From the moment I saw 1985′s hit film ”The Goonies” I was hooked on pirates. Daring tales of swashbuckling, plank walking and buried treasure romanticized piracy and made it seem socially acceptable. Long before One-Eyed Willie, or more recently, Captain Jack Sparrow, captivated our imagination with tall ships and empty rum bottles, there were real pirates that patrolled and plundered the Carolina Coast. Nearly 300 years have passed since Charleston ridded itself of pirates, but for a short time in May of 1718 “The Holy City” was held hostage by the most notorious pirate of them all, Blackbeard.  

  Blackbeard was born ca. 1680 as Edward Teach, or Thatch in Bristol, England. Little is known about his childhood, other than the fact that he was literate. This alone tells us Teach was from a family of moderate social standing. Teach was no doubt a ladies man, as he “married” approximately 14 women. Only one of these marriages was legally binding, to 16 year old Mary Ormond shortly before his death in 1718.  Edward Teach’s seafaring life began when he arrived in Jamaica on a merchant vessel in the late 1690′s. During Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) Teach served as a sailor that operated from the Caribbean Sea. The English author Charles Johnson (presumably Daniel Defoe) remarked of Teach’s “uncommon boldness and personal courage” during the war. After the war’s conclusion Edward Teach moved to the lawless Bahamian island of New Providence. Like many former privateers in Queen Anne’s War, Teach became involved in piracy. In 1716 Teach joined Captain Benjamin Hornigold’s crew. The two pirates quickly became close comrades. Captain Hornigold put Teach at the helm of one of his Jamaican sloops.

  By August of 1717 Teach commanded a crew of about 70 men. Hornigold and Teach set out for the mainland, each captaining a sloop. The two pirates captured a vessel transporting 120 pounds of flour out of Havana, Cuba. Shortly after they captured a Bermudan sloop carrying 100 bottles of wine. Another ship, sailing from Madeira to Charleston was relieved of its cargo later in the week. The vessel was carrying several bottles of Madeira wine. The crew became infatuated with the popular Portuguese wine. Teach and quartermaster William Howard grew increasingly frustrated with the behavior of their men. Early that fall William Teach met the “gentleman pirate” Stede Bonnet in Nassau. Bonnet, a wealthy plantation owner from Barbados, presumably took up piracy to escape his “nagging” wife. Stede Bonnet was one of the few pirates to purchase a ship and pay his crew a regular wage. On October 22, 1717 Teach, Bonnet and Hornigold emptied the cargo of the Robert of Philadelphia and Good Intent of Dublin on their voyage to Philadelphia. On November 28th Hornigold and Teach bombarded a formidable French slave ship named La Concorde near the Caribbean island St. Vincent. Teach immediately re-named the vessel Queen Anne’s Revenge. He named the ship for Queen Anne of Great Britain and equipped her with approximately 40 guns. His first conquest with QAR was the bombardment of the large merchant ship Great Allen. The crew sunk the ship following a fierce engagement. 

  Captain Hornigold received a demotion and decided to retire from piracy. Whether or not Teach betrayed his friend is not known. The king soon pardoned Hornigoldfor his crimes as a pirate. Edward Teach wanted to create a fearful, lasting image for those he encountered. He let his dark hair and beard grow, creating a virtual forest across his weathered face. Blackbeard, as he began calling himself, “twisted” his long beard into pigtails and tied colored ribbons on the ends. To intimidate his prey he lit slow burning hemp cord beneath his chapeau so the smoke would “envelop” him. To push the charade even further, Blackbeard also fashioned several pistols and knives by his side. He wore his heavy cutlass around his waist to complete the terrifying facade. Blackbeard’s villainous reputation spread faster than the wind that carried Queen Anne’s Revenge through the sea. Numerous crews surrendered to Blackbeard in battle due to his ghastly appearance. Many thought they had seen the Devil in the flesh. Teach’s psychological advantage over his foes allowed him to become the most feared pirate in the Atlantic.                    

    Blackbeard appeared to strike a friendship with Stede Bonnet. Unfortunately for the refined Barbadian, Edward Teach was more of a shrewd manipulator than a compatriot. Teach persuaded a physically injured Stede Bonnet to let one of his lieutenants take command of Bonnet’s ship Revenge while he recovered. Blackbeard invited the Barbadian gentleman to be an honored guest on the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Bonnet’s crew was spellbound by the respect and fear commanded by Teach. After all, he epitomized the greedy ideals associated with piracy. Blackbeard and Bonnet soon captured a small sloop called Adventure in April 1718 in the Bay of Honduras. Teach put one of his most faithful men, Israel Hands, in charge of the Adventure. The pirates sailed east and commandeered a Spanish sloop off the Cuban coast. The formidable fleet headed northeast through the Bahamas and up the Florida coastline. Unbeknownst to the good people of Charles Town, (Charleston) Blackbeard and Bonnet were headed for South Carolina.

