The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-14
CAROLINA PIRATES.
-gr1R DEPRED ATOMS IN THE LAST
CENTURY.

-, - curious Story Told in An
a,cient Affidavit
- Hudson in EelD York Evening Post.
S- 10y one who is at all familiar with the
,-s,aenth-oentury history of the South
s.ss-..,;c States will remember the scourge
- .. the pirates from the Spanish main
L. % those coasts in the days Of the
". George. It will also be remembered
- the shame of the ancient city of
--a-lsstown, IN the province of South Caro-
- her merchants did much to encourage
AD'' 5or-edations of these sea-robbers,
" hat finally, through the instrument
Ai - of Gov. Nathaniel johnson,
o. ~ Ubou the present Fort johnson was
D- -N.d Chief Justice Trott and Col. William
Oft the first famous man of that famous
- the pirates were exterminated and
- 80 Ronnett and thirty-one of his crew
90 hanged at White Point. the place
marked by Cherleston's famous bat
-nou the noble promenade of which
~ ~ bsauty and chivalry of the quaint old
- ~ sre won't daily to walk.
0l - vaar l7lS is a long time ago, and the
- and their interesting history have
. "a nearly forgotten that now they have
pes '..j almost into the realm Of tradition.
49, creat deal is to be learned Of them on
~. ~ s1e of the water; but if any Ameri-
t visitor TO London should care to dis
. .a the dust that las been settling for a
1u-s and three-quarters on certain old
.o1s and manuscript tones in the British
~. l.o Office. he could find much that
ot-fe him r1fnor fhpga hCI
t.'ansneers of that ruder time. The appear
w. of the pirates On the American coast
slmost coeval with the appearance of the
aorIiast spanish settlers in the rich coun-
co., and islands which lie under the
:. nics Of the western world. As far back
~ deys of England's second James,
oomrleints went over the sea of the out
80 committed by these bold outlaws on
Ills ,shich sailed under the then doubt
wi rrotection of the flag of st. George.
d., snch complaints were common enough
n hat period, and 1t was not until affairs
Isgon TO assume a more serious aspect that
tbs authorities at home paid any attention
~ them. History does not relate just what
incident it was that reused the
TSgIish king, and made him issue q
reclamation looking to the suppression
II niracv. but it does state that he did so
ANYTHING more. When every other vessel
hat sailed the seas was a privateer, and
half the officers in all the navies Of Europe
conDiyei at conspiracy or we're in collision
with the pirates. 1t was not an easy task
IN stamp ont the evil. Old Won Tromp,
who had swept the British navy from the
channel, would have stood aghast at such
an Undertaking, and it was not to be ex-
nected that James weak holiday navy
could accomplish anything.
So the pirates had everything their own
way until one bright morning they at
tempted to lay the city of Charleston under
tribute. They succeeded, and sailed up the
coast with all the supplies and medicines
they needed; but they had not sighted Hat
teras before Col. William Rhett was in hot
pursuit with a crew of picked men, who
were eager for brush with the robbers on
h the high seas, Bennett ran his vessel into
Cape Fear, hoping to elude pursuit; but
4 Rhett was on him in a few hours, and with
their ships lashed together they maintained
q desperate struggle, which meant death
to the vanquished. The fight was long
and bloody one, but when it ended the
black flag had been lowered. Rhett sailed
back b. Charleston in triumph, with Stede
Bennett and some forty of his wild crew
made fast in irons In the hold of his gallant
ship. A trial followed speedily, and the
pirate chief, who, by the way, was a man
Of education and refined attainments, as
slch things went in those days, together
With thirty-odd of his crew, were convicted
aud sentenced to be hanged. which sentence
was duly executed at White Point, and
their bones now lie somewhere in the mud
OF the bottom of the hsrbor in sight of the
present promenade, unless they have long
mo- hloH 10 okt1 s. ; ~.
sea.
Thus in IT'S he Carolina coast was re.
leyed Of the scourge of the pirates, and
Their history closed with the tragic scene at
Nlte Point. Nothing more is related OF
ll7In In even the rarest documents; but
some time ago two ancient time-stained
papers we're unearthed from mass of old
records IN the office Of the probate judge il
SlaFe'ton, which bear on similar subject.
lucy are unique and afford a great field for
research, Tor the strange circumstances
'lsy narrate have been utterly forgotsen
anu not even the oldest antiquarian in that
aauqiaran city can recall any memory OF
le pirates of l745. The papers must speak
M M themselves, and they are given in full
iue lrSt IS brief, being the affidavit of one
"IteW Poole, pilot:
andrew Poole, being duly sworn on the
IVY eyangellsts of Almighty God, deposes
S1. about $50 o'clock on the morning OF
Wy" i A. d., l745, in about seven fathomt
wafer, OIL Sulhvan's Island, he saw
%lYoler coming down afore the wind, anC
sal9 toward him until he came within pis-
W Mot The schooner flew black flag
1 coming near, babe him lower his main
n n- Don that he tackt, and stood away
, ~Sl MN, upon which they fired from the
w. .VSnef Doth musket and round shot with
Nv 9panlsh pendant also flying, upon which
bOwn.n VIZ '0'' "a LAD ""S VI
D.. Ilslng from the above affidavit Andrew
MY was more frightened than hurt, bu
ta isnt was quite sufficient to keep hiu
R. I observing closely what transpired
%T,a ulonE the same papers is another atfi
Tn ,.s much longer, and far more interest
s15 '1l Jus satisfactory. The old paper is worr
aenow, and almost rotted through
r sriever fold occurs, but the large ant
MI 14 aa. handwriting of the ancient CLERK 4
man. tui'e ieglole. This remarkable docu
~S "I reads as follows:
sV, rouu uaryin, a full-branch pilot, ben1
p nosa. on the Holy EvanRelists of God, de
An, ., V1at very late on the night o.
and and, -. o., I'45, when coming in from sea
horo "uen oil the shore Of Long island
v6aU IIe sg partial fogg, he suddenly
bar ~ yea. zeal ing west, ran into a great mum
He irr oulaA boats, one of which he capsized
son ,,',.teaiately tackt and fetched up abou
sm 1IIt YER OF mile to the westward, an,
roa Il! III speaking distance Of q brigantine
bm r'5 100 %, late to haul off, and his cours
Crew. sa Nv aim close alongside, and one of hi
po5sr .Ie Title, Cid Campeador.' This de
SVsri'ybA n I that the 'Iad Campeador is
Sbicb = prlgantine, t. commander o
'1 "T5i Is Julian de Vega.
thv - 40 ueponent further = ers that abou
n.y. ivy Yards to the northeast " the briean