NAUTICAL MILE
P U B L I C A T I O N S
The Pirates Code
The rules of each pirate captain were clearly stated to each member of the crew.
There was little ambiguity about acceptable behavior among pirates on a typical pirate
ship. When a rule was breached, the crew was often without pity or remorse in punishing
a guilty crew member. Although in cases of particularly useful pirates such as skillful
fighters, exceptions were inevitably made.
A Pirate’s Code of Conduct:
Every man shall obey civil command, the Captain shall have one full share and a half
in all prizes. The Master, Carpenter, Boatswain and Gunner one share and a quarter.
If any man should offer to run away, or keep any secret from the company, he shall
be marooned with one bottle of powder, one bottle of water and a small arm with one
shot.
If any man shall steal anything in the company equal to the value of a piece of eight,
he shall be marooned.
If at any time another marooner is met, (which is Pirate), that man should sign his
articles without the consent of our company and suffer such punishment as the Captain
sees fit.
That man that shall strike another whilst these articles are in force, shall receive
Mose’s Law, which is 40 stripes, lacking one on the bare back.
That man that snap his arms, or smoke tobacco in the hold, without a cap to his pipe,
or carry a candle lighted without a lantern, shall suffer the same punishment as
in the former article.
That man that shall not keep his arms clean, fit for engagement, or neglect his business,
shall be cut from his share, and suffer such other punishment as the Captain and
the company shall think fit.
If any man shall loose a joint in the time of engagement, he shall have 400 pieces
of eight, if a limb, 800.
If at any time you meet with a prudent woman, and that man offers to meddle with
her, without her consent, he shall suffer death at the hands of the crew.
History of Tortuga, 1625-1688
Settlement by the French (1625-1632)
In 1625 the French arrive and establish a colony at the island St. Kitts, together
with English colonists. From this island they set sail to Hispaniola. They found
it fairly populated by Spanish colonists and therefore continued to the North to
the island Tortuga. On this island only a few Spanish colonists were based.
The French colonists start setting up plantations and steadily increase their numbers,
some of them from the Islands St. Kitts and Nevis that were attacked in 1629 by Spanish
forces under command of Don Fabrique de Toledo. In the same year they also attacked
Tortuga. The Spanish forces were succesfull and temporarily expelled the Frenchmen.
A number of the colonists flee into the woods and some escape to the woods of Hispaniola.
Spanish forces fortify Tortuga in 1630. Despite this, the French take possession
of the island again when most of the Spanish forces leave for Hispaniola to root
out the French colonists in the woods.
The small Spanish force that had been left was defeated and the Frenchmen extend
the fortifications the Spaniards had set up. Most of the English colonists did not
return, but settled again at the Island of Nevis. Those that did return established
a new colony under the control of the Providence Island Company in 1631. The Governor
of the English Colony on Tortuga is Anthony Hilton.
Buccaneers on Tortuga (1633-1634)
The French send a request for a Governor to the Governor of St. Kitts. He sends Jean
Le Vasseur to them with men and equipment to further fortify the island. He built
the Fort de Rocher on a rocky outrcrop of a natural harbour.
Tortuga from then on is regularly used by privateers and pirates as a base of operations.
In 1633 the governor of Tortuga, also called association island, is still Captain
Anthony Hilton. In this year the first slaves are imported. 1634 saw the Governor-General
of the French West Indies transfer his seat of power from St. Kitts to Tortuga. The
Compagnie des Isles d'Amerique takes posession of French Colony on the island.
Tortuga under Attack (1635)
Captain Nicholas Riskinner(/Reiskimmer) arrives on Tortuga in 1635 to take up as
Governor of the English Colony on the island. Apparantly he was a scoundrel since
Richard Lane, enroute to the Island of Providence and sailing on the same vessel
to the West Indies, reported that he had taken his goods by force. Riskinner dies
shortly after his arrival at Tortuga.
For some time now slaves had been imported to work on the plantations of the island.
Despite advice that the colonists should distribute them evenly over the island and
treat them well the experiment with slavery faltered in 1635. On Tortuga the slaves
were said to be out of control and the planters dispersed because of Fraud and mismanagement.
There are also continual disagreements and fights between the English and French.
An Irish deserter of the English colony named John Murphy brought intelligence of
this to the Spanish forces in the area. As a result, in the same year, the colony
is attacked by Spanish forces under the command of Captain Gregorio de Castellar
y Mantilla. The English colony is soon captured and many colonists are killed. The
Spanish forces later continued on to the Island of Providence (Santa Catalina). The
English forces on this island were able to defend it succesfully against the attack.
After the attack on Tortuga, and its abandonment by the Spaniards, the English and
French colonists that managed to escape from the attack return.
Second Attack on Tortuga (1636-1639)
This situation of the failing plantations must not have been improved much by the
year 1638 when Spanish forces again attack Tortuga and temporarily expell the colonists.
In a letter by Don Inigo de la Mota to the Spanish king in 1639 he makes mention
of the succesful attack on the pirate colony and its mixed population that consisted
of Dutch and French pirates.
Very shortly hereafter, in 1639, these manage to recapture the Island and refortify
it. In 1639 the number of colonists on Barbados and St. Christopher is so large that
these wander to other colonies to be able to establish themselves and make a living.
Some of them go to Tortuga where they set up succesful plantations in tobacco. Their
leader was Captain Robert Flood.
The Third Attack on Tortuga (1640-1659)
In 1640 the buccaneers of Tortuga began calling themselves the Brethren of the Coast.
In this same year Jean Le Vasseur is commissioned to take full posession of the island.
He was able to expell the ill-organised English colonists without much difficulty
by 1641.
The population of pirates and privateers on Tortuga consisted of a mix of most Europeans,
but the largest parts were French and English. A Spanish report from 1646 again mentions
the buccaneer hideout and informs us that in 1645 the population consisted of Dutchmen
and Englishmen.
The French governor imported several hundred prostitutes, hoping to regularize the
lives of the unruly pirates, some of whom lived in a kind of homosexual union known
as matelotage. Le Vasseur is assassinated by his own followers in 1653. During his
years as a Governor the island was heavily fortified against attacks from Spanish.
His successor, Chevalier de Fontenay, was attacked in January 1654 by Spanish
forces from Santo Domingo. A garrison was left to hold the island but it was withdrawn
in 1655 to aid in the defence of Santo Domingo against English forces in the area.
When some Englishmen heard of this they sailed from Jamaica to reoccupy Tortuga.
This they did from 1655 to 1659. From the island they frequently attacked the few
Spanish settlements that still remained on Hispaniola. As a consequence these were
destroyed. Colonel Edward D'Oyley, then Governor of Jamaica, tried to establish an
English government on Tortuga from 1658 to 1659. Despite help from French deserters
he failed and a French government was set up by the colonists.
