Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-02-26

Il
in its resting places and journeyings, or
to relate how, finally, the person 10
whom il was addressed received it in
this city, during the year just passed. II
ia unnecessary TO give the soldier 8 mo
tive for addressing the young lady re-
ierred 10, but suffice 10 say, when it was
read il gave the place Of concealment OF
the piece Of parchment.
Such is the story so far as II goes, and
the persons interested in ascertaining
the precise locality Of the pirates gold
and silver, after giving us the above
narrative promised TO keep US posted
relative TO the developments. That was
several weeks ago-before the county
election. II is said that their craft came
within few miles OF tho city the other
day, in charge of a couple OF colored
men, who we're sent either for ammunition
or provisions, or both. The colored men,
il seems, have never left the sloop down
the coast except 10 go but few rods
down the water, though the white men
are gone two or three days at time,
and appear to be in good health and hu-
NOR. II is inferred that, as no message
was sent to the city, the party have rea-
son to keep their own counsel.
The readers Of the Advertiser have
probably heard Of the excursions made
by parties in search of the above named
treasure within the past few years, but
none of them exhibited the same degree
of caution and perseverance which this
is manifestiRg in the face OF pooh.poohs
of those who have some idea Of the OBJ
iects Of the excursionists.
That Blackboard must have come in
possession of many valuables is proba-
BILE. His vessels secured the whole At
lantic coast, and carried terror into the
West Indies, even TO San Domingo,
often attacking large merchantmen
bound from that island ard Jamaica to
Europe. AT one time he had as many
as fifteen hundred men sailing under his
black flag, and friends even in the pri-
vate office of the provincial Governor OF
North Carolina.
Blackbeard's true name was Edward
Teach, and he was born in Bristol, Eng
land. and for a considerable time before
he became pirate was engaged in pri-
watering from the island of Jamaica.
He was private sailor until l7l6, when
a captain Hornigold, notorious pirate,
gave him command OF sloop which he
had made prize of. In l7l7, among
other of Blackbeard'S operations, was
the capture of vessel from Havana
and sloop from Bermuda. His princi-
pal feat Of that year was the plunderlng
of a ship from Madeira to South Caro-
lima. Thence he hovered off the coast
of Virginia, and returned subsequently
to the gulf, making prize OF very
large French Guineaman on the way.
In June, l7lS, he robbed several English
vessels in the Bermudas, and later a
couple Of French vessels laden with su-
gar and cocoa. The prizes were taken
into North Carolina, where Governor
Eden and the pirates divided the booty.
The Governor received sixty hogsheads
of sugar his Secretary, t. Knight, one,
and the Collector of the Province twenty.
1t was here that the pirate married for
the fourteenth time. The bride was a
beautiful girl Of sixteen, and the gov
ernor performed the ceremony.
Teach derived his name of Blackboard
from the extraordinary quantity Of hair
with which his head and face were COW
cred. He was tall, erect and well pro
portioned; his beard was of a jet black,
and grew entirely up to his eyes, and at
times he was in the habit Of twisting it
with ribbons into small tails and turning
them up about his ears. In time of
action he wore sling over his shoulder,
with three braces of pistols hanging in
holsters. His disposition corresponded
with his appearance--a more daring, in
sinuating and reckless wretch having
rarely graced the annals of piracy. He
appeared desirous to impress his follow
ers with the belief that he was a devil
incarnate, and many stories are handed
down to US of his tricks, some Of them
exceedingly humorous as well as hate
ful, to further the impression. The inlet
he selected as an anchorage for his YES
sci, when on the Georgia coast, was ex-
ceedingly well adapted to his purpose,
either for offensive or defensive opera
tions, and is a place of interest to the
traveller, not only from its history, but
on account Of the beauty OF the landing
on the island which bears his name.