The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-21
A FAMOUS OLD BUCCANEER
Career and Fate of the Notorious Pirate
and Cut-Throat, Captain Bellamy.
History Of the Murders and Outrages Commit
ted Of the New England Coast BY This
Dl"odthirsiy Freebooter and His Men.
New York Evening Post.

uRnt . curious OH pamVIict puoiSneo IN
that city about the year Ills, which gives
full account of the trial of the famous
pirate. Captain Bellamy. and his crew,
seven in number. who were condemned and
executed in I'LL. In view of the great rar-
lty of this pamphlet it is to be regretted
that the old pirate historian, Captain john
son, did not reproduce 1t in his Quaint work,
instead of only referring the reader to it as
he does. In his day-l75 years ago-there
were probably many copies of it floating
about the book-stalls of Boston and Lon
don. but to-day it is as rare q work as any
that bears upon the commercial history of
that time.
Captain Johnson's History of the Py-
rates." q unique and valuable work. was
printed for Tho. Wood W ard, at the Half
moon, over against st. Dunstan's Church,
Fleet street." about the year ITO, or soon
thereafter. There were several editions of
1t, the first volume alone being known to
have gone through four. The best-known
editions are the first and that of 1874, al
though the latter is rendered less valuable
as an historical authority by the introduce
ton of much sensational matter, W hich can
hardly stand the test of careful research.
CAPTAIN BELLAMY'S CAREER.
Captain Bellamy, In whom Johnson took
much interest started on his piratical
career early in 17l7 He was q seafarIng
man. and in company with one Paul Will
Jams. confederate, he boarded Spanish
wreck in February of that year, and, not
finding as much treasure as he expected.
resolved to indemnity himself for his loss
of valuable time by going upon the &C.
count" as the old expression was. Ac-
cordingly these two worthless put to sea.
and in few days they had captured
the Whidaw. small vessel bonnd
from Jamaica to London with q rich
cargo of golddust and merchandise. The
vessel was stout one and well armed.
and Bellamy abando ed his own craft, and,
mounting twenty-eight guns in the prize,
started out on an extensive cruise with 80
dcsperadoes. picked mp all along the Amer
loan coast and pressed into service from
the crews of captured merchantmen. The
first trip of which We have any authentic
account was to the coast of Virginia. where
he lowered about the entrance to Chesa-
peake bay, stopping vessels passing in aid
out and relieving them of any articles of
value in their cargoes, and not in
frequently. Il any resistance YVES OF
board as food for the fish. On the
Virginia coast Bellamy encountered O
storm which came near sending him to the
bottom, and the Whidaw was so seriously
damaged that it became necessary to 20 in
to the coast for repairs. Fearing TO make
landing in Virginia, he attempted to mako
an entrance into one of the many sounds
which indent the coast OF North Carolina.
An adverse wind drove him north. how
ever and he shaped his course toward
Rhode Island, whore many richly-laden
vessels were in the habit of passing on their
way to and from the ports of Boston and New
York. In these waters, some forty leagues
from land. he captured Boston sloOp.
Beers seems to have so impressed the pirate
chief that he proposed sending the sl00p
on her way after plundering her. but the
crew demurredS and she was sunk. Beers
was bonored with an invitation to go
upon the account" however, and his firm
declination gave the historian an 0pportu-
nifty to put In Bellamy's mouth q remark
able declaration of pirate principles. Il
am q tree PRINCE" he announced ito Beers
with due seasoning of oaths, and have
as much authority TO make war on the
whole world as he who has q hundred sail
of ships at sea and an army of 100000 men
in the field, and this my conscious tells
me- This argument. whether actually
and concisely the ground on which the
pirates of two centuries ago justified their
actions. 1t had but little effect on Beers,
however. and after OBTAINING him some
time Bcllamy Put him ashore on Block
island. whence he made his way back to
Boston with report of his adventures.
RICH PRIZE TAKEN.
If the accounts given in Boston of Bel
lamy's outrages induced the government
to take any steps looking to his capture,
history does not record it. and two weeks
later the pirate took another Boston vessel,
laden with wine. Oft Cape Cod. This prize
he manned with a number of his own crew,
and the two vessels proceeded to the Penob-
scot river in order to complete some needed
repairs. At this time Maine was terra
incognita, and so thinly settled that q
pirate feet could have anchored within its
harbOrs for months without its presence
being discovered. The account of 1t given
by johnson lie interesting although he
deems an apology for the di gresslon neces-
sary, excusing himself Oh the ground of
''the interest take in every thing which
may tend to the enriching or ex attending the
domini0ns of our glorious Britain, my
dearly beloved country"
Having arrived at the mouth of the Pc
nObscot the pirates found thatit would be
more to their purpose to 20 higher mort
to the River Machias. They accordingly
ran into this river abont two and q half
miles from the sea. where they landed and
erected q temporary fort. commanding the
eutTauco Ny guns WHICH tucy mounted on
either bank of the stream. They raised q
breast.wOrk with embrasures. and, evi.
IDENTITY fearing pursuit from Boston. made
all preparations to defend themselves In
case they were attacked while the vessels
were UNDERGOING repairs. All tho neces-
sary work of building huts, ETC.. was forced
upon the prisoners, W no were treated after
the same manner as the negroes are used
by the West India planters which. we
may he assured, was not the most humane
and generous In the world
Some of the pirates were 90 pleased with
the country around the Machias river tina,
they proposed founding q colony there. buI
the proposition was overruled. and the
vessels having been put In good trim the
little outlaw feet sailed for the Newfound
land banks. Bethany took several valuab bic
prizes off New foundland and was ENJOYING
a most profitable expedition when French
nan-of-war carrying soldiers TO Quebec
hove in sight. The Whidaw. mistaking hel
for merchantmen. engaged her with muct
spirit, but the pirates soon found that they
were no match for the trained soldiers, who
fought with great deternination from tn.
decks of the Frenchman. They therefore
decided upon escape, and sailed south
with the man-of-war in close pursuit Tn,
pirate vessel escaped under the cover O
night, however. and continued her fioh
past the old Machiaa river landing dowr
the New England coast.
PRIsoNERs DESPERATE DEED.
IL impossible to tell what ontrages Bel
lamy might have committed upon tina
coast had it not been that his career wa
brought to q sudden termination By tn,
desperate resolve of one of his prisoner
w 1,oun h. had presaa1 into III. a.rv;ca =.