The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-03-09
Blackboard, The Pirate or Colonial
Days.


Days.
The career Of Teach, Gliw Black.
beard, says An nv le,u Round, throws
a curious light upon the manner in
which his Majesty's colonies were then
governed. Teach went into business
at once, and having "cultivatcd very
good understanding with Chas. Eden,
Esq, the Governor OF North Carolina
with an excellent prospect OF success.
His friend the Governor made no
scruple Of converting Court Of Vice
Admiralty at Bath Town, which con-
demned his captures as lawful prizes,
although he never held commission
In his life. "These proceedings, adds
his biographer, "show that Governors
are but men" Blackboard was typi-
cal pirate, possessed with mania for
getting married. His friend, the Gov
ernor, after the manner Of the planta-
ton, married him TO his fourteenth wife
"A young creature OF sixteen--whom
he treated scandaIously. 1t is not on
record that Black beard, like Bluebeard,
slew his wives. On the contrary, he
had, at the period referred to, about a
dozen living in various places. Obvi-
ously he was man Of domestic in
stincts, modified by rowing life, and
liked to have somebody TO welcome
him home wherever he was. His
cognomen of Blackboard was de-
rived from "that large quantity Of hair
which, like frightful meteor, covered
his whole face, and frightened America
more than any comet that has appeared
for long time. This beard was black,
which he suffered to grow to an extrav-
agant length; as to breadth, it came
up TO his eyes; he was accustomed TO
twist 1t with ribbons in small tails after
the manner of our Families wigs and
turn them about his ears; in time Of ac-
ton he wore a sling over his shoulders,
with three braces Of pistols" This was
the regular pirate fashion, and its use
is obvious. In boarding. the pistol W
the favorite weapon Of the royers, who
always wore two or three brace in u
silk sling, hung rather around the neck
than over the shoulders. Armed thus,
the freebooter was nearly as well off
as if he possessed revolver. He had
only to cock and fire, drop one pistol
and seize another ready 10 his hand,
without the risk Of losing his weapons.
This reliance on the pistol was, doubt
less, one reason of the success of the
rovers in close fighting. To add
terror TO his appearance Black
beard stuck "lighted matches under his
hat, which, appearing on each side o.,
his face, his eyes naturally looking
fierce and wild, made him altogether
such figure that imagination can not
form an idea of fury from hell TO look
more frightful.r He was frolicsome
fellow, this Capt. Teach, in his grim
way. One day, being at sea, and be-
ing little flushed with drink, he de-
termined to make an inferno " Of his
own" and TO that end went down into
the hold, with two or three others, and
having filled several pots full u brim-
stone, set them OH fire, and was proud
OF having held out the longest against
suffocation. Another evening, being
in pleasant mood, drinking and play
ing cards with a few choice kindred
spirits, he blew out the light, and cross
ing his hands under the table, fired his
pistols, tanning one man for life; and
when asked the meaning of this, said A:
"If he did not now and then kill one
Of them, they would forget who he
was" One eyrie story of Blackboard
and his crew runs thus: "Once upon
a cruise they found out that they h I'd
a man on board more than their crew
such a one was seen several days
among them, sometimes below
and sometimes on deck, yet no man in
the ship could give an account Of who
he wa or from whence he came; but
that he disappeared little before they
were cast away in the great ship; bat il
seems they verify believed 1t was the
devil" Like many other great bad men
Blackboard did not improve upon &C.
quaintance, and his friends, the plant
ers, at last got tired Of his society. Re
dress from the Governor OF North Car
Dina was hopeless, and the Governor q
Virginia was applied to. This gentle
man at once sent Lieut.. Maynard, will
a couple OF sloops, TO capture the pirate
A desperate fight ensued. After some
very hard firing, Blackboard, after hurl
ing on the enemy some ssnew-fashionet
sort Of grenades"- bottles, filled
with powder and slugs-boarded her
but this time met his match, and fel
dead, after receiving twenty-five wounds
fighting like fury to the last. His hcat
was cut of and hung to the bowsprit o
fha vtcf or,os,a q1aon