The governor took a ship of his sherry and leaned back in his high-backed leather chair with a relaxed expression on his ruddy face. It was good for once to be in the presence of a supportive political ally rather than being hounded by his scores of enemies. “Please tell me what ye have in mind, Edward.”
“Yes, of course,” replied Moseley. “But before I do that, I wanted to make you aware of the current situation. I have some useful intelligence for you.”
“I am all ears.”
“As you are aware, the pirate Edward Thache who goes by the alias Blackbeard has set up a new base of operations on Ocracoke Island and the town of Bath in my colony to the south. He has done so with the approval of Governor Eden and Eden’s second-in-command, customs inspector Tobias Knight. Both have benefited financially from Blackbeard taking up residence in North Carolina.”
“Ye have proof of this?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. A Vice-Admiralty Court was held in Bath Town a fortnight ago and attended in person by an informant loyal to me. In that hearing, Thache and three of his men serving as eyewitnesses claimed that he recently found a French ship abandoned at sea off the coast of Bermuda. The pirate claimed it was rightfully his to bring into the colony and Governor Eden agreed, provided he pay the appropriate tariff to the government.”
“What was the tariff?”
“Sixty casks of sugar were to be delivered to Eden on behalf of the colony, while Knight as collector of customs was allocated twenty casks.”
“Are you suggesting that the French ship was not derelict?”
“It is my understanding that it was piratically taken.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because three of Blackbeard’s men were injured and required the attention of a surgeon upon their return to Ocracoke. The injuries were brought to light during the testimony. A passenger named Isaac Freeman, who had been passenger aboard a brigantine captured recently near Ocracoke by another pirate named Richard Worley, is the one who related the story. He says Thache brought in the French ship to Ocracoke in September and was busy unrigging and plundering her. He said that no man was allowed to go on board except a doctor to treat his wounded men.”
“So you’re saying that the French crew resisted the taking of their ship? That’s how Blackbeard’s men were wounded?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Thache maintained that the injuries took place when one of the ship’s poorly restrained gun carriages broke free in a heavy sea, pinning his men against the bulwark.”
“But you don’t believe that.”
“Not for a minute. We’re talking about pirates here. Vermin. Though the officers of the court, Knight and Eden, seemed satisfied with their petitioner’s response, they are driven by greed. Their foremost priority is to line their pockets with silver and gold and encourage trade with pirates to increase commerce in the province.”
“What else was said during the proceeding?”
“Thache also claimed that the French ship’s hull was leaky. He falsely maintained she was in danger of sinking and blocking the only navigable channel passing betwixt the sound and the sea. He asked the court what he might do with the worthless vessel.”
“How did Eden rule?”
“He suggested the pirate captain beach the ship someplace on shore and burn her to her waterline. It was at that point that my informant asked the pirates how a leaky derelict found off Bermuda was able to be sailed by so few men—and fewer to operate the pumps—some seven hundred miles without incident, but which was now in danger of foundering at anchor?”
“How did Thache respond?”
“He had no answer.”
Spotswood smiled with stinging amusement. Of course, he didn’t. He’s a bloody liar and thief—and I’m going to capture or kill him.
“Where is Blackbeard now?” he then asked.
“He and his crew have returned to Ocracoke. They are preparing to begin the transfer of cargo across the sound to Bath and to fire the mast-less French ship.”
Spotswood shook his head with disgust at the disgraceful behavior of the governor and his chief justice. In his eyes, North Carolina’s highest officials had entered into an illicit agreement with a lowly pirate in the name of financial profit. The seizure of the French vessel was a clear case of piracy, and instead of having Thache arrested, Eden and Knight had connived in their crimes and were soon about to be amply rewarded for their illicit conspiracy.
“Thache has also terrorized the citizens of Bath Town, and his crew members have been arrested for public drunkenness and lewd behavior.”
“Citizens have been terrorized? What citizens?”
“A friend of mine named William Bell was robbed by Thache on the river three weeks ago. It happened early in the morning before dawn’s full light. The pirate took most of his belongings and terrified the wits out of an Indian and Bell’s young son who were with him. He is a menace to the good citizens of the colony.”
“Is that the only incident ye are aware of?”
“Yes, but I am sure there are others. These brigands think nothing of stealing anything that doesn’t belong to them.”
Spotswood nodded and they fell into silence. The governor could tell that Moseley was determined to prove Eden’s and Knight’s collusion with the pirates, and it was obvious that he would go to extreme lengths to do so. Like Captain Brand of the HMS Lyme, he appeared to be a valuable ally in his crusade against piracy and, even more importantly, in the apprehension or destruction of Blackbeard. The pirate captain and his men didn’t know it yet, but they were no more than pawns on the colonial chessboard and a means to destroy Eden. Spotswood had long been intent on extending his control and influence over Virginia’s southern border, which he never considered to be far enough south, and he had little respect for the poor, struggling proprietary colony of North Carolina. And now Edward Moseley and a man he didn’t know named William Bell provided him with what appeared to be an open invitation to invade his neighbor to the south and push out Eden once and for all. The proximity of the pirates in the colony of North Carolina conveniently served Spotswood’s political needs. Now instead of battling with his own House of Burgesses and Council, who had been agitating the Lords of Trade in London for his removal from office, he could be the savior of North Carolina and Virginia both by eliminating Blackbeard and proving his collusion with Eden and his customs inspector.
After taking a delicate sip of his sherry, Moseley broke the silence. “It is my understanding that ye have arrested Thache’s former quartermaster, William Howard, and he be under interrogation.”
“How did you hear that?”
“Word travels fast not only in Virginia but North Carolina as well, especially when it involves notable individuals.”
“There’s nothing notable about William Howard. He is a villain of the first order who has feloniously taken silver and gold, Negro slaves, and other goods and merchandise belonging to the subjects of our Lord the King.”
“Yes, and he is also the son of a prominent North Carolina landowner. Philip Howard owns a three-hundred-acre tract outside Bath Town. Obviously, his son is no babe in the woods. I understand he has retained the services of John Holloway.”
Spotswood’s face tightened into a frown. Holloway, one of the most respected and experienced lawyers in all the Virginia colony, had been a thorn in his side for the past two weeks in his representation of Thache’s former quartermaster. He wished he could be rid of the pesky man, who had infuriated him to the point where he regarded him not so much as a lawyer, but as a patron and advocate of lowly pirates.
“Yes, that is correct. He has retained as counsel John Holloway. But we had to arrest Howard. For three weeks straight he was drunk, disorderly, and bragging about his nefarious exploits to all who would listen in every tavern from here to the James River. And he was actively trying to recruit a new crew for a forthcoming piratical voyage. So we arrested him. He had some fifty pounds of currency and
was accompanied by two black slaves. The money and the slaves were duly confiscated, and Howard was arrested as a vagrant seaman.”
“A vagrant seaman?”
“His insolence became so intolerable, without applying himself to any lawful business here in Virginia, that the justices of the peace thought fit to send him on board one of the King’s ships as a vagrant seaman.”
“So where is he now?”
“Chained belowdecks on board HMS Pearl anchored in the James River.”
“The Pearl commanded by Captain George Gordon?”
“That is correct. The Lyme is commanded by Captain Brand. But before Howard was dragged kicking and screaming on board, he somehow managed to secure the services of Holloway with a few ounces of hidden gold dust. Whereupon the lawyer caused not only the justice who signed the warrant but Captain Gordon and his subordinