Blackbeard's Death
1718

Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly

Below is the text of Blackbeard's Death 1718
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At first light the sloops weighed anchor and crept toward the island. Maynard ordered some men to take a small boat and row ahead of the sloop as there was so little wind. As they approached the pirate ship they received a volley of shot. The boat hastily retreated back to the protection of the sloops.

The pirate ship at this time only had nineteen men aboard, "thirteen white and six negros." Moreover, Blackbeard and several of his men had spent the night drinking. However the pirate captain knew the shoals and channels, and his ship was armed with nine mounted guns. With the alarm raised, he cut his anchor cable and headed for a narrow channel among the submerged sandbanks. Maynard hoisted the King's colors and set off in pursuit.

There was so little wind that the sloops had to use their oars to make any progress. Just then Maynard's sloops ran aground and a shouting match took place between the two captains.

(1. Pirate Captain Name) Blackbeard hailed Maynard in his rude manner: "Damn you for Villains, who are you? And from whence came you?" The Lieutenant answered, "You may see by our Colours we are no Pyrates." Black-Beard bid him send his Boat on Board, that he might see who he was but Mr. Maynard reply'd thus, "I cannot spare my Boat, but I will come aboard of you as soon as I can, with my Sloop." Upon this Blackbeard took a Glass of Liquor, & drank to him with these Words, "Damnation seize my soul if I give you Quarters, or take any from you." In Answer to which, Mr. Maynard told him, that he expected no Quarters from him, nor should he give him any.

With the help of the rising tide, and with the help of much heaving and pulling from his men, Maynard's two sloops floated free and began to row towards the Adventure. As they approached, Blackbeard fired a broadside from his guns, which he had loaded with swan shot, nails, and pieces of old iron. The effect was devastating. In Maynard's words, "Mr. Hyde was unfortunately killed, and five of his Men wounded in the little Sloop, which having nobody to command her, fell astern and did not come up to assist me till the Action was almost over." (Actually, six men were killed and ten wounded in the broadside.)

Maynard pressed on in the (4. Naval Ship) Jane and succeeded in shooting away the Adventure's jib and fore-halyards and forcing the vessel ashore. He ordered all except two of his men to hide in the hold with their weapons at the ready while he made his final approach. As the Jane came alongside his ship, Blackbeard naturally assumed his guns had killed most of her crew and decided to board Maynard's ship with ten of his pirates. They clambered aboard, and as they did so, the sailors emerged from hiding.

Maynard and Teach themselves begun the fight with their swords, Maynard making a thrust, the point of his sword went against Teach's cartridge box, and bended it to the hilt. Teach broke the guard of it, and wounded Maynard's fingers but did not disable him, whereupon he jumped back and threw away his sword and fired his pistol which wounded Teach. Demelt struck in between them with his sword and cut Teach's face pretty much; in the interim both companies engaged in Maynard's sloop, one of Maynard's men being a Highlander, engaged Teach with his broad sword, who gave Teach a cut on the neck, Teach saying well done lad; the Highlander replied, If it not be well done, I'll do it better. With that he gave him a second stroke, which cut off his head, laying it flat on his shoulder.

According to Maynard, Blackbeard fell "with five shot in him and 20 dismal cuts in several parts of his body." He kept the head and slung it below the bowsprit of his sloop.

Some weeks later in the column of his logbook headed "Remarkable Occurencies &c," Maynard noted: Little wind and fair weather this day I anchored here from N Carolina in the Adventure Sloop Edward Teach formerly Master (a Pyrat) whose head I hung under the Bowsprit of the Said Sloop in order to present it to ye Colony of Virginia & ye goods & Effects of the Said Pyrat I Deliver'd to my Commanders disposal.