Old Sea Legends For Crew: Blackbeard

In 1716, Captain Hornigold appointed Teach to command a captured sloop (a one-masted sailing boat with a mainsail and jib rigged fore and aft). A year later, Teach seized control of a frigate, possibly the stolen Concord, renamed La Concorde by French privateers who used it as a slave ship. Subsequently, Teach acquired the vessel and named it Queen Anne’s Revenge, his flagship.

In a year of active use, Teach sailed the ship to the Caribbean, capturing numerous vessels, expanding his fleet, and amassing wealth. With 40 guns and a 300-member crew, Queen Anne’s Revenge was unrivaled.

In 1718, Blackbeard deliberately sank the ship near Charleston, North Carolina, and transferred his crew to a smaller sloop called the Adventure.

In 1996, the wreck of Queen Anne’s Revenge was discovered off Atlantic Beach, North Carolina.

Edward Teach met his demise on November 22, 1718.

His audacious exploits caught the attention of Alexander Spotswood, the governor of Virginia, who organised a private pirate-hunting mission to overpower Blackbeard’s forces. The key vessels in this pursuit were the HMS Pearl and HMS Lyme, commanded by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.

Upon discovering Teach and his pirates on Ocracoke Island, Maynard strategically blocked all exits and entered the inlet, aiming to surprise Teach and his crew. However, Teach, noticing the ships, swiftly cut his anchor and launched a relentless cannon assault, annihilating a third of the opposing force within seconds.

As the ships closed in, grappling hooks, smoke, and explosive grenades were deployed. This lead to a fierce boarding encounter. Anticipating this, Maynard had concealed the majority of his troops below deck, successfully ambushing the pirate boarders. The ambush overwhelmed the pirates.

Teach and Maynard engaged in a reported man-to-man battle using pistols and swords. Teach succumbed to wounds inflicted by one of Maynard’s soldiers and the combined efforts of the rest of the crew.

Following the battle, it was documented that Edward Teach had sustained at least five gunshot wounds and over twenty blade wounds, making it challenging to identify the fatal blow. The notorious Blackbeard’s severed head was displayed from the mast, and all but two of the captured pirates were eventually executed by hanging.