Blackbeard's last stand
The most famous pirate
These are some facts about the one of the greatest sea-battles ,about the final day of Captain Blackbeard and his pirates .
Lieutenant Robert Maynard was assigned by Alexander Spotswood,the governor of Virginia ,to capture or kill pirate Edward Teach,nicknamed Blackbeard.Maynard took control of the two sloops ," Ranger" and " Jane",perfectly suited for shallow waters .It was a very difficult mission,but not for such a fearless and experienced naval commander.
He prepared attack under cover.The pirate hunters learned that Blackbeard was in his base at Ocracoke Islands .They sailed there quietly and found pirates anchored in Ocracoke Inlet in the evening of 21 st November 1718.The pirates were celebrating and drinking whole night with local merchants.Teach was unaware of the pursuers,although he had sources that had warned him of potential attack.
Blackbeard had lost his flagship ,the "Queen's Anne Revenge",not long before this event .Therefore,he had to rely on the sloop "Adventure",which was equipped with 10 guns.There were not more than 25 pirates on the ship that day.
The fight between those sloops began at dawn.There was not practically any wind and both attacking sloops were forced to use the oars.Maynard raised a flag and rushed directly into the conflict with every sail and oar.His sloops were unarmed so he had no better choice.Blackbread knew that his opponents had much more men,so he tried to escape while he was firing from his heavily loaded guns.Although those shallow waters were perfectly familiar to him,his sloop still ran aground .However,same happened to Maynard's vessels.While Maynard was waiting for a tide to attack pirates,enemies were having an opportunity to mock on each other ,they were that close.
Just about as Maynard's sloops were ready to attack the "Adventure",she got afloat and ready for engagement.Blackbeard fired a broadside on the "Ranger",killing around twenty soldiers including a sloop's commander.The "Ranger" was totally crippled and out of battle.Then Maynard,who was in the Jane,sailed straight towards the "Adventure" with a genius plan that brought victory .
Lieutenant hid most of his man bellow the deck.When Blackbeard spotted almost empty ship ,he decided to board "Jane".With fourteen pirates,he recklessly entered the sloop.The signal was given to Maynard's men,who quickly attacked outnumbered opponents.
It was an epic hand-to-hand conflict like we are seeing in movies,certainly one of the most fearful in naval history.Especially dramatic and intense was one-on-one fight between the captains .Maynard wounded Blackbeard with close shot from his gun,but Lieutenant's sword broke in mêlée between them.Hopefully,he was saved by one Highlander at the very last moment .Soon after,Teach got fatal cuts in the neck and throat and finally died after he got more then twenty wounds.
Without their valiant commander,rest of mostly-injured pirates was defeated easily.The same went for the others who were left on the "Adventure" as the crew from partially recovered "Ranger" captured them.The fight was over and Maynard slung Blackbeard's head below the bowsprit of the "Jane" as a trophy of the famous victory .