The High Point of the Buccaneer Base (1660-1669)
In 1660 the French attack the Spaniards on Tortuga and retake possession of the island
to use it again as base for piracy and privateering. Most buccaneers set out from
the island and, after some time, return to drink and gamble away their spoils in
a matter of days or weeks.
The buccaneer Captain Guy used Tortuga as well as Jamaica as bases of operation in
1663. In this same year the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modyford (1664-1671)
received orders to relax his restrictions against buccaneers on the island. Many
of the English on the island went sea-roving against Spain again, but the Frenchmen
under the rovers left Jamaica to concentrate on Tortuga as a base of operations.
The immediate result was that they expelled most of the English settlers living there.
1664 saw the French West India Company take possession of the island and send as
its Governor Monsieur D'Ogeron. In 1665 he arrived at Tortuga. Bertrand D'ogeron
had the difficult task of convincing the buccaneers to accept him as governor and
to abandon their relations with Dutch rovers. He found the men whom he hoped to convert
into colonists dispersed in small and unorganised parties living in a rather primitive
fashion.
In a report to the French Minister Colbert he told him that there were about seven
or eight hundred men scattered along the coasts of the island in inaccessible places.
By the by he was able to control them and he even managed to get many new colonists
to settle on the island and on Hispaniola. Several French privateers and sea-rovers
were also attracted and made Tortuga their base of operations.
In 1666 Morgan arrives on Tortuga as an indentured servant. After running away from
a cruel master he joins up with buccaneers as a surgeon. The Buccaneer L'Ollonais
is based at Tortuga in the 1660’s. Together with Michel le Basque he carries out
an attack on the cities of Gibraltar and Maracaibo in 1667. Sometime later this year
he sets out again with a fleet of ships to plunder the harbour city Puerto de Cavallo
and the town of San Pedro. In 1667 he dies on the coast of Nicaragua where he and
some of his crew were captured by Indians and killed.
Henry Morgan sailed to the Isla Vache, South-West of Hispaniola, in October of 1668.
There he was joined by a band of French buccaneers from Tortuga. After sailing for
some time he attacked Maracaibo in 1669. In 1669 the Governor of Tortuga, d'Ogernon,
was again trying to restrict the activities of the buccaneers of Tortuga: he tried
to persuade them to confine themselves to Tortuga for refitting and the disposal
of their booty. He did not succeed.
The Decline of the Buccaneers (1670-1679)
Some of the buccaneers of Tortuga who found piracy too dangerous turned to logwood-cutting.
When the forests of Tortuga and the easily accessible ones in Hispaniola were cut
out they went to Campeachy. In the peninsula of Yucatan they sought the better wood.
Their principal gathering-ground was in the Gulf of Mexico at a place called Triste.
There were several more of these places along the coasts of Yucatan, Moskito and
between Honduras and Guatemala. A valuable trade sprang up between the logwood-cutters
and Jamaica. Despite many protests of Spain Jamaica continued to trade in the wood.
The use of corsairs by Spain forced the buccaneers to sail in company for protection.
By 1670 the English buccaneer Henry Morgan had to conceal his activities under French
Letters of Commission and he actively promoted the island of Tortuga as a base of
operations and for the disposal of booty.
500 buccaneers from Tortuga and a 1000 buccaneers from Jamaica, under the command
of Henry Morgan set sail in 1670. They attacked and plundered Santa Marta, Rio de
la Hacha, Puerto Bello and Panama. Morgan received a formal vote of thanks from the
Council of Jamaica in May 1671 for his activities. In this year he is send to England
and briefly incarcerated in the Tower (for appearances sake) in 1672. He was treated
as a hero on his arrival in London.
A lot of Jamaican buccaneers went sailing under commission for the Governor of Tortuga
by 1670. Many of them also settled on the coast of St. Dominigue. Others wandered
off to other colonies in the Caribbean. Despite the attempts of D' Ogeron these settlers
continued to trade with the Dutch. They obtained most of their stores and African
slaves from them in exchange for tobacco and ginger.
Around Tortuga the Governor eventually managed to control the trading activities
of the buccaneers somewhat by employing a regular squadron of frigates that drove
the Dutch traders away. The buccaneers from Tortuga and St. Dominique were used as
a striking force and a means to supplement French forces in their attempts to gain
a larger foothold in te Caribbean.
When the Lieutenant-General of the French Antilles, Jean Charles Baas, made an attack
on Curacao in March 1673 he was expecting help from Tortuga. The assistance from
Tortuga failed to arrive, however, because they were shipwrecked on the coast of
Puerto Rico. They fell in the hands of the Spaniards and were treated as pirates.
In 1675 a Dutch force under the command of Jacob Binckes arrived in St. Dominique
and attempted to stir up a revolt under the colonists there. In a fight off Petit-Goave
they attacked and plundered a French merchantman, but soon afterwards the Governor
of Tortuga arrived with reinforcements to aid in the defense of the settlement and
the Dutch were driven off.
The Governor never completely succeeded in controlling the buccaneers at Tortuga.
Between 1670 and 1678 many buccaneers continued their raids on vessels and colonies
of foreign nations, especially those of Spain. Tortuga remained a harbour where not
much questions were asked and buccaneers could come with their booty. Among them
were many Englishmen who plied heir trade under French commissions.
In 1678 the leader of the French buccaneers in Tortuga and Hispaniola was the Sieur
de Grammont. At the head of a large force he continued attacking Spanish settlements
around Maracaibo. He even managed to set up a pirate stronghold there for six months.
Buccaneers under command of the Marquis de Maintenon were ravaging the coast of Venezuela.
They also destroyed the Pearl fisheries at Margarita and several Spanish settlements
on Trinidad.
The End of the Buccaneers at Tortuga (1680-1688)
Eventually, in the 1680s, laws were made that English rovers sailing under foreign
flags were considered to be felons. The laws were actively enforced: several Englishmen
were convicted and hanged for piracy after attacking Dutch ships. Jamaican plantations
also became the frequent targets of attacks by French buccaneers as the opportunities
for profitable attacks on Spanish targets diminished. This led to protests from the
English government to the King of France. Increasingly ships of all nations were
attacked by buccaneers despite being nominally under Letters of Reprisal. The Governor-general
of the French Colonies also increased his efforts to stop the activities of the buccaneers
who were nominally under the control of the Governors.
In 1684 the Treaty of Ratisbone, between France and Spain, was signed which included
provisions to suppress the actions of the buccaneers. The buccaneers were still at
it in 1684. They would rather break out into open revolt than give up their piracies.
In this year several buccaneers were made offers by Governor Tarin De Cussy of St.
Domingue. Enlisted into royal service they were employed to suppress their former
buccaneer allies.
By 1688, the same year in which Henry Morgan dies in Jamaica, the age of the buccaneers
was over in Tortuga. Many turned pirate or went away to find other harbours to sell
their booty.
