Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
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Blackbeard's End ...!
On November 22, 1718 the pirate ship "Queen Anne's Revenge" cruises in the waters off the coast of the British colony America.
In command is the notorious Edward Thatch (not Teach, how often people misspell it!), better known by his pirate name "Blackbeard" ...:
Thatch is now heavily addicted to drugs and had even blocked the port of the city of Charleston (South Carolina) the previous May and threatened to shell the city - only to blackmail a box of "laudanum" (morphine) for himself!
In the morning near Ocracoke Inlet off the coast of Virginia, the pirates spot two small sloops.
Thatch, whose pirate existence has not been spoiled by success recently, decides not to miss this booty - the two little sailors obviously have no cannons on board and only a small crew.
So easy prey for the "Queen Anne's Revenge", which carries a number of cannons - Thatch thinks!
The ships sighted are the sloops HMS "Ranger" ...
...and HMS "Jane"...
... under the command of Navy Leftenant Robert Maynard ...:
They are camouflaged warships that the British Governor of the State of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood ...
... sent to stop "Blackbeard" and his people the bloody trade.
Marines are hiding under the deck of both ships ...
... from two other warships, the HMS "Pearl" and the HMS "Lyme".
When "Blackbeard" goes alongside the HMS "Ranger" to board it, he is boarded in turn ...:
HMS "Jane" lies down on the other side of the pirate ship - and the pirates, who are now outnumbered, are caught between two fires!
Leftenant Maynard himself immediately goes after Edward Thatch himself - he has the express order from the governor not to capture the pirate, but to kill him!
After a short, violent fight, the drug-ill pirate sinks to the ground, seriously injured - and bleeds to death a little later.
Later, five shot wounds and no fewer than 20 wounds from Maynard's saber were found on his corpse.
While on board the HMS "Ranger" Edward Thatch is beheaded and his head is hung on the bowsprit as a trophy ...
Legend has it that the headless hull of "Blackbeard", thrown overboard, swam seven more laps around the ship before it sank to the bottom of the sea ...
On November 22, 1718 the pirate ship "Queen Anne's Revenge" cruises in the waters off the coast of the British colony America.
In command is the notorious Edward Thatch (not Teach, how often people misspell it!), better known by his pirate name "Blackbeard" ...:
Thatch is now heavily addicted to drugs and had even blocked the port of the city of Charleston (South Carolina) the previous May and threatened to shell the city - only to blackmail a box of "laudanum" (morphine) for himself!
In the morning near Ocracoke Inlet off the coast of Virginia, the pirates spot two small sloops.
Thatch, whose pirate existence has not been spoiled by success recently, decides not to miss this booty - the two little sailors obviously have no cannons on board and only a small crew.
So easy prey for the "Queen Anne's Revenge", which carries a number of cannons - Thatch thinks!
The ships sighted are the sloops HMS "Ranger" ...
...and HMS "Jane"...
... under the command of Navy Leftenant Robert Maynard ...:
They are camouflaged warships that the British Governor of the State of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood ...
... sent to stop "Blackbeard" and his people the bloody trade.
Marines are hiding under the deck of both ships ...
... from two other warships, the HMS "Pearl" and the HMS "Lyme".
When "Blackbeard" goes alongside the HMS "Ranger" to board it, he is boarded in turn ...:
HMS "Jane" lies down on the other side of the pirate ship - and the pirates, who are now outnumbered, are caught between two fires!
Leftenant Maynard himself immediately goes after Edward Thatch himself - he has the express order from the governor not to capture the pirate, but to kill him!
After a short, violent fight, the drug-ill pirate sinks to the ground, seriously injured - and bleeds to death a little later.
Later, five shot wounds and no fewer than 20 wounds from Maynard's saber were found on his corpse.
While on board the HMS "Ranger" Edward Thatch is beheaded and his head is hung on the bowsprit as a trophy ...
Legend has it that the headless hull of "Blackbeard", thrown overboard, swam seven more laps around the ship before it sank to the bottom of the sea ...
You just couldn't make it up ! That period is full of peculiar characters in the seafaring world.
