Battle of Ocracoke Inlet

*"At the end of the day, the decks were running with blood, and Blackbeard supposedly swam around the ship three times headless, and that was the end of Blackbeard.*"

## Battle of Ocracoke Inlet

### Location

Ocracoke Inlet, North America

The **Battle of Ocracoke Inlet** was a famous and legendary battled that occurred in North America, between the attacking Royal Navy and Blackbeard. The battle was mostly known for the legendary "death" of the fearsome Blackbeard. Lieutenant Maynard lead an attack at dawn in two small ships that came up alongside Blackbeard on his sloop known as the *Adventure*, where a tremendous fight ensued onboard. According to legend, Blackbeard was beheaded, his headless body swam three times around his ship, then climbed back onboard.

## Prelude

##### Previous: ...

After accepting a Royal Pardon from the Governor of Pennsylvania, Alexander Sportswood, Edward Teach, better known as the fearless Blackbeard, apparently retired from piracy, however in secret he continued his criminal exploits, operating in coastal waters where it was difficult for ships to engage Teach in battle. When this was discovered, two smaller hired sloops were ordered by Lieutenant Robert Maynard to track down and destroy Blackbeard after his departure from Spotswood, even offering a reward of £100, in addition to smaller sums for the lesser crewmembers should they be successful in their task.

On November 11, 1718, Maynard sailed from James River in command of thirty men aboard the HMS *Pearl* alongside another twenty-five crewmen and a midshipman aboard the HMS *Ranger*. Eventually, Maynard found Blackbeard's crew anchored in a North Carolina inlet on the inner side of Ocracoke Island, on the evening of November 21. Maynard and his crew decided to wait until the following morning as the tide would be more favorable to aid their attack. The *Adventure*, Blackbeard's ship, was ready for the attack.

## Recount

##### The Attack

Eleven days later, the battle took place. During the fight aboard Maynard's sloop, Blackbeard got engaged in a combat against Maynard who fought back with about twenty musket balls and six cutlasses, severely injuring the mighty Blackbeard. Eventually, Blackbeard, the pirate all pirates fear, succumbed to his wounds and fell to the deck, dead, seemingly ending his reign of terror once and for all and beginning the decline of the Golden Age of Piracy. Other lore actually told that after being killed, Blackbeard was beheaded, and the pirate's headless body swam three times around his ship then climbed back onboard.

## Aftermath

##### Dark Arts

The battle faded into pirate history and became a tale of legend, as the story of the battle that brought an end to the mighty Blackbeard. Through unknown circumstances, Blackbeard managed to survive a grisly fate at Maynard's hands. He continued his pirate career avoiding the eye of the British, becoming involved in the dark arts such Voodoo and acquiring supernatural artifacts such as the Sword of Triton.

## List of Combatants

(Those who lost their lives in combat are noted with a star)

## Appearances

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Indirect mention only)