The Pirates Curse
Tom Sweeney was a pirate. Not a pirate captain, or particularly fierce. He was just
a sailor who preferred the life of a buccaneer and enjoyed the company of hard drinking
ruffians! He had seen plenty of action over the years, including the experience of
being with Henry Morgan at the Siege of Maracaibo.
It was said that Sweeney was born of gypsy stock, although no one knew for sure.
Even Sweeney himself did not know exactly where he was born! The one thing that made
Sweeney stand out from the rest of his shipmates, was the bear. The bear had been
with him for about fifteen years. He said that he had won it in a game of ‘shove
ha’penny’ when it was a cub. But now, fifteen years on, it was a fully-grown Russian
Black Bear standing eight feet tall on its hind legs! Sweeney took it everywhere
and it was said that the bear could down a jug of ale with the best of them! The
bear was devoted to Sweeney and he to it. They were inseparable – Until the fateful
day that they arrived in Liverpool.
The ship was tied up at the dockside. Sweeney, some of his shipmates and the bear
had gone ashore. They were all in a quayside alehouse, drinking and playing cards
with some of the Liverpool locals. As the afternoon wore on, the drinking became
heavy and tempers began to fray. An argument developed between a local fisherman
and one of Sweeney’s pals. In the fight that followed, the fisherman got stabbed.
Now the fight had nothing to do with Sweeney, he was at the bar at the time and was
not involved. But the following day, because those in the alehouse had remembered
the bear, he was picked out as the ringleader. He was thrown into jail and the bear
taken from him. He never saw it again!
Sweeney was outraged at the injustice, and distraught at the loss of his beloved
companion. So angry in fact that he placed a curse on the City of Liverpool! A curse,
that is unbroken to this day. It is known as ‘The Curse of Sweeney’s Bear’. From
that day to this very moment, every child born in the City of Liverpool is born with
a ‘bare’ behind!
History of Emmy Tot
Piracy was very much a man’s world and women were not allowed aboard pirate ships;
it was part of the ‘Pirate’s Code’. However, there were one or two notable exceptions
where women did go to sea and when they did, they often proved to be more than a
match for the men, Anne Bonney and Mary Read were famous examples. Here is a true
story of another young woman who was taken to sea against her will, and how she dealt
with her situation.
Emmy Tot was born into Scottish aristocracy. Christened, Emmaline Tottington, at
the age of nineteen, she was taken into employment as Lady in Waiting to the Countess
of Eglinton in the North Ayrshire district of Cunninghame, of which Irvine is the
predominant town. There is, in the center of Irvine, a rather gruesome tribute to
Emmy’s exploits. Standing on top of a lantern, over the doorway of the Eglinton Arms
Hotel, is the figure of a girl, holding in one hand a sword, dripping blood, and
in the other, a severed head.
As the story goes, The Earl of Eglinton was hosting a banquet at Eglinton Castle,
just outside Irvine. In those days, Irvine was a busy seaport and often there were
merchant ships of varying size and from different countries docked in the harbour.
One such was the ‘Amsterdam’, a vessel commanded by Jan Van der Goot, a small time
privateer, sailing under the Dutch flag. It was the Earl’s custom to invite to his
banquets, the master of any ship that happened to be in the harbour at the time and
Van der Goot was included on this occasion.
The moment that he set eyes on Emmy, he was captivated. He asked the vivacious lady
in waiting to join him on his ship, but she was not interested in the Dutchman and
refused. Van der Goot however, was a determined man and through the night, he returned
with four of his crew, broke into her room and abducted her, carrying her back to
his ship. They took her to Van der Goot’s cabin and locked her in, setting sail out
of Irvine almost immediately. Once at sea, the captain stayed on deck drinking with
his men, while Emmaline pondered her fate in the cabin below.
Several hours later and very much the worse for drink, Van der Goot returned to his
cabin and found his captive, curled up on the floor in the corner, apparently asleep.
Totally drunk, he threw himself, fully dressed onto his bed and was soon snoring.
But Emmaline in fact, was wide awake and biding her time. She waited maybe half an
hour to make sure that her captor was sleeping deeply before quietly getting to he
feet. She moved over to where the captain was stretched out on his bed. Then carefully
drawing his dagger from its scabbard, she thrust it into his chest, piercing his
heart! For a moment his eyes opened in surprise. Then, just as quickly, they closed.
Van der Goot was dead!
Emmaline was not yet finished. She drew out the captain’s sword and with a few hacking
blows, cut his head from its body! Dragging her grisly prize out of the cabin, and
still carrying the sword, dripping with blood, she made her way onto the deck. At
the point of the sword, she forced the helmsman to ring the ship’s bell, summoning
the crew on to the deck. It was nearly dawn and most of the men were sleepy eyed
and still half-drunk. But they soon sobered up when they saw Emmaline holding up
the severed head of their captain! She demanded that they turn about and take her
immediately back to Irvine. They were too shocked to argue and did as they were told.
The Earl of Eglinton was so impressed by Emmy’s bravery that as a tribute, he added
the figure of a girl holding a sword and a severed head to the crest of his coat
of arms, and there it remains to this day!
Turning Pirate
The Captain
One thing for sure about pirates is they didn't like authority. The Navy ships of
the various countries were usually commanded by the privileged class, not necessarily
because of any inherent skill but just because that was the way it was done. Sailors
in the regular navy were often treated miserably by their Captains. Pirates would
have nothing to with this. Contrary to the book Treasure Island, Most Captains didn't
command by an iron fist, they commanded because of skill, daring, and the ability
to win prize and booty. The Pirate ship elected its Captain through a vote. If the
Captain fell in disfavor, the crew were just as quick to maroon their captain, or
throw him overboard, or perhaps if he were lucky they would just let him off at the
nearest port. It is safe to assume that if a Captain had a bad cruise with little
to show for it and the end of it, it would be difficult for him to raise a new crew
in the future.
In any event, the Captain never had the last say, except perhaps in the midst of
battle. In fact at certain times, the Captain had no more power than every other
pirate on board. When not in battle or preparing to fight, quite often the Quartermaster
might actually be in charge of the ship.
Important matters such as where the ship might sail, or rather or not to put into
port, or if a certain ship should be engaged and so on, were quite often not up to
the Captain. These pressing details were decided by vote, with the majority ruling.
If the Captain were to go against the vote, then he too would be in violation of
the Articles of Piracy, and would most likely step down from command and new leader
would be chosen.
Quartermaster
The Quartermaster, depending on the circumstance was the second in charge of a pirate
ship. His main purpose was to distribute things. He distributed rations, powder,
work, prize, and punishment.
