moore)

 

 

Source Discrepancies and Conflicting Information

 

 

Evaluation of the primary source material about Blackbeard proves difficult because even primary sources were often based off second or third hand information, hearsay, or long distance and old data. Some of it, including Defoe’s account, includes obvious embellishment designed for a certain agenda.

 

 

Although most people take The General History of the Pyrates to be fairly accurate, there are many discrepancies between Defoe’s narration and other accounts of Blackbeard. Defoe even changes his story of Blackbeard somewhat between his first and subsequent editions. For example, he refers to the pirate captain as “Thatch” in the first edition and then changes his name to “Teach.” Discrepancies and questionability in the primary sources regarding Blackbeard helped perpetuate the pirate’s mystery and intrigue and also served to fuel the creation of an immense repertoire of Blackbeard myths.

 

 

The Scarborough

 

A great check against the assumed validity of Defoe’s narrative arises with his account of Blackbeard’s battle with the British ship Scarborough. According to Defoe, the pirates fought the ship for 3 or 4 hours before the Scarborough sailed away. This event was presumed to be a primary reason for Blackbeard’s early fame. However, this event most likely never happened. The ship’s log in the British Public Record Office makes no mention this event, and a personal account from Henry Bostock validates that the pirates and the Scarborough never fought.

 

 

Physical Descriptions

 

 

Defoe’s fanciful and terrible description of Blackbeard would have stricken fear in the hearts of all good law-abiding citizens. He writes:

 

"…that large Quantity of Hair, which, like a frightful Meteor, covered his whole face and frightened America more than any Comet that has appeared there a long Time…This Beard was black, which he suffered to grow of an extravagant Length; as to Breadth, it came up to his Eyes; he was accustomed to twist it with Ribbons, in small Tails,... and turn them about his Ears: In Time of Action, he wore a Sling over his Shoulders, with three Brace of Pistols, hanging in Holsters like Bandaliers; and stuck lighted Matches under his Hat, which appearing on each Side of his Face, his Eyes naturally looking fierce and wild, made him altogether such a Figure, that Imagination cannot form an Idea of a Fury, from Hell, to look more frightful."

 

It is interesting to compare Defoe’s intensely evil illustration of Blackbeard to the rather plain description of him given by the eyewitness Henry Bostock, a master of a sloop Blackbeard took and someone who actually saw the pirate in real life.

 

 

"…the Captain…was tall Spare Man with a very black beard which he wore very long...” (Moore)

 

 

The contrast in descriptions show that Blackbeard’s image was mostly likely exaggerated and extrapolated by those who had never seen him in the first place. By casting the pirate as an unearthly Fury, Defoe reflects the British agenda to demolish piracy.

 

 

Pervert or Gentleman?

 

While staying in North Carolina, Defoe writes that Blackbeard took his fourteenth wife, “a young Creature of about sixteen Years of Age.” Apparently, Blackbeard had a twisted custom of inviting his fellow pirates to hook up with one of his various wives, forcing her to prostitute herself over and over while he watched. This disgusting and seemingly ridiculous account is challenged by a much different North Carolina account of Blackbeard. North Carolina law professor Robert Lee wrote that “…few pirates treated women or girls with greater respect…He would not let a girl serve him a drink; he preferred to serve the drink to the girl.” Rumors of Blackbeard prostituting multiple wives to his piratical brethren would help create a sick and twisted image of him as a villain. As he was such a threat to their economy and stability, the British sources probably capitalized on this rumor to cast Blackbeard as some sick psycho never to be sympathized with or helped out.

 

Blackbeard as Satan?

 

Apparently Blackbeard’s role model, the Devil himself was rumored to lurk upon Blackbeard’s ship. As Defoe above describes, the pirate was known to light matches around his head to create a devilish and fearsome air. According to legend, looking like Satan was not enough for old Blackbeard. After having a goodly amount of punch, he told his crew, “Come, let us make a Hell of our own, and try how long we can bear it” (Defoe). They brought pails of brimstone down in the hold, closed all the hatches and lit them on fire. The sulfurous fumes resembled Hell, and Blackbeard was the only one to successfully endure it. He also acquires otherworldy characteristics in the legend that his decapitated body swam around Maynard's ship multiple times before sinking down to Davy Jone's Locker.

