Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
History
Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period: Illustrative Documents
Pirates; Privateering; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
The first thing the Pirates did, was to strip both Passengers and
Seamen of all their Money and Cloths which they had on board, with a
loaded Pistol held to every ones breast ready to shoot him down, who
did not immediately give an account of both, and resign them up. The
next thing they did was, with madness and rage to tare up the Hatches,
enter the Hould like a parcel of Furies, where with Axes, Cutlashes,
etc., they cut, tore and broke open Trunks, Boxes, Cases and Bales,
and when any of the Goods came upon Deck which they did not like to
carry with them aboard their Ship, instead of tossing them into the
Hould again they threw them over-board into the Sea. The usual method
they had to open Chests was by shooting a brace of Bullets with a
Pistol into the Key-hole to force them open. The Pirates carryed away
from Capt. Carry's Ship aboard their own 40 barrels of Powder, two
great Guns, his Cables, etc. and to the value of about nine or ten
Thousand Pounds Sterling worth of the Choicest Goods he had on board.
There was nothing heard among the Pirates all the while, but Cursing,
Swearing, Dam'ing and Blaspheming to the greatest degree imaginable,
and often saying they would not go to Hope point[4] in the River of
Thames to be hung up in Gibbets a Sundrying as Kidd and Bradish's
Company did, for if it should chance that they should be Attacked by
any Superiour power or force, which they could not master, they would
immediately put fire with one of their Pistols to their Powder, and go
all merrily to Hell together! They often ridicul'd and made a mock at
King George's Acts of Grace[5] with an Oath, that they had not got
Money enough, but when they had, if he then did grant them one, after
they sent him word, they would thank him for it. They forced and took
away with them Capt. Carry's Mate, and his Seamen, viz. Henry Gilespy,
Mate,[6] Hugh Minnens,[7] both North Britains, Michael Le Couter, a
Jersey Man, and Abraham, a Kentish Man, could not learn his Sir-name,
the Captains Book being carryed away, (except one Row born in Dublin
which they would not take because born in Ireland),[8] holding a
Pistol with a brace of Bullets to each of their breasts to go with
them, or be presently shot down, telling them that at present they
wanted none of their Service; but when they came to any Action, they
should have liberty to Fight and Defend the Ship as they did, or else
immediately be shot, that they should not tell tales. They had on
board the Pirate near 20 Tuns of Brandy. However the Pirates made
themselves very merry aboard of Capt. Carry's Ship with some Hampers
of fine Wines that were either presents, or sent to some Gentlemen in
Boston; it seems they would not wait to unty them and pull out the
Corks with Skrews, but each man took his bottle and with his Cutlash
cut off the Neck and put it to their Mouths and drank it out.[9]
Whilst the Pirates were disputing whither to sink or burn Capt.
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