Pirates didn't trust authority and therefore saw no reason to let all the power of
a ship rest on one man. Therefore they split the power between, the Captain, who
led the ship in battle, and navigated the ship, and the Quartermaster, who usually
led the way on any boarding party, and kept custody of all prize or booty. The Quartermaster
also determined what prize was worth taking.
As expected all gold, silver, or coin was taken, but beyond that, it was the quartermaster
who decided what else was worth taking. He made his decisions based on time & how
much room the ship had. If the ship was already cramped, spices and exotic materials
may be burned rather that stolen.
The quartermaster would also watch over the treasure until it was divided among the
crew. It was also the quartermaster who did the dividing, with the crew's supervision.
There was rarely a dispute about how the loot was divided.
The quartermaster was also the only man who could dole out punishment. Even then,
many times the crew would take a vote first. The captain could order punishment but
only the quartermaster could administer it, which made it the will of at least two
before any punishment was given.
The quartermaster also settled individual quarrels and if need be, acted as a witness
to any duels, to insure that duels were fair and just.
Finally, on some ships, except when in battle the quartermaster might actually hold
a position above the captain, especially in matters of punishment and rations.
First Mate
On most ships, the First Mate is the officer who ranks just below the Captain of
the ship and takes over in the event that the Captain can no longer perform his duties.
Some pirate ships may have had first mates and most Privateers would definitely have
a first mate but for the most part this function was filled by the quarter master.
Boatswain (bos ´n)
Among the crews were several skilled seamen who kept the ship afloat or kept the
crew in place. The Boatswain was one of them. Boatswains are junior officers who
handled specific tasks on board ship. A boatswain may be in charge of the ships rigging
and another one may be in charge of the deck crews. Still another boatswain may be
in charge of the anchoring of the ship. Depending on the size of the crew a boatswain
may be in charge of several different tasks on board the ship. They answer to the
captain and or the Quartermaster depending on the task at hand. Contrary to the movies
they do more than blow a silver whistle
Carpenter
A ship's carpenter was the man who kept the ship afloat, making necessary repairs,
filling holes if need be, and so on. Carpentry was an extremely useful skill onboard
ship and good carpenters were highly valued.
Gunner
Gunners were skilled men who aimed the guns on a ship. In some instances a master
gunner would give orders to other gunners on how to set their guns during a broadside.
It took years of practice to become a good gunner.
Surgeon
Surgeons were highly valued among pirates and when pirates captured ships they would
often press surgeons into service. A surgeon was typically the only person kept on
board who was not required to sign articles. Depending on the nature of the crew
some surgeons were paid even if they refused to sign on.
If a surgeon wasn't handy, then the crew would often elect someone with an inkling
of knowledge to act as surgeon. On at least one account, the carpenter was elected
the ship's surgeon, because the carpenter had the necessary tools needed to amputate
limbs and knew how to cut quickly. At other times a cook might also be employed but
cooks were normally considered less skillful at cutting than carpenters. Cooks weren't
butchers and had little training. Typically they were crew members assigned to work
the galley who managed to make edible food.
Powder Monkey
Powder Monkey was a British naval term used to describe the young boys who made up
the gun crews. The term dates from the 1600s. Many powder monkeys were probably pressed
into service, being kidnapped by press gangs and forced to serve aboard ship. Often
the powder monkeys were young lads no more than eleven to thirteen years old. They
mainly assisted the gun crews and learned most of the ships basics but were paid
little (if anything), treated poorly, and were expendable. If they managed to live
a few years, they might eventually make it to a position of more importance on the
ship. Often, due to their harsh life, powder monkeys were quick to sign articles
and desert a ship. On a pirate ship, new-comers would serve the function of powder
monkeys.
Cabin Boy
The cabin boy is typically a young boy of privileged birth who is sent to sea to
learn the maritime trade. Typically the cabin boy waits upon the officers of the
ship. In some instances he may act as the Captain's servant. The cabin boy will run
messages and errands for the officers, prepare their uniforms, perhaps even fetches
their dinner. Because he is an apprentice of sorts, he is also expected to learn
all aspects of the maritime trade. The cabin boy works long hard hours. Even on pirate
ships, the captain might employ a young energetic fellow as a cabin boy.
Insurance Policy
Insurance Policies were often discussed in the Articles of Piracy. Typical of such
insurance policies is Article Eight above. While this may all sound quite democratic,
I somehow suspect that it was not as fair or compensatory as it sounds. You must
remember that often Pirates would maroon captains because no loot was being found.
I can't picture a crew of cut throats giving the lions share of a take to a wounded
man.
Still, it was better than what was offered in most of the Navies of the day, which
gave little or no compensation in the event of death or injury. Such pension plans
would not exists for several decades in the Royal Navy which is often regarded as
one of the more liberal Navies when it came to caring for the crew.
Battle Strategy
Some very basic concepts:
One thing to remember, Pirates did not attack man-o-wars with sloops. They attacked
lightly armed merchants ships with sloops. Pirates did not attack unless they had
the upper hand. If they didn't think they were going to win, they didn't engage.
The process of attack could be relatively simple, the pirates would come up from
the bow or stern at an angle to prevent the merchants from engaging with the side
guns and give a signal that if they were shot at, they would take no prisoners. It
was then up to the merchant to determine if it was bluff or a serious threat.
Two sides of the same coin:
One reason a merchant would fight is if the pirates had
a reputation of torturing the crew no matter if they fought or not. A reason they
may not fight is because the pirates did not torture the crew unless they put up
a fight.
If the merchant thought he out-gunned the pirates he may call their bluff and fight
the pirates, which may lead to a pirate retreat or a slaughter of the merchant crew.
If the merchant knew he was outnumbered, he may allow his ship to be boarded in order
to spare his crew. If the merchant captain feared a mutiny among his crew for engaging
a fight with the pirates he may also back down and take his chances. Many things
figured into why a merchant would not fight off the pirates. It is almost a given
that if the pirates were outgunned, they would run and not attack. Pirates were looking
for easy pickings, not an early death.
Remember that while the pirates may have had a sloop, they would also have a large
crew and possibly more guns than the merchant ship they attacked.
You must also remember that the merchant crews were not necessarily well paid and
may not care to fight for cargo that they did not own. Thus the captain may have
a very unreliable crew when it came to fighting for his property.
The pirates relied more on fear and distrust than on cannons when it came to taking
on their opponents.
Now imagine that food being smashed as flat as possible and served cold. This is
your entire breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day. It would be about the same
amount of food, but it would still taste better than what the sailor was eating and
would also have more nutrition!
Water was usually on short supply. A sailor might get about 1 quart of water a day.
It was not uncommon for the water to go bad. This is why there was so much beer and
rum on board ships. It was to make the water taste better and last longer. Beer,
ale, and mead would all last longer than water because of the alcohol. Rum would
be added to the water to help kill disease. Sailors would actually be allowed to
drink more rum and beer than than water.
