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Battle of Ocracoke (1718)

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Battle of Ocracoke
Part of Piracy in the Caribbean

A 1920 painting of Blackbeard's final battle against Robert Maynard in 1718
DateNovember 21–22, 1718[1]
Location
Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Result British victory
Belligerents
Pirates  Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Blackbeard †[2] Kingdom of Great Britain Robert Maynard
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Heavy[3]
12 Pirates killed[4]
8 Sailors destroyed[4]		 Heavy[3]

The Battle at Ocracoke Inlet[5] or Battle of Ocracoke[6] was the final confrontation of the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach) on November 22, 1718.[7][8][9] It took place off the coast of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, where Blackbeard and his crew were ambushed by British naval forces led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy.[10]

Background

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Blackbeard had been terrorizing the American colonies and had recently been granted a pardon by North Carolina's governor, Charles Eden, under questionable circumstances. However, Virginia's governor, Alexander Spotswood, saw him as a continued threat and sent a naval force under Maynard to hunt him down.

Blackbeard's death

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Blackbeard fought ferociously but was shot five times and slashed more than twenty times before finally dying.[11][12][13]

Edward Teach's severed head hangs from Maynard's bowsprit, as pictured in Charles Elles's The Pirates Own Book (1837)

His head was severed and hung from Maynard's ship as proof of his death. His body was reportedly thrown into the water, where legend says it swam around the ship before sinking.[14][15]

References

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  1. ^ John, Alexander (2000). Ribbon of Sand. UNC Press Books. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-8078-4874-6.
  2. ^ J. C., Judah (2007). The Legends of Brunswick County - Ghosts, Pirates, Indians and Colonial North Carolina. Lulu.com. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-615-17586-7.
  3. ^ a b Nerds, History. Blackbeard.
  4. ^ a b Michael C., Hardy (2022). A History Lover's Guide to North Carolina. History Press. ISBN 978-1-4396-7521-2.
  5. ^ Cordingly, David (1995). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House. ISBN 978-0-67942-560-1.
  6. ^ Cabell, Craig; Thomas, Graham A.; Richards, Allan (2013-01-19). Blackbeard: The Hunt for the World's Most Notorious Pirate. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-78346-914-7.
  7. ^ Cabell, Craig; Thomas, Graham A.; Richards, Allan (2013-01-19). Blackbeard: The Hunt for the World's Most Notorious Pirate. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-78346-914-7.
  8. ^ Temple, Bob (2016). The Golden Age of Pirates. Capstone. ISBN 978-1-5157-4296-8.
  9. ^ Cabell, Craig; Thomas, Graham A.; Richards, Allan (2013-01-19). Blackbeard: The Hunt for the World's Most Notorious Pirate. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-78346-914-7.
  10. ^ Capace, Nancy (1999-01-01). Encyclopedia of North Carolina. Somerset Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-0-403-09732-6.
  11. ^ Rosen, Fred (2005). The Historical Atlas of American Crime. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-2985-3.
  12. ^ Moore, David D. (April 2018). "Captain Edward Thatch: A Brief Analysis of the Primary Source Documents Concerning the Notorious Blackbeard". The North Carolina Historical Review. XCV (2): 147–187.
  13. ^ Hill, Linda; AI (2025-03-06). Pirate History. Publifye AS. ISBN 978-82-352-3328-8.
  14. ^ Judah, J. C. (2007-11-05). The Legends of Brunswick County - Ghosts, Pirates, Indians and Colonial North Carolina. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-615-17586-7.
  15. ^ Travers, Tim (2012-05-30). Pirates: A History: A History. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-8827-1.

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