John Hagedorn

the sloop ranger came up and attacked the men that remained in Blackbeard's sloop with equal bravery till they likewise cried for quarters.

Here was an end of that courageous brute who might have passed in the world for a hero had he been employed in a good cause.

His destruction was of such consequence to the plantations was entirely owing to the conduct and bravery of Lieutenant Maynard and his men who might have destroyed him with much less loss had they had a vessel with great guns.

but they were obliged to use small vessels, because of the holes and places Blackbeard had lurked in would not admit of others of greater draft.

And it was no small difficulty for this gentleman to get to him, having grounded his vessel at least a hundred times in getting up the river, besides other discouragements, enough to have turned back any gentleman without dishonor who was less resolute and bold than this lieutenant.

THE BROAD SIDE THAT DID SO MUCH MISCHIEF BEFORE THEY BOARDED, IN ALL PROBABILITY SAVED THE REST FROM DESTRUCTION, FOR BEFORE THAT TEACH HAD LITTLE OR NO HOPES OF ESCAPING, AND THEREFORE POSTED A RESOLUTE FELLOW, A NEGRO WHOM HE HAD BREAD UP WITH A LIGHTED MATCH IN THE POWDER ROOM WITH COMMANDS TO BLOW UP WHEN HE SHOULD GIVE HIM ORDERS, WHICH WAS AS SOON AS THE LIEUTENANT AND HIS MEN COULD HAVE ENTERED.

That saw he might have destroyed his conquerors, and when the Negro found out how it went with Blackbeard, he could hardly be persuaded from the rash action by two prisoners that were then in the hold of the sloop.

That Negro, by the way, was Blackbeard's man, Caesar.

What seems a little odd is that some of these men who behaved so bravely against Blackbeard went afterwards a pirate in themselves, and one of them was taken along with the Roberts, but I do not find that any of them were provided for except one that was hanged, but this is a digression.

The lieutenant caused Blackbeard's head to be severed from his body and hung up at the bolt-sprit end.

Then he sailed to Bathtown to get relief for his wounded men."

It must be observed that in rummaging the pirate sloop, they found several letters and written papers which discovered the correspondence between Governor Eden, the secretary and collector, and also some traders at New York, and Blackbeard.

It is likely he had regard enough for his friends to have destroyed these papers before the action, in order to hinder them from hauling into such hands, where the discovery would be of no use, either to the interest or reputation of these fine gentlemen, if it had not been his fixed resolution to have blown up together when he found no possibility of escaping.

When the lieutenant came to Bathtown, he made bold a seize in the governor's storehouse the sixty hogsheads of sugar, and from Honest Mr. Knight, twenty, which it seems was their dividend of the plunder taken in the French ship.

The latter did not long survive this shameful discovery, for being apprehensive that he might be called to an account for these trifles, felt sick with the fright, and died in a few days.

After the wounded men were pretty well recovered, the lieutenants sailed back to the Men of War in James River in Virginia, with Blackbeard's head still hanging at the bolt spread end, and 15 prisoners, 13 of whom were hanged.

in appearing upon trial, that one of them, Samuel O'Dell, was taken out of the trading's loop but the night before the engagement.

This poor fellow was a little unlucky in his first entering upon his new trade, there appearing no less than seventy wounds upon him after the action, notwithstanding which he lived, and was cured of them all.

The other person that escaped the gallows was one Israel Hands, the master of Blackbeard's sloop, and formerly captain of the same, before the Queen Anne's revenge was lost in Topsail, England.

The aforesaid Israel Hands happened not to be in the fight, but was taken afterwards ashore at Bathtown, having been sometime before disabled by Blackbeard, in one of his savage humors, after the following manner.