   Blackbeard’s large flotilla reached Charles Town harbor in late May 1718. Charles Town was the busiest commercial port on the Carolina coast. Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet stopped every vessel attempting to leave or enter ”The Holy City”. Approximately nine vessels were sacked over a six day span before the local government retaliated. Blackbeard prohibited any travel whatsoever, essentially crippling SouthCarolina’s largest city. Pirates came ashore and dared the residents of Charles Town to stop their plundering. They walked the cobblestone streets witha “swagger” as the residents quietly fumed over the predicament. A ship filled with some of Charles Town’s most distinguished citizens was stopped while attempting to leave the harbor. The ship, headed for London, contained Samuel Wragg, a key member of the Council of the Carolina Province. Teach sent two pirates and a Mr. Marks to retrieve the medicine chest. For two days nothing was heard from Marks or the two pirates. The captives pleaded to the villainous pirate to spare their lives. Blackbeard agreed to give them 24 more hours. Before the time elapsed an individual arriving on a rowboat boarded Queen Anne’s Revenge. He informed Blackbeard that Marks’ boat had capsized. Teach granted them an additional 48 hours. Once again there was no word from the shore and time was scarce. Mr. Marks found Governor Johnson and told him of Blackbeard’s demands. Robert Johnson reluctantly complied with the request and filled the chest with proper medicines. Blackbeard, his patience now expired, moved closer to port and readied to shell the city. At the last moment Blackbeard’s men, hungover and forlorn, returned with the medicine chest. True to his word, Edward Teach let the hostages go free.                         

   Blackbeard’s flotilla left Charleston and headed north to North Carolina’s Topsail Inlet (Beaufort Inlet). When they reached the inlet Teach purposely ran Queen Anne’s Revenge aground on a sand bar. Israel Hands, commanding the Adventure pulled off the same maneuver helping Blackbeard free his vessel. The conniving Teach convinced Stede Bonnet to accept a pardon from NC Governor Charles Eden. Bonnet, already eager to quit piracy took half his crew to accept their pardons at Bath, NC. Blackbeard also told Bonnet he would resume command of Revenge once he received his pardon from Governor Eden. While Bonnet was away, Teach stole all of his valuables and sailed away with the Adventure. The gentleman pirate returned to the Revenge only to see it had been stripped of its valuable possessions. Stede Bonnet vowed revenge on the tyrannical pirate. Unfortunately for Bonnet, he would never see Blackbeard again. He returned to piracy and was captured by Colonial William Rhett on October 3rd. The gentleman turned pirate was put on house arrest while he awaited trial. Three weeks later Stede Bonnet escaped with his sailing master David Herriott and two slaves. Colonel Rhett caught the fugitives on Sullivan’s Island, killing Herriott and wounding the two slaves. Back in captivity, Bonnet wrote a stirring letter to Governor Robert Johnson begging for clemency. He spoke of a deep faith in God and a chance at redemption, even going as far as allowing them to cut off his arms and legs so he could no longer commit acts of piracy. Governor Johnson reportedly “delayed his execution seven times” before relenting. Stede Bonnet was hanged at White Point on December 10, 1718.                      

   Blackbeard settled in Bath after receiving his pardon. The pirate seemed rather fond of the place, buying a house and marrying 16 year old Mary Ormond in the process. It must be noted that this was Blackbeard’s first (of 14) legally binding marriage. Unfortunately for Blackbeard, abiding by the laws of the land didn’t suit the broad shouldered Englishman. By September 1718 Teach once again prowled the high seas. Blackbeard held up two French ships, forcing one crew to board with the other. Teach and his renegades took the remaining ship back to Ocracoke Island. Blackbeard lied to Governor Eden regarding the disposition of the shop, claiming the ship had been “deserted.” Judge Tobias Knight ruled the ship to be a “derelict found at sea”. The spoils were shared by Knight, Governor Eden and Blackbeard’s crew. Colonists in neighboring areas feared that Eden was working with Blackbeard. Edward Teach’s days were numbered.

   Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia was determined to rid the American colonies of its greatest villain. Governor Spotswood believed that Charles Eden stood idly by as Blackbeard and his crew pillaged as they pleased. The precise, obsessive and proud governor commissioned Robert Maynard to track down and kill Blackbeard. Lieutenant Maynard took two sloops, Jane and Ranger to Ocracoke to capture or kill the pirate. On the morning of November 22, 1718 Maynard and his crew were spotted by the Adventure  and fired upon. The broadside attack to Maynard’s two sloops resulted in heavy losses. Blackbeard, assuming victory boarded the Jane. He and his men began unloading on what appeared to be a desolate ship. Much to the dismay of the pirate crew, Maynard’s men furiously stormed out of the ship’s hold. Teach’s men fought valiantly amidst pools of blood on the ship’s deck. Maynard and Blackbeard, now face to face, discharged their weapons. Blackbeard reached back to finish Maynard with his cutlass when he was slashed in the throat from behind. By the time the great pirate fell he had received five bullets and twenty sword wounds to the body. Maynard severed the head of Edward Teach and mounted it on the ship’s bowsprit. The Virginian brought his trophy back to Governor Spotswood in hopes of  becoming a national hero. This never materialized and Maynard died in relative obscurity.

   The life of Blackbeard remains as mysterious and intriguing as his actual birth name. Edward Teach created a larger than life persona that expands with every generation. Nearly three centuries after his beheading he remains a key figure during the Golden Age of Piracy. Why Stede Bonnet, gentleman by birth, deserted his wife and children for a life of crime on the high seas may never truly be known. Both men fought valiantly for the British crown only to mock it later in life. Their devilish deeds, remembered even today, ended the Golden Age of Piracy.   

INDIGO BLUE NOTES: Edward Teach once again made his mythic presence felt on the big screen last Friday, May 20th. Englishman Ian McShane reprises the role of Blackbeard in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Charleston’s White Point Gardens displays a historical marker depicting the capture and execution of the “gentleman pirate” Stede Bonnet.