John Hagedorn

Given at our Council Chamber at Williamsburg this 24th day of November, 1718, in the fifth year of His Majesty's reign, God save the King.

A. Spotswood

The 17th of November, 1718, the lieutenant sailed from Kecoughtan in James River in Virginia, that's the old name for Hampton, which still celebrates Blackbeard Days every year.

And the 21st of the evening came to the mouth of Ocracoke Inlet, that's down to the south end of the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

where he got sight of the pirate, where he got sight of the pirate, all imaginable secrecy, and the officer managed with all the prudence that was necessary stopping all boats and vessels he met with in the river from going up, and thereby preventing any intelligence from reaching Blackbeard, and receiving at the same time an account from them all of the place where the pirate was lurking.

But notwithstanding this caution, Blackbeard had information of the design from His Excellency of the Province, and his secretary, Mr. Tobias Knight.

Mr. Tobias Knight wrote him a letter particularly concerning it, intimating that he had sent him four of his men, which were all he could meet with, in or about town, and so bid him be upon his guard.

These men belonged to Blackbeard, and were sent from Bathtown to Ocracoke Inlet, where the sloop lay, which is about twenty leagues.

Blackbeard had heard several reports which happened not to be true, and so gave the less credit to this, nor was he convinced till he saw the sloops.

Whereupon he put his vessel in a posture of defense.

He had no more than twenty-five men on board, though he gave out to all the vessels he spoke with that he had forty.

when he had prepared for battle he sat down and spent the night in drinking with the master of a trading sloop who twas thought had more business with teach than he should have had lieutenant maynard came to an anchor for the place being shoal and the channel intricate there was no getting in where teach lay that night

but in the morning he weighed and sent his boat ahead of the sloops to sound, and coming within gunshot of the pirate, received his fire, whereupon Lieutenant Maynard hoisted the king's colors and stood directly towards him with the best way that his sails and oars could make.

Blackbeard cut his cable and endeavored to make a running fight, keeping a continual fire at his enemies with his guns.

Mr. Maynard, not having any, kept a constant fire with small arms, while some of his men labored at their oars.

In a little time Teach's sloop ran aground, and Mr. Maynard's, drawing more water than that of the pirate, he could not come near him, so he anchored within half gunshot of the enemy, and, in order to lighten his vessel, that he might run him aboard, the lieutenant ordered all his ballast to be thrown overboard, and all the water to be staved, and then weighed and stood for him, upon which Blackbeard hailed him in this rude manner, "'Damn you for villains!

Who are you?

And from whence come you?'

The lieutenant made him answer, "'You may see by our colors we are no pirates.'

Blackbeard bid him send his boat on board, that he might see who he was.