The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-05-10
YE ANCIENT PIRATE.
L THRILLING CHAPTER OF
NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY.


A True Account of the Doings of
Black Beard, the Ocean .HIarauder,
That Reads Like Romance.
There is a chapter of ancient histo-
relative to North Carolina coast which
is but little known, yet which is of in
tense interest. We refer to that rel
ative to the piratical operations of the
early part cfthe 18th. century. Some
reference has been made of late to
the exploits of Edward Teach, or
Blue Beard, as he was known, and
few days recently the Star stated that
he was attacked off Cape Fear and he
and 40 of his men arrived into
| Charleston This is mistake. Teach's
record of infamy was not made on the
South Carolina coast but on that OF
this State, although he probably oper-
ated along the Atlantic seaboard and
also in the West Indies end on the
| Spanish Main. The narrative of his
piratical deeds and exploits IS incom
plete, but yet such as it is, it is d mat
ter pertaining mainly to the history
of North Carolina. All of those who
have written partial or complete his
tories Of the State refer to the exploits
Of this desperate. He was reality,
and not a myth, and it is probable
that the old fairy tale of Black Beard
had its origin in the Black Beard of
the North Carolina coast, as it is
known that Teach had thirteen wives,
| he having married his last in North
Carolina.
The best and most complete ac-
count Of the practical exploits Of Ed
ward Teach Thache, as it is written
in the earlier records of the province
is found in Hawks History of North
Carolina He was born in Bristol,
England, aud his first appearance on
| the scene was about the year 17O6
He served first in q privateer fitted
out in Jamaica, during the war of
the English with France and Spain,
where he distinguished himself by his
daring courage. In 1906 he turned
pirate in connection with one Horns
| gold, and cruised between the island
of New Providence and the conti-
nent Having captured a sloop
Hornsgold gave him command of the
prize and soon after he fell in with a
| large French Guineanman, bound for
Martinique which he captured. He
armed her with 40 guns and trans
ferred to her his flag, giving her the
name of Queen Anne's Revenge. DIR.
Hawks furnishes us with the follow
ing account of Teach's exploits and
of the close of his sanguinary career ::
His flag was hoisted on board Of a
ship of 40 guns, vessel which, with
her armament and stores, he could
carry into no harbor ON the coast but
that of Beaufort, and he had a crew
of 100 men. His quadron consisted
of six vessels; Vane, Bonnet and Wor-
ley were his chief captains In the
month of May 171S, Teach, cruising
off the bar of Charleston captured a
ship having on board as a passenger
Samuel Wragg, one of the council
of South Carolina. He robbed this
gentleman Of $4,000 in specie and
then impudently sent four of his mea
into Charleston with a message to
Gov. johnson, demanding a chest of
medicine and accompanied with the
assurance that should it not be sent,
he should behead Mr.. Wragg and all
of the other passengers. To save
their lives the chest was sent.
After amassing a large amount Of
plunder, he returned to North Caro-
lima, determined to disperse his follow
ers and live on the fruits of his vii
lainy. His first step was to go to the
| n ~
of his men, and take advantage OF the
Kings proclamation of pardon. This
| he did and obtained the Governor
certificate. A court of admiralty
soon after sat at Bath, when Teach
who never held a commission nor took
a lawful prize, with consummate i'm
pudence procured the condemnation
of sloop which he or some of his fol
lowers had practically taken at sea
and sent in. He now sat down Oh
land to riot in his ill-gotten wealth
and for the thirteenth time married 8
wife-a young woman who probably
was not very inquisitive as to how
many of her predecessors were living
Restless and rowing in disposition
: however, he could not long remain OF
shore, and when tired of dissipation
on land, he resolved to diversity hi
pleasures by little more robbery ant
murder at sea.
He accordingly went on a cruis
and soon returned with his plunde
in the shape of a French ship, ladel
with valuable cargo of sugar an,
coca. The lie which he told, and t,
! which four of his men swore, was s
gross that it seems scarcely crediabl
that it could have been listened to for
f moment. He stated that he had foun,
, vessel at sea, abandoned by crew
, though, when brought in, she bore n
marks of injury from tempests, or 9th
, erwise, necessitating such abandon
: ment. He ibelled her, however, j
5 the court of admiralty, which on tn
: oath of the four men alluded to, ae
I judged her to be lawful prize to til
3 captors. The ship Con the groun
f that she was unseaworthy) was burr
; ed
a After the condemnation of th
French ship and cargo, Teach remain
d ed in Pamlico river, trading with th
d planters, and with other vessels ths
u came in-exchanging his share of th
e piunder for such commodities as
81 needed and evincing, in his traffic,
t. total want of honesty. This rouse
! the resentment of the people, and the