An illustration of the pirate Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach, taken from the book A General History of the Pyrates, 3rd ed. (1725), by Charles Johnson.
Blackbeard the Pirate
From Haunted Virginia Beach
By Alpheus Chewning
When many think of the notorious Blackbeard the pirate, the Outer Banks of North Carolina automatically come to mind. From 1716 to 1718 Blackbeard became the most feared pirate on the sea, capturing at least forty ships. By 1718 he had a fleet of four ships and nearly three hundred men under his command.
Some historians believe Blackbeard was actually a very fair and amiable sort; at least to those he liked. He wasn’t a psychopath who killed for the fun of it or who collected human ears as trophies. Of course, once he had supposedly cut off a man’s finger (or possibly his entire hand) after the man refused to surrender his ring; there was also the time he shot his own first mate in the leg to prove to his crew that he had no favorites.
Blackbeard certainly understood psychology and used this to his advantage. Being over six feet in height, the pirate captain towered over most other men like a giant. To make himself appear even more fearsome, he grew a thick, full beard that covered his entire face and was known to decorate it with bits of colored ribbon. In battle, Blackbeard carried two swords and six pistols and put slow-burning fuses in his hair and beard so that his head would be shrouded in smoke. No doubt he looked like a demon to the superstitious men of his day. Because of his reputation, when most merchantmen saw Blackbeard’s ships approaching, they surrendered without a fight.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina became the base of operations for the pirates. The location provided quick access to the shipping lanes, the many bays and inlets provided concealment, and the narrow channels and treacherous currents discouraged uninvited guests. Bath, North Carolina, was the seat of government in 1718 and the home of the state’s governor, Charles Eden. Knowing the pirate’s cruel reputation, Eden offered a full pardon in exchange for Blackbeard’s promise to retire from piracy. The pirate went to Bath to accept the offer.
For a brief period, Blackbeard, whose given name was Edward Teach (or Thach), enjoyed his retirement much like any other man would. He spent his great wealth freely and even bought a house in nearby Beaufort. The pirate and governor soon became close friends. Governor Eden even officiated at the marriage of Blackbeard and his fourteenth wife, sixteen-year-old Mary Ormond. The wedding was attended by dozens of the pirate captain’s old friends who began making frequent visits to the quiet little hamlet.
It didn’t take long at all before Mr. Teach grew bored with the mundane life of an honest man. Hearing about the exploits of his friends persuaded Blackbeard to resume his chosen profession. In exchange for a portion of the ill-gotten gains and a promise that vessels sailing along the North Carolina coast would not be pirated, Governor Eden agreed to turn a blind eye to Blackbeard’s activities. With the Carolina coast off limits, Blackbeard frequently sailed north to prey on the heavily laden merchant ships entering the Chesapeake Bay. When his ships could carry no more, he would return to his sanctuary.
On November 22, 1718, Blackbeard met his death, courtesy of Lieutenant Maynard of the Royal Navy. At the time, Maynard was actually working for the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood. Spotswood had heard rumors that Blackbeard had plans to fortify his position in North Carolina. Doing so would give the pirate complete dominance of the mid-Atlantic coast. Since Governor Eden was not going to take action to prevent this, Spotswood did.
The pirate’s final fight was a bloody one. Blackbeard and Maynard fought hand-to-hand as the pirates and the Englishmen battled around them. The advantage went back and forth several times. Near the end, although he suffered five bullets and twenty sword wounds, it appeared that Blackbeard was about to defeat his adversary. However, a Scottish member of Maynard’s crew stepped between the pirate and the lieutenant, wielding a heavy broadsword. The Scotsman beheaded the pirate with a single blow.
Lieutenant Maynard stayed in Bath for several weeks until his ships had been repaired. Then, commanding the Avenger, one of Blackbeard’s old ships, Maynard returned to Virginia. Blackbeard’s severed head was hung from the bow of the ship and delivered to Governor Spotswood upon Maynard’s arrival.