Looking for a place to sleep? Sometimes, only the captain had a cabin and that meant
only the captain had a bunk or bed. A sailor would look for anyplace on board to
find a spot to sleep. Perhaps he would lay down on some sack of wheat or perhaps
he'd just find a spot where water wasn't seeping through the timbers.
If that wasn't bad enough, eventually "nature" would call. Typically a sailor would
use the "jardines" which was French for "gardens". Typically the jardines were near
the bow of the ship. These were holes cut in a board. The sailor would lower his
trousers and sit on the hole and deposit his waste in the sea. There was no privacy.
Of course everyone, even the most hardened sailor would have to visit the rail due
to sea-sickness.
Considering the food was often bad as was the water, most sailors would come down
with food poisoning as well as other gastrointestinal ailments. If you didn't get
sea-sick, you were the rare sailor.
All in all, life on board ship was harsh. If you weren't working hard you were bored
beyond belief. Sailor would often sing shanties to pass the time while working or
board. The songs often contained lyrics that were anything but politically correct.
Many have been passed down through the ages and still exist today.
With such a harsh and dreary life, one may wonder why anyone would ever go to sea.
The answer is quite simple. Many sailors were pressed into service. This is a nice
way of saying drafted. In reality they were kidnapped in the middle of the night
and forced to serve on a ship. For others, life on land was just as harsh and some
times even more harsh than that on the sea. The sea life at least offered the possibility
of escape from the dreariness of day to day routines.
Sailors would turn to piracy often in an attempt to further escape this miserable
existence.
The Sailing Life
Day to day life on board a ship was far different that the glamorous life portrayed
in an Erroll Flynn Swash-buckler movie or a Gilbert and Sullivan Musical. Upon coming
on board the first thing you might notice is the smell. Imagine a cross between
rotting fish and human sweat. This is would be the top deck of the ship. As you went
below deck, the smell would give even worse. The reason is simple. There were no
real toilets on board and fresh water was an absolute luxury.
Every inch of a sailing ship would be occupied with the necessities of the voyage
and every item onboard would need to be carefully stowed to prevent the cargo from
moving about. If the cargo were to shift, then the ship could easily capsize.
Let's start at the bottom of the ship and work our way up. Between the bottom of
the deck and the hull would be a space that was partially filled with stone or ballast.
This area was the bilge. No matter how well a ship is constructed, water always tends
to seep in. That water works its way down to the ships lowest level (the bilge) and
collects there. This water brings in micro organism which die and rot in the bilge.
This causes the water to turn foul which in turn leads to a horrible sewage like
odor. If it were allowed to remain there, it would so weaken the bottom of the ship,
that it would rot out. Thus all ships have bilge pumps which try to remove all the
water from the bilge. On occasions, such as rough seas or storms, the bilge pump
would be manned constantly. If it were not manned, the water would eventually fill
more than just the bilge.
Manning the bilge pump was not a fun job. On many ships it would have been given
as a punishment detail or given to the junior most member of the crew. The same could
be the case on a pirate ship. On some ships, the bilge may have been done in shifts.
The seaman who worked the bilge pump as punishment were called bilges or bilge rats.
Today the word "bilgy" means worthless and can be traced back to what most of the
crew thought of the persons assigned to the bilge pump. The sailor also had plenty
of stowaways onboard the ship. Rats, fleas, and poisonous spiders and scorpions were
common interlopers on ships that traveled between the Spanish Main and Europe. Fleas
were inescapable. They would live within the canvas, and hide within the cracks and
crevices of the the ship.
Food had to be brought on board for passengers and crew. Grains and flour were often
stored in the lower hold and the rats would often feed better than the sailors. A
major problem with rats and mice is they breed quickly, so once the infestation begins,
it is almost impossible to stop it. The rats gnaw on the wood of the ships, the ropes,
the food, and even the sailors. It was not uncommon for sailors to go on rat hunting
trips to try and kill the vermin. On at least one occasion, a Spanish galleon reported
killing over 4,000 rats in just one voyage from the Caribbean to Europe.
Often fresh fruits and vegetables, would be brought on board for food en route. Bundles
of wood, for fire, would also be brought along. All of these items would also bring
spiders and scorpions with them. Much of the food would rot along the way, and would
just add to the odors on board.
Livestock would also be brought on board to give the sailors some fresh meat on the
way. Most of this meat would be reserved for the officers on regular vessels, but
it would be shared among pirate crews. This was not the common food of the day. Most
of the time, the sailors would live on hard-tack and dried meat. Hard tack is a hard
cracker made of water, and flour (and sometimes a little lard). The dried meat was
usually smoked pork, horse, or beef. The typical ration was about 25 ounces (@700
grams) of hard-tack and 9 ounces (@250 grams)of meat for the entire day. (Imagine
working 16 hours a day and only getting about 2 quarter-pound hamburgers patties
and a super-sized order of fries.
The History of Blackbeard
A pirate ship's cannon fires a warning blast. The explosion rocks a nearby merchant
ship. Musket balls fly. Grenades explode. A wounded helmsman staggers. He lets go
of the ship's wheel, and the ship swings around crazily. Flames flicker everywhere.
Pistols fire. Pirates, screaming threats, board the merchant ship, swinging axes
and cutlasses (short, curved swords). Hissing through his teeth, Blackbeard—one of
the most dreaded pirates who ever lived—jumps to the deck. He stands tall and lean.
Pieces of rope burn like fuses among coils of his black hair. Sashes stuffed with
pistols and daggers crisscross his huge chest. Black ribbons flap from the braids
in his beard. Terrified sailors flee. Blackbeard and his fierce crew have pirated
another ship.
IT WAS A REIGN OF FEAR that lasted two long years. Blackbeard and his crew of pirates
terrorized sailors on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from 1716 through 1718.
They ambushed ships carrying passengers and cargo in the dim light of dawn and dusk
when the pirates' ship was hard to see.
The pirates often determined a ship's nationality first. Then they raised that country's
flag on the pirate ship so they appeared to be friendly. Now able to draw close to
the unsuspecting ship, the pirates hoisted Blackbeard's flag only at the last moment.
Merchant crews often surrendered without a fight the moment they saw Blackbeard's
flag. If the ship didn't surrender after warnings, the pirates moved in. Frequently
their first target: the sailor at the ship's wheel. Then, as the pilotless ship drifted
aimlessly, the pirates snared it with grappling hooks, pulled it closer, and leaped
aboard. When the attack ended, the pirates took the passengers and crew hostage and
ransacked cabins looking for coins, gold, silver, and jewelry. Blackbeard repeated
this scene over and over again.
BLACKBEARD WAS BRITISH, probably born before 1690. His real name was thought to be
Edward Teach. As a young seaman, he had served on a British privateer that was based
in Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean. Privateers were privately owned, armed ships
hired by governments during time of war. The privateers' mission was to attack the
ships of the enemy. Queen Anne of Britain allowed Teach's privateer to plunder French
and Spanish ships during the War of the Spanish Succession and to keep stolen goods.
