Excerpt from "Blackbeard is Not My Name!"

 

Excerpt from Blackbeard is Not My Name!:

A draught of the Bay of Honduras and part of the Musquetto Shore

1764 draught by G. Robertson

 

Roatan Island, Bay of Honduras, 14^th of February, 1717/8

 

Approaching this place, two days hence, captured William Wade in William & Samuel who had loaded logwood from ye mainland shore. He watered here, as most do. As his vessel was needed to careen ours, ordered him to throw logwood into ye sea and accompany us to Truxillo.

Today, we made for Truxillo Bay to careen under ye guns of ye fort. William & Samuel under William Howard’s command.

Ye old Spanish Castillo fortification here fell to ye English decades hence and now, serves as protection against ye Spaniards.

Transferred twelve cannon from brig Marshall to ye shore batteries and burned ye worm-ridden hulk in ye bay. Command post in ye old offices while ye crew refresh themselves in ye Guard House.

Hands and Howard in Two Brothers and William & Samuel pulled QAR over to expose her hull. On ye shore beneath ye guns o’ye fort.

 

Portion of A draught of the Bay of Honduras and part of the Musquetto Shore, showing Trujillo Bay and anchorage. 1764 draught by G. Robertson

 

 

Truxillo Bay, Bay of Honduras, 28^th of February, 1717/8

 

Thru with caulking and cleaning QAR so refloated her. Then, hauled Revenge over and did ye same.

Ye company are fast eating through provisions.

 

 

On board Queen Anne’s Revenge, at Utilla, 7^th of April, 1718

 

After careening, set sayle for Turniff at northward end of Yakatan [Yucatan Peninsula], hoping for word of Veracruz and ye warships. Revenge remained at Truxillo to guard ye fort.

Found here 70-ton Land of Promise of Rhode Island, master Thomas Newton. Ye day after capturing Newton, David Herriot, in 80-ton Adventure came in, flying a red pavilion. His owner, Daniel Axtell of Port Royal seen my letter to Bernard asking for three sloops and sent Herriot to aid us.

Just before sunset, Richards in Revenge alerted us to a large vessel of Boston likely come to cut logwood. They traded fire, but ye ship bested ym and got away.

Herriot says that ye ship must be Protestant Caesar of Boston, Capt. William Wyer, who had left when he did from Port Royal with Jonathan Bernard’s sloops coming also to our aid. Herriot believed QAR to be Wyer when he spied our sayle.

I knew Wyer, but was disturbed by his firing upon Revenge and his being from Boston, that nest of traitors who hanged pirates! Wyer must not brag when he returns to New England that he had beat a Pirate! I have vowed to burn all vessels of Boston who cross my path.

Put prize crew aboard Land of Promise, ordered ym, Richards and Herriot to make sayle immediately for ye main in Honduras Bay. As it is late, it necessitated we put in at Utilla Island for ye night.

Here, we happened upon ye Dolphin, a Spanish sloop coming from ye north. Our courses drew together as we paralleled one another for many leagues.

Their tale was an odd one. Seems they were prisoners being sent from trial in Veracruz to ye Spanish presidio at Pensacola. En route, the prisoners mutinied against their commander James Burchett and ye Spanish passengers left ym on “Combahere Island,” near Pensacola. Afterward, they sayled southward to Utilla.

Ye Spanish watched closely ye Diamond Man-o-War at Vera Cruz and claimed she was weakly manned. No mention of ye other warship there; however Herriot tells us H.M.S. Adventure oft joins Diamond to cruize ye gulf.

In all eagerness, these prisoners joined us as pirates, excepting one passenger [Martin] Preston, who asked to be freed. Feeling pleased and generous I agreed.

I ordered Dolphin to sayle to Truxillo Bay upon ye morn and await me there.

 

 

On board Queen Anne’s Revenge, at ye main in Honduras Bay, 8^th of April, 1718

 

Departed Utilla at 8 of ye clock in morn. Set SWbS course with wind at our backs. Dolphin set out for Truxillo.

In an hour, we spied four sloops to our stern rapidly closing on us. In ye glass, I saw they flew red pavilions and guessed it might be Bernard. Herriot signaled “friends.”

We dropped sayle to await our “friends.”

Soon, Jonathan Bernard’s sloop, Dutchman, appeared with three others, all flying red banners.

Ordered salute fired.

Four came back.

Bernard came in his boat to QAR. Inquiring as to ye health of my family, he assured me all were well. I handed him a letter for them, to send by Bernard.

All slaves from below were brought on deck to be transferred to Bernard’s sloops. It took four boats to transfer ye cargo in a half hour. Some of Dutchman’s crew divided to ye others of Bernard’s sloops.

One of ye sloops come with Bernard from Jamaica was captained by Edward James, a former associate and pirate who had accepted of ye pardon, according to Bernard. I spoke with Bernard about him – to watch him close.

As Bernard’s sloops were mine to use as I please for now, I then ordered Adventure, and Land of Promise to return to Truxillo Bay with Edward James in Eagle sloop. Osbourne and Herriot might well handle whatever they meet at ye bay and fort. I gave them strict orders not to let James out of sight. Ye other two of Bernard’s sloops, and ye Dutchman, accompanied QAR and Revenge to ye shore to hunt for Protestant Caesar.

Raised sayles and made all speed for ye main.

Made ye main shore at 11 of ye clock.

Holding within half league of ye shore, we changed course directly west and followed ye coast.

At noon and a half, we spied sayle on ye main. A large three-masted vessel. Herriot signaled it be our prey.

Then, we drew together tightly and sayled SW into ye shore with our black and red pavilions flying. 

A boat came out to meet us. Wyer’s men easily recognized ye Revenge, and likely quaked in fear at ye chilling sight of 40-gun QAR with her “Devil” in command!

As my quartermaster [William] Howard had predicted, Wyer surrendered on ye spot. A man surprised is half-beaten. My Devil won ye day!