Blackbeard Road is in a residential neighborhood on Lake Joyce in Virginia Beach. There is a small island on the lake known unofficially as “Treasure Island” that was once thought to be where the famous pirate had buried his treasure. Photo by Al Chewning.
So what is the link between Blackbeard and Virginia Beach? Why is there an area at the oceanfront called “pirate’s hill”? Why is there a Blackbeard Road in a city that is not mentioned in any written history of the pirate captain’s activities? Maybe the answer is in this story that was told to me by my high school English teacher, who grew up in Virginia Beach and often shared his childhood memories with the class.
There is a landmark that appears on local maps that date back as far as the late 1600s. If overlaid on a modern map, it would be very near where the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel crosses the shoreline today. It was called the Pleasure House, and there is still a Pleasure House Road in that area. Apparently it was a popular place for Blackbeard’s men to stop and, well…visit. Not wanting to get caught with his pants down (literally), the captain left men behind to serve as lookouts.
Pleasure House Point is clearly marked on this eighteenth-century map. The actual pleasure house appears on maps from the 1600s. Courtesy of Virginia Beach Public Library.
Two or three men would be stationed atop a particularly tall sand dune near Cape Henry, hence the name “pirate’s hill.” Their job was to watch for approaching ships and send a signal back to Blackbeard indicating if the vessel was approaching from the east or the west. The signal could not be seen from the Pleasure House, so two additional men were placed at another point near the entrance to Lynnhaven Inlet. When a signal was sent from the Cape, one of these men would take the message to the captain. The narrow little road that led to the Pleasure House is now called “Lookout Road.”
If a vessel was coming from the east, it was almost always a merchant ship. Blackbeard would take his own ships out into the Chesapeake Bay and wait until the unsuspecting vessel rounded the Cape. If a ship approached from the west it was either an outbound merchant or a warship, on the lookout for pirates. In either case, Blackbeard would take his ships through a narrow inland waterway that put him out into the ocean somewhere south of Cape Henry. (The exact location of the cut through is not known.) From that location he would be in a position to sail north and intercept a merchant or sail south, ahead of a pursuing warship, and find safety in his North Carolina hideout.
As the story goes, one day shortly before Blackbeard’s death, while the pirates were “relaxing” at the Pleasure House, a signal came from the hill indicating that a merchant ship was approaching from the east. When the vessel rounded the Cape, Blackbeard and his men were waiting. The merchant captain loaded his most valuable items into a small boat and, with the help of four other men, quickly rowed to shore. The remaining crew was left to deal with the pirates however they could.
The experienced pirates made quick work of boarding and searching the ship, but it was long enough for the captain to get to the shore. When Blackbeard was told that the merchant had escaped, he was furious. A longboat was launched and, with his six strongest men at the oars, Blackbeard gave chase. The merchantmen, weighed down with their boxes of treasures, were soon caught and killed. As Blackbeard stood over the bodies and admired his valuable trophies he was alerted by the sound of cannon fire.
Looking out at the bay the pirate captain saw two navy vessels bearing down on his ships. He needed to return to his ship immediately. With no time to spare he hastily covered the boxes with sand and branches and returned to his men. They successfully escaped but were never able to return and reclaim what was rightfully theirs, thanks to Lieutenant Maynard and company.
According to what I was told by my teacher, before the area was made into a state park, prospectors used to come in search of Blackbeard’s lost treasure. Some of them brought heavy excavation equipment and spent weeks at a time digging in the dunes but were always unsuccessful in their quest. The story goes that if anyone ever got close to finding his stash, the headless ghost of Blackbeard would appear, chase them away and move the treasure. The pirate’s booty remains unfound to this day.
First Landing State Park is a beautiful nature preserve. If you walk along the trails you will see bald cypress trees growing in the swamp. You will also see Spanish moss hanging from branches and you might spy a red fox or even an eagle. If you venture off the trail, however, you may see something else, especially if you get too close to Blackbeard’s lost treasure.
Bibliography
Chewning, A. J. (2006). Haunted Virginia Beach. Charleston, SC: Haunted America.