By war's end, Teach had become an experienced sea robber. He then joined a group
of fierce Caribbean pirates.
Soon the cunning, fearless Teach became captain of his own ship—one he had stolen!
He added cannons and reinforced the ship's sides. His ship was swift, easy to handle,
and able to carry a large crew of as many as 250 pirates.
MOST MERCHANT SHIPS carried little, if any, actual treasure. They usually hauled
cargo such as grain, molasses, and kegs of rum. They also carried supplies of rope,
tools, and ammunition. After taking over a merchant ship, the pirates divided the
booty, or stolen goods, among themselves according to strict rules—the captain and
certain officers received larger portions. Sometimes the pirates stole the ship as
well as the cargo.
As Teach's power and reputation as the most frightening of pirates grew, so did his
beard and hair. Now calling himself Blackbeard, he braided his beard and tied the
braids with black ribbons. He stuffed burning rope under his hat to make himself
look more ferocious and menacing. He scared everyone.
Some merchant ships carried passengers—often targets of pirates. According to one
story told about Blackbeard, a passenger once refused to give up his diamond ring.
So Blackbeard sliced off his finger, ring and all.
Blackbeard once took over a large cargo ship carrying many wealthy passengers—including
children—as it sailed out of Charleston, South Carolina. The hostages were locked
in the dark hold of the ship. Blackbeard threatened to kill them all if the townspeople
in Charleston didn't come up with the ransom: a medical chest filled with remedies.
The deadline for delivery passed. The hostages were frantic. The pirates prepared
them for hanging.
With only minutes to spare, the town came up with the ransom and delivered the medicine
chest. Before releasing the hostages, the pirates stole all their jewelry and clothing.
Blackbeard made a home base in North Carolina, a British colony, near a string of
islands called the Outer Banks. From there he preyed easily on ships traveling the
American coast. Local townspeople tolerated his presence because they liked to buy
the goods he stole, such as cloth and sugar. Pirate goods were usually cheaper than
imported English goods. The colony's ruling officials turned a blind eye to Blackbeard's
“import” business.
In the fall of 1718 Blackbeard returned from sea to his favorite hideaway off Ocracoke
Island. He hosted a huge, wild pirate get-together with dancing, drinking, and bonfires.
Other famous pirates sailed in for the days-long event.
News of the pirate bash reached Alexander Spotswood, the governor of Virginia. He
decided that the time had come to stop Blackbeard once and for all. He spent the
next several weeks planning Blackbeard's capture.
SPOTSWOOD SENT TWO SLOOPS, small swift ships, commanded by Lieutenant Robert Maynard
of the Royal Navy to Ocracoke. Seeing the navy's sails, Blackbeard and his pirates
knew they were trapped. Only sandbars lay between them and the navy. By morning,
the tide would rise, the sloops would glide over the submerged sandbars, and the
attack on the pirate ship would begin.
All through the night Maynard's men prepared for the next day's fighting. Muffled
laughter and swearing from the pirate ship echoed across the water. Blackbeard didn't
seem worried about the upcoming battle. His pirates, however, were nervous. They
stockpiled ammunition on deck and soaked blankets in water in preparation for putting
out fires. They spread sand on the decks to soak up blood once the fighting started.
Thinking it likely they would all die, one pirate asked Blackbeard whether Blackbeard's
wife knew where he had buried his treasure. Blackbeard bellowed that nobody but he
“...and the devil knew where it was, and the longest liver shall take it.”
In the morning Blackbeard didn't try to outrun the navy sloops. Instead he waited
at his ship's wheel. His crew was puzzled. Finally, when Maynard's sloops started
moving toward the pirates, Blackbeard ordered his crew to set sail. He seemed to
be steering the ship directly toward the beach! They were going to crash!
But then Blackbeard eased the pirate ship through a narrow channel between the beach
and a barely visible sandbar. Chasing the pirates, the navy sloops crashed into the
sandbar.
Blackbeard shook with laughter. The pirates blasted the stranded sloops with cannons.
Thundering explosions shook the waters. Then the pirate ship lurched backward—and
became stuck on a sandbar.
One navy ship lay destroyed. Maynard's sloop was battered. Maynard ordered his men
to throw food and water barrels over the side to lighten the ship. It worked. Floating
free of the sandbar, Maynard's damaged sloop edged toward the pirate ship. Maynard
ordered his men to hide below decks with pistols and swords ready.
Blackbeard's men hurled grenades onto the seemingly deserted navy sloop. The pirates
boarded the ship easily. Suddenly, Maynard's men rushed the deck, firing pistols
and wielding swords. The pirates turned around, completely stunned—they had been
tricked into thinking the navy crew was dead. A battle began. Screams and cries of
pain filled the air.
Pistol in one hand, cutlass in the other, Blackbeard came face-to-face with Maynard.
They both fired pistols. Blackbeard missed. Maynard hit his mark.
Shot, Blackbeard still managed to swing his cutlass and snap off Maynard's sword
blade. Maynard drew back. Blackbeard raised his arm for a finishing blow. Just in
time, a navy seaman came up from behind Blackbeard and slashed his throat.
AS A WARNING TO OTHER PIRATES, Blackbeard's head was cut off and suspended from the
bow of Maynard's sloop. Maynard searched for Blackbeard's treasure but found only
supplies and letters. When Blackbeard died, the secret of his treasure died, too—if
indeed he ever had one.
Captain William Kidd
In the 16th and 17th centuries, privateers enjoyed a successful trade around the
world. Privateer ships were warships that were privately owned, but had government
permission to attack enemy ships. The privateer would then share any booty with the
government.
Captain Kidd can be said to be the most unfortunate pirate ever to sail the high
seas! For it was his bad luck to sail as a privateer/pirate just when the rules changed
and the privateer/pirate became an outlaw.
William Kidd was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1654, the son of John Kidd, a seaman,
and his wife Bessie Butchart. He became a sea captain, his first ship being the Antigua.
He emigrated to New York in the 1680's where he met and married Sarah Bradley Cox
Oort, a wealthy widow.
During the war between England and France in the 1690's, Kidd became a successful
privateer in charge of the vessel Blessed William, defending American and English
trade routes with the West Indies. He was commissioned by the English government
to take charge of an expedition against pirates in the Indian Ocean. Kidd's public
mission was to clear the sea there of pirates, but it was probably understood by
his backers that he would also take every opportunity to capture any enemy ships
that had valuable cargo.
On Sept. 6, 1696, Kidd and a 150-man crew left New York aboard the 32-gun Adventure
Galley, bound for the Indian Ocean. One of the pirates he set out to capture was
Robert Culliford, who sailed with a surgeon named Jon Death. The story goes that
Culliford would order his men to load their cannons with china dishes, as the china
shards would shred the sails of the ships that he was attacking.
