Friday, November 22, 2013

Blackbeard

Today marks the 295th anniversary of the death of Edward Teach. On this date in 1718 (according to the Julian calendar) Lt. Robert Maynard of the British Royal Navy engaged Blackbeard in a naval battle just offshore of Springer's Point on Ocracoke Island.


















At the conclusion of fierce hand-to-hand combat Blackbeard finally succumbed after receiving 20 wounds from swords and 5 wounds from pistols. His head was severed from his body and carried to various ports in North Carolina and Virginia as a grim message to other buccaneers.

This epic battle is often portrayed as the beginning of the end of the "Golden Age of Piracy."

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1921 letter written by a former slave, Harrison Williams, to Ocracoke native, Martha Ann Howard Wahab. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112113.htm.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:10 AM

    Thanks--great newsletter.
    Although I read Bragg's book, I do not remember the letter. I found it, read it, and now I am enjoying reading the whole thing again. It's surprising how much you miss.

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  2. Anonymous11:51 AM

    His head was severed from his body, in 1718, was there no need to bring the pirate to trial. Having read this and listening to accounts of the day JFK suffered a traumatic head injury. ..and other reports that the psychological scars the great peoples of the United States suffered can be thought by some, to be the rise of the Me generation ---narcissistic behaviors are often the result of a traumatic life event.... has this country moved away from self indulgence to the degree one no longer takes on a huge amount of debt to live beyond one's means....

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  3. Anonymous3:38 PM

    scum bag pirate thief / criminal / lowlife your justice has been served. thank you Lt. Maynard. I know all the citizens were thankful. Only those with low morals want his name to live on and be celebrated.

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