The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-16
SOME FAMOUS PIRATES.
,.ors ABOUT OPERATORS IN
AMRRICANsWATBRs.

rant. Bellamy and Several OF His
Imitators.
& C. Huqhson in Neto York Post.
70 ana were to search through the many
rtrsries. private and public, of Boston. it
i,nrobable that there would be brought 20
Tght q curious old pamphlet published in
that city about the year 17lS which gives
,ru account Of the trial OF the famous Capt.
pallamv and his crew, seven in number,
-rho were condemned and executed in 17l7.
I, view Of the great rarity of this pam phlet,
81. m he regretted that the old pirate his
.orian Capt. johnson did not reproduce 1t
IN his quaint work, instead OF only refer
-i,, tina reader to it as he does In his day,
TX Years ago there were probably many
.onias of it floating about the book stalls Of
R6ston and London, but to-day It is as rare
work as any that bears upoa the CONNER
oIsl history of that time.
Can't. Johnson's History of the Pirates"
.pnioue and valuable work, was "printed
tor Thomas Wood ward at the Halt-moon
ovor AGAINST st. Dunstan's church, Fleet
,.rset. y about the year 1920, or soon there-
after. There were several editions of it, the
8rss volume alone being known to have
oone through four. The best known edi-
Tons ara tho first and that OF 1874, although
the latter Is rendered less valuable a. an
historical authority by the introduction of
Of much sensational matter which can
hardly stand the test OF careful research.
Can't. Belamy, in whom johnson took
mnch interest started on his piratical ca
reer early in 17l7. He was seafaring man,
and in company with one Paul Williams,
confederate, he boarded Spanish wreck in
February of that year, and not finding as
much treasure as ne expected, resolved to
Indemnify himself for his loss of valuable
time by going upon the account" az the
Old expression was. Accordingly these two
WORTHLESS put to sea, and in few days they
had captured the Whldaw, a small vessel
hound from Jamaica to London with a rich
cargo OF gold dust and merchandise Cbe
vessel was stout one and we'll armed, and
Bellamy abandoned his own craft, and
mounting twenty-eight guns IN the prize,
started out on an extensive cruise with $50
desperadoes, picked up all along the Ameri-
can coast, aud pressed into service from the
crews Of captured merchantmen. The first
trip of which we have any authentic &C
count was to the coast of Virginia, where he
lowered about the entrance TO Chesapeake
bay stopping vessels passing IN and out, and
relieving them of any articles of value in
their cargoes, aud not infreQuently, il any
resistance was offered, sending the officers
overheard as food for the fishes.
On the Virginia COAST Bellamy enoount~
cred a storm which came near sending him
20 the bottom, aud the Whidaw was SO seri-
ousy damaged that it became necessary to
20 into coast for repairs. Fearing to make
landing in Virginia, he attempted to make
an entrance into one of the many sounds
which indent the coast of North Carolina.
An adverse wind drove him north, however,
and he shaped his course toward Rhode Is
IL III.
IN the habit OF passing on their way to and
from the ports of Boston and New York.
In tnese waters, some forty leagues from
land, he captured q Boston sloop, com
handed by Capt. Beers. Beers seems to
have so impressed the pirate chief that he
proposed sending the sloop on her way after
plundering her but the crew demurred, and
she was sunk. Beers was honored with an
invitation TO "go upon the account how
ever, and his firm declination gave the his
torlan au opportunity TO put in Bellamy's
mouth a remarkable declaration OF pirate
principles II am q free prince" he an
nounced to Beers with due seasoning of
oaths land have as much authority to
make war on the whole world as he who has
hundred sail of ships at ssa and an army
of 100000 men in the field, and this my con-
science tells me-" This argument, whether
actually used by Bellamy or not gives very
clearly and conciSely the ground on which
G06 pirates VI bWO C6ul ago JuSblUGu bu6lF
actions. it had but little effect on Beers,
however. and after OBTAINING him for some
time, Bellamy put him ashore on Block Is
land whence he made his way back to Bos-
ton with a report of mis- adventures
If the accounts given in Boston of Bel
lRmy's outrages induced the government to
take any steps looking TO his capture, his.
tory does not record it, and two weeks later
the pirate took another Boston vessel, laden
with wine, off Cape Cod. This prize he
manned with number of his own crew,
and the two vessels proceeded to the Penob-
scot river in order to complets some needed
repairs. At this time Maine was a terra in
cOgnito, and SO thinly settled that pirate
fleet could have anchored within its harbor5
for months without its presence being dis
covered. The account Of it given by john
son Is interesting, although he deems an
apology for the depression necessary. excus-
ing himself on the ground of 1.-THE interest
take in everything which may tend to
the enriching or extending the dominicns
OF our glorious Britain, my dearly beloved
country"
Having arrived at the mouth of the
Penobscot, the pirates found that it
would be more to their purpose TO 60 higher
north to the river Machias. They accord
ingly ran into this river about two and
hall miles from the sea, where they landed
and erected e temporary fort, commanding
VIC eLllLauCe ny guns WnlCn Cn0y mounted
on either bank of the stream. They raised
oreastwork with smbresures, and, evil
IDENTIFY fearing pursuit from Boston, made
all preparations to defend themselves in
case they were attacked while the vessels
were undergoing repairs. All the nee esssry
work OF building huts, ETC., was forced
upon the prisoners, who were treated latter
tne same manner as the negroes are used by
west India planters" which, we may be as
surea was not the most humane and gener-
GUS In the world
4, some OF the pirates were so pleased with
the country around the Machias river that
tney proposed foundinga colony there, but
IIe proposition was overruled, aud the YES
sels having been put in good trim, the little
outlaw feet sailed for the Newfoundland
OanKs Bellamy took several valuable
prizes off Newfoundland. and was enjoying
most profitable expedition when French
Ilah-ot-War, carrying soldiers to Quebec
move in sight. The Whidaw, mistaking her
Ior merchantmen, engaged her with much
spirit but the pirates soon found that they
we're no match for the trained soldiers VINO
iought with great determination from the
gecks OF the Frenchman They therefore
ueclded upon escape, and sailed south, with
tne man-of-W ar in close pursuit, The pi-
rate vessel escaped under the cover Of night,
however, and continued her flight past the
Oh Aachias river landing down the New