 

 

Local Legends

 

There is a very old house in Beaufort, North Carolina, called the White Hammock House. According to legend, Blackbeard stayed here after running his ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, aground nearby. The house is rumored to be haunted by one of Blackbeard’s numerous wives. He apparently hung her on an oak tree out back for not complying with his demands, and locals say that her screams of agony are still audible when the conditions are right.

 

Also, the Ocracoke inlet where Blackbeard was approached and killed by Lieutenant Maynard is rumored to derive its name from the pirate. The legend maintains that Blackbeard was anxious for the day to break and battle to commence, cried, “O Crow Cock, O Crow Cock,” pleading for the rooster on his ship to announce the beginning of the day.

 

Treasure

 

 

Legend says that the night before he died, Blackbeard was questioned as to the location of his treasure. He replied, “nobody but himself and the devil knew where it was and the longest liver should take it all” (Defoe). However, his treasure is rumored to be buried in all sorts of places. In North Carolina, Blackbeard apparently buried his treasure (if he had any…) at Teach’s Oak, Holiday’s Island, an Old Brick House, or the southern end of Orcracoke Island. In 1948, a treasure hunting 80 year old man dug for Blackbeard’s treasure with a gigantic steam shovel. He maintained the riches were buried under Walnut Street in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Apparently he did find some yellow chunks of metal with questionable identity. 

 

 

 

The Legend

 

 

 

 

 

In the Commonwealth of Pyrates, he who goes the greatest Length of Wickedness, is looked upon with a kind of Envy amongst them, as a Person of a more extraordinary Gallantry, and is thereby entitled to be distinguished by some Post, and if such a one has but Courage, he must certainly be a Great Man.” (Defoe)

 

Cultivating his Image

 

Despite popular characterization, Blackbeard may have been one of the more civil, reasonable pirates. (perhaps compare him to this bloodthirsty pirate: Captain Edward Low)He respectfully explained the ransom situation to his captives of Charleston and commonly relied on piratical councils to decide his course of action. When he first took the Concorde (renamed the Queen Anne’s Revenge), he supplied the ship’s captain with a different sloop and helped transfer the cargo of slaves. Until his last stand in Ocracoke Inlet, there is no specific account of Blackbeard killing anybody. The locals of the North Carolina inlets supposedly liked Blackbeard and were disappointed when he died. He brought these people goods at reasonable prices without the high taxes imposed by Britain, which helped the economy of these areas flourish. When he was not pirating, he apparently integrated himself in all aspects of North Carolina society. To this day, Blackbeard stands as a sort of folk-hero in this region. This hardly seems like characteristic behavior of a psychotic murdering villain.

 

Instead, it is possible that Blackbeard was able to capitalize on the evil persona the British attributed to him. For the British, making the pirates look terrible gave justification for their hanging. For Blackbeard, embracing this terrible image of pirates made capturing and plundering vessels much easier. It was said that when capturing ships, he rarely had to do anything but hoist his flag to alert the targeted ship of his identity. With the rumors of Blackbeard’s barbarity fresh in their heads, the captain and crew rarely resisted. It is very possible that Blackbeard was not a crazed Satanist, but instead a really smart guy who systematically used terror to get what he wanted.

 

 Blackbeard's bleeding heart flag- for more on pirate flags, visit Pirate Flags and Banners

 

 

 Works Cited:

 

 

"Blackbeard the Pirate, Public Enemy Number 1." The Science News-Letter 36 (1939): 100-101.
 
Bond, Constance. "A Fury From Hell: or Was He?" Smithsonian 30 (2000): 62+. America: History and Life.
 
Butler, Lindley S. "Blackbeard's Revenge." American History (2000): 18-24. America: History and Life.

 

Defoe, Daniel. A General History of the Pyrates.  New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1999.

 

Marine Research Society. The Pirates Own Book: Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993.

 

Moore, D. "A General History of Blackbeard the Pirate,." North Carolina Maritime Museum. 20 Feb. 2008 <http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/qar/rcorner/genhistory.htm>.

 

"Pirate Treasure." Western Folklore 7 (1948). 18 Feb. 2008.

 

Rediker, Marcus. Villians of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.

 

Teach's Hole. 28 Feb. 2008 <http://www.teachshole.com/index.htm>.

 

 

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