The Gentleman Pirate Captured

On this 27th of September 1718, the pirate Captain Stede Bonnet is captured at the Battle of Cape Fear River.

In the waning days of the Golden Age of Piracy, the Imperial might of the British Empire had finally begun to crack down on pirate activity in the Caribbean, hunting down and ending the careers of a great number of infamous pirate captains. Among these included the captains of the Pirate Republic of Nassau, such as Edward “Blackbeard” Teach/Thatch, Henry Avery/ Every, Charles Vane, John “Calico Jack” Rackham, and more. This also included Stede Bonnet, otherwise known as “The Gentleman Pirate” for his affluent life as a Barbadian sugar planter before setting out on a life of Piracy. Bonnet had a rather unsuccessful pirate career when compared to his counterparts, at one point being captured by Blackbeard and subsequently serving by his side to learn the trade. Afterwards Bonnet would set off on his own with moderate success, however this success would attract the attention of local authorities.

At the end of summer 1718, Bonnet had managed himself a small pirate flotilla, in which Bonnet piloted the flagship the “Royal James,” a sloop-of-war that was previously a part of Blackbeard’s fleet. Bonnet also had under his command two more sloops, the “Francis” and “Fortune,” as well as a collection of raiding canoes.

At this point the Royal James was in need of repair and requested a safe spot to be careened for maintenance. The hurricane season was close at hand, presenting even greater danger to a sitting fleet like Bonnet’s, so he decided to anchor his flotilla in the Cape Fear estuary, where the surrounding islands and sandbars would protect his ships from rough waters. Unfortunately, word of Bonnet’s presence reached the governor of South Carolina, who then dispatched Captain William Rhett to pursue and capture Bonnet. Rhett, a Colonel in the Colonial Militia, mustered a crew and outfitted two sloops of his own and sailed to Cape Fear.

When Rhett and his sloops arrived at Cape Fear the night of September 26th, Bonnet initially assumed them to be merchant vessels and sent his 3 canoes to take Rhett’s ships as prizes, only to find out their true intent. The next morning, Bonnet and his crew charged Rhett in an attempt to escape out to sea. It almost worked, as Rhett’s ships, the “Henry” and one other, both ran aground on sandbars, rendering them immobile. However, while maneuvering to avoid friendly fire Bonnet’s “Royal James” also ran aground. For almost six hours the “Royal James” and “Henry” exchanged fire until the tide came in, freeing Rhett’s two vessels, but leaving Bonnet’s stuck. Rhett boarded the pirates and after a

short engagement Bonnet and his crew surrendered. In the end, Rhett and his militia lost 12 men, where Bonnet also lost twelve and the remainder taken prisoner.

While this would not be the ultimate end for Bonnet, it did signal the beginning of the end. After a failed escape attempt later that year, Bonnet would be tried for two accounts of piracy and hanged in Charleston, South Carolina in November.

Read more great Articles by William the Drake at TheDreadPirateDrummond

Ahoy! We are running a sale on our MIRATE design PROMOCODE: “SCARYGOOD”

WWW .teeseetee. COM

INGREDIENTS • 1⁄2 lb cheese curds • 3 tablespoons rose water • 2 tablespoons currants • 3 egg yolks • 3 ounces butter • 3 tablespoons sugar • nutmeg, grated (to taste) • mace (optional)

NB Ricotta cheese can be used in place of cheese curd or you can make your own cheese curd very easily.

Prepare a deep short-crust pastry shell (9-10 inches across) and bake it blind for 10-15 minutes in a hot oven

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

(Or have your pre-made pastry shell waiting.) Place the cheese curd and softened butter in a bowl and blend well.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating them well into the mixture.

Add the rosewater, sugar, currants and nutmeg to the mixture and beat in well.

Pour the filling into the cooled pastry case and bake in a moderate oven (gas Mark 4, 180C or 350F) for 30-45 minutes. (Warning- once the mixture is poured into the pie shell, it should be baked straight away. Otherwise it will start to separate and become oily and not cook well.)(The cheesecake should have risen a little and be a golden color.).