The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-13
scent from this union.

scent from this union.
Blackboard strutted about the
little town, drinking and squan-
dering his loot, until there was
little left. He had kept a sloop,
the Adventure, and at least he
set out aboard her with a ras-
cally crew for new exploits.
This time, he made his head
quarters at Ocracoke. 1t was a
good spot for his purposes and,
according to legend, his pickings
were good.
AS ships and cargoes disap-
peared, a vast outcry arose.
Victimized shippers appealed to
Governor Eden, to no avail. He
pointed out that he had neither
ships nor men to deal with pir-
ates.
The upshot was that a dele
cation went from the province
to Governor Alexander Spots
wood of Virginia and pleaded
for his help. Spotswood acted
promptly, although he had no
legal right to "invade" neigh
Dor province. He hired two light
draft sloops able to navigate
the shallow North Carolina
coastal waters, and borrowed
crewmen from the English men
O. war Pearl and Lime then
lying at the mouth of the James
River.
Robert Maynard, first ieuten-
ant aboard the Pearl, was put in
command of the expedition. AS
an incentive, Spotswood offered
$500 reward for Blackboard
dead or alive, $3.50 for each of
his officers and $100 each for
pirate crewmen killed or eaptur-
ed.
The expedition left Hampton
Roads Nov. II, 1718 and arrived
off Ocracoke five days later,
just before nightfall. Because of
the twisting channel, the sloops
lay to overnight and at day
break began creeping into the
inlet under half sail.
Blackboard saw the ships ar
rive. He stayed up all night,
drinking and swearing venge-
ance. Shortly after sunrise, May
nard in the leading sloop, with
32 men aboard, approached the
pirate ship. The other sloop,
carrying 25 men, was not far
behind.
The pirate fired the first
broadside from a long gun and
four caronnades. 1t caused havoc
on Maynard's sloop, killing or
disabling almost half of the
crew. Sizing up the situation, he
sent all the surviving men below
decks except the helmsman and
himself, and steered straight for
the adventure. His other sloop
had grounded and was out of
the fight.
Seconds before the ships
struck the pirates threw three
case bottles with fuses lighted
aboard Maynard's ship. Explod-
ing, one of them filled the air
with smoke, shot and iron slugs.
Under its cover, Blackboard and
his men sprang aboard, expect
ing an easy victory.
Maynard barked an order, and
his crewmen swarmed up from
below decks. A desperate hand
to-hand combat began. Black
beard was in the thick Of it,
with his great black beard plait-
ed and tied about his ears, with
his long, black hair matted over
his eyes, a dozen pistols in his
belt and a great broadsword in
his hand. He singled out May
nard, made for him, drew a pis-
tol and both men fired.
Maynard suffered only a nick
ed ear, but blood gushed from
a wound in the pirates chest.
In rage he threw away his pis-
tol and advanced on Maynard
with sword upraised. Just as he
was about to bring down his
sword on Maynard's head, one of
the latter's crewmen struck
Blackboard a mighty sword blow
on the back of the neck.
The pirate fell to the deck
blood pouring from the wound.
He managed to rise on an elbow
and draw pistol from his belt.
He aimed at Maynard, but the
English officer fired first, and
he went down again. A second
time he managed to raise him
self on an elbow, pistol in hand,