Poor Captain Kidd was not very adept at finding pirates. The mood of his crew turned
ugly and mutiny was in the air. Finally his crew forced him to turn pirate himself.
In late January, 1698, the Quedah Merchant was sighted rounding the tip of India.
Kidd and his crew attacked and took the ship: the cargo was silk, muslins, calico,
sugar, opium, iron and saltpeter and worth a rumored 70,000 pounds. The Quedah Merchant,
renamed the Adventure Prize, was kept by Kidd, as he was forced to abandon and sink
his now leaking ship.
Unfortunately for Kidd, it was now two years since he had begun his voyage and in
that time there had been a change of attitude in England toward piracy. Piracy was
to be stamped out and was now a criminal act.
Kidd finally arrived in the West Indies in April, 1699 to find that he was now deemed
to be a pirate and that the American colonies were gripped by pirate fever. Up and
down the coast, everyone was on the hunt for pirates.
Kidd managed to negotiate a pardon from the English authorities for his actions,
claiming he was forced to piracy by his crew. Kidd sailed for Boston, stopping along
the way to bury booty on Gardiners Island and Block Island. Some of the booty on
Gardiners Island was later recovered.
The New England governor, Lord Richard Bellomont, himself an investor in Kidd's voyage,
had him arrested on July 7 1699, in Boston. He was sent to England aboard the frigate
Advice in February 1700. The shamelessly rigged trial started on May 8 and was completed
the next day -- the verdict was guilty of the murder of one of his crew and guilty
of multiple acts of piracy.
Captain William Kidd was hanged on May 23, 1701. The first rope put around this neck
broke so he had to be strung up a second time. His corpse was placed in a gibbet
at the mouth of the Thames River and left to rot, as an example to other would-be
pirates. His English backers, though tainted by the piracy scandal, kept their estates
and power.
After his death, his legend grew, especially the stories of buried treasure. Authors
such as Robert Louis Stevenson with his book "Treasure Island'' and Edgar Allan Poe
("The Gold Bug'') helped fuel the myth.
Gasparilla
The romantic age of the Gulf is past, the days when pirate bands preyed upon the
peaceful merchantman, stole his goods, and carried away his women passengers, have
gone, but romance still holds sway in the minds of each of us, and in the pirate
Gasparilla we find a story that is full of the spice of romantic adventure, that
abounds with thrills, and causes the pulse to beat just a little faster at some daring
exploit, the eyes to fill with water at some touching story, or the fists to clench
in the good American way at the brutal butcheries that authentic documents show were
committed. Gasparilla has gone, his pirate gold lies hidden somewhere on the isles
of Charlotte harbor, but the bleached bones of his murdered victims, with the stories
that have drifted down from past generations, give to the world a synopsis of the
life and death of Gasparilla the terror of the Southern Seas.
His name was Jose Gaspar (Gasparilla meaning Gaspar, the outlaw). He stood high in
the graces of the Spanish Court, so high indeed that he filched the crown jewels.
Jose was also an officer of high standing in the naval affairs of the Spaniards.
Some records give him the honor of being what we would call an admiral. His theft
discovered, he deserted his wife and children, gathered together a nice lot of cut-throats,
stole the prize vessel of the Spanish fleet, and escaped. This happened in the year
1782. A price was declared upon his head, and it is stated, when Gasparilla heard
this decree, he swore eternal vengeance upon all Spaniards in general, and commenced
to destroy the commerce of Spain.
The Gulf of Mexico at that time being a rendezvous for pirate fleets, Gaspar settled
in Charlotte Harbor and built upon the shores of what is now called Turtle Bay twelve
houses, where, under guard, his female captives were placed, all male prisoners being
killed when captured. The buildings were constructed of palmetto logs, and arranged
in a semi-circle close to the water’s edge.
About one hundred yards farther inland the burying ground was discovered several
years ago, containing not only the bones of his men, but the skeletons of his murdered
women captives. Many a touching story has been unearthed when the ghostly remains
were uncovered. Stories of great strong men who died in the fight, of women who died
to save their honor, and of nobility we even find a trace, but these are only traditions,
and the story of “The Little Spanish Princess,” as told by old Panther Key John Gomez,
we will relate later on.
Close to Turtle Bay lies the little Isle of Cayopelean. Upon this island stood a
burial mound fifty feet high and four hundred feet in circumference at the base,
built centuries earlier, it is thought, by the Mound Builders of a prehistoric race.
Excavations in this mound have produced ornaments of gold and silver, together with
hundreds of human skeletons. On its summit Gasparilla constructed an observation
tower, where always a grim sentinel was stationed and looked across the warm, smiling
waters of the Gulf for a victim.
The present Isle of Gasparilla the pirate named for himself. Taking the best of everything
when a capture was made, he chose the best of the islands in Charlotte Harbor for
his own secret haunts. It is said that Jose was saluted the King of the Pirates,
and his home on Gasparilla Island was regal in its fittings.
Some writers have said that Gasparilla joined Pierre LaFitte, the famous French pirate,
while others have stated on good authority that LaFitte joined Gasparilla’s band,
contributing a boat and thirty men.
While taking the census of 1900 two gentlemen stopped at Panther Key and spent the
night with John Gomez. The race of the old buccaneer was nearly run, but all through
that night he told a story of piracy that could scarce be believed, yet it was a
dying man that was clearing his soul before his Maker. He told of the looting of
ships, the massacre of innocents, and last of all, when his life had nearly passed,
he told the story of “The Little Spanish Princess,” whose name he did not remember.
He told where the body would be found, and a sketch was prepared under his direction,
and in recent years in the exact location as described the skeleton of a beheaded
woman was found. This is the story.
In the early days of the year 1801, a princess of Spain sailed in great state for
Mexico. While in that country she was royally entertained by its Ruler, and to show
her appreciation to the Mexican people she prevailed upon the nobles to allow her
to take eleven of Mexico’s fairest daughters away with her to be educated in Spanish
customs. A treasure of much gold, bound in chests of copper, it is said, was in cargo.
When about forty miles from what is now Boca Grande, Gasparilla engaged them in combat,
killed the crew, took the gold, and carried away as captives the princess and the
eleven Mexican girls.
The princess he kept for himself, the maids were divided among his men. The little
Spanish princess spurned the one-time favorite of the King, and Gasparilla swore
that if she did not return of her own free will the affections lavished upon her,
she would be beheaded, and the story goes the threat of Gaspar was fulfilled. Far
away from her native land, alone on a tropical isle, the little princess still lies
in the lonely bed made for her by Gasparilla. The night birds sing in the dusk and
lull her spirit to rest in the evening, and the moon throws kindly shadows o’er the
spot where royalty sleeps.
From members of Gaspar’s crew many a strange story has drifted down concerning him,
his traits, his ways, his passions. He was polished in his manners and a great lover
of fashionable clothes; fearless in fight, and at all times cruel in his nature.
Concerning women he was fanatical, and his houses were always filled with captives.
It is stated beauty was essential with him. He kept for himself a certain number
of picked beauties, but so fickle was his nature that when an additional capture
was made and a new face appealed to him, one of his old loves must forfeit her life
to make room for the new favorite. That this was true there is no doubt, as the graveyard
of Gasparilla tells its own terrible story.
In 1819, the United States, having obtained, under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803,
the states bordering on the Gulf, made war upon the robber bands. On Sanibel Island
a conference was held by all the pirates, and with the exception of Gasparilla, Baker,
Caesar, and old King John, all sailed away, to be heard of no more.
Nearly two years later, the war on piracy becoming too severe, Jose and his crew
agreed to divide their wealth, which was then estimated at thirty million dollars,
to give up piracy, and live as honest men the rest of their lives. This was decided
upon and plans made accordingly.
In the spring of 1822, while getting together his treasure for division, which at
that time was hidden in six separate hiding places, he cited what appeared to be
a large English merchantman just off Boca Grande Pass. It is said his greedy eyes
lit with pleasure at the thoughts of just one more victim before his piratical days
were over. Closely following the shore-line of the Gulf, he slipped into Charlotte
Harbor through what is now known as Little Gasparilla Pass, crept around Gasparilla
Island, and gathered together his crew. Great excitement reigned when the plans were
unfolded. The band of eighty men was divided into two parts, he commanding thirty-five
men, LaFitte thirty-five, while ten were left in charge of the camp. At about four
in the afternoon Gasparilla and his men dashed through the Boca Grande Pass for the
English prize; fast overtaking the fleeing ship, the black flag was hoisted, and
his men stood ready with the grappling hooks, but suddenly the English flag floated
down and the Stars and Stripe. pulled in place; in a moment guns were uncovered on
deck, and Gasparilla, realizing that he was in a trap, turned to flee. His boat,
disabled by the shots from the war vessel and capture staring him in the face, he
wrapped a piece of anchor chain around his waist and jumped into the sea. His age
at his death was about sixty-five. His crew was hanged at the yard-arms, with the
exception of the cabin boy and the ten men left in charge of the captives, they having
escaped to the mainland. Panther Key John was in this gang. The cabin boy was carried
to New Orleans, where he remained in prison ten years.
LaFitte, watching the battle from afar, turned and fled, but the next morning his
boat was captured and sunk off the mouth of the Manatee River. Whether he was captured
at this point is not known, as so many conflicting stories arose concerning him,
still it is a positive fact that he was buried at New Orleans.
For thirty years the craft of Gasparilla was visible from Gasparilla Island, lying
five miles off Boca Grande Pass, but the sand has now completely covered the wreck.
The treasure of Gasparilla still lies unmoved. The bones of the bold buccaneer, with
his pirate ship, have vanished, but legends from the fisher-folk say that some times
in the dead of night, off Gasparilla Island, when the waves are singing a lullaby
to the weary and the wind is whispering soft messages through the palmettos, the
phantom fleets of the pirate crew arise from their ocean resting places and pursue,
as in days of old, the ghost ships of the merchantmen.
Captain Jack Rackam
John Rackam, also known as Calico Jack because of his clothing preferences, was only
a moderately successful pirate who is mainly remembered for his association with
two women pirates. Rather than attacking plump rich targets, Rackam preferred using
a small sloop to attack local merchants and fishing vessels.
In 1718, Rackam served as quartermaster on Charles Vane's pirate ship. On November
23, Vane's ship encountered a French man-of-war in the Windward Passage and he decided
to retreat from the battle rather than try to board the warship. Many of the crew
felt differently on this matter, including Rackam. The next day, Rackam and crew
confronted Vane and stated he was a coward. The crew elected Calico Jack as the new
captain and Vane and his fellow supporters were set off on a small sloop. And within
the day, Calico Jack was able to plunder several small vessels and continued to plunder
more around Jamaica. One vessel taken had a Jamaican tavernkeeper, Hosea Tisdale,
onboard that Rackam and the crew were acquinted with and after plundering the vessel,
he released the captive crew and made sure the tavernkeeper had a safe voyage home.
In May 1719 Rackam sailed to the Bahamas for a pardon and settled down there soon
after. While in a local tavern he met Anne Bonny whom he soon started to court. When
she became pregnant he took her to some friends he had in Cuba to take care of her
during her preganancy. Once their money began to run out, Rackam returned to piracy
and convinced Bonny to come with him, which she did, only disguised as a man.
He again went back to plundering his standard small local merchants in the West Indies.
On one of the vessels was Mary Read who would also join Rackam's crew without anyone
knowing (yet) her true sexuality.
On August 20, 1720 Rackam and eleven others stole the anchored sloop William in Nassau
harbor during the night. Governor Woodes Rogers learnt of this and soon issued a
proclamation stating who was responsible for the piracy. In addition to this, he
sent two sloops with 45 men out to find Rackam. At this time, Calico Jack was attacking
fishing vessels in Jamaica and continued to plunder small vessels for about the next
month along the West Indies.
Captain Jonathan Barret's privateer sloop caught up with Calico Jack's stolen William
anchored near Nigril Bay in early October. Rackam immediately set sail to escape
the well-armed sloop but at about ten o'clock at night Barret caught up to Rackam.
Barret ordered him to surrender and in response Rackam and his crew sent him a shot
from a swivel gun along with a few words. The nighttime duel did not last too long
though, soon Barret's sloop had damaged William's boom and effectively knocked her
out of commision. When Barret's crew boarded William, only Anne Bonny and Mary Read
defended the attackers while the rest of the pirates, including Rackam, simply surrendered
without a fight.
On November 16, 1720, Rackam and 11 of his male crewmen were convicted and sentenced
to death in St. Jago de la Vega, Jamaica (the two women were tried later.) Rackam
was able to see his lover Anne Bonny once before his execution and she stated to
him "that she was sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a man, he need
not have been hanged like a dog." On November 19-20, Rackam and his crewmen were
hanged and their bodies were placed in chains and hung at various locations on the
islands as a deterant and message to fellow pirates. Rackam's was hung on an island
near Port Royal called Deadman's Cay, now fittingly named Rackam's Cay. Thus ended
the life of the pirate Calico Jack. While he only plundered mainly local small vessels
in the Caribbean, he is unique in having had not one, but two, women pirates disguised
as men in his crew.
Nautical Mile Publications
Nautical Mile Publications
"Not all men seek rest and peace,
some are born with the spirit of the
storm in their blood, restless harbingers
of violence and bloodshed, knowing
no other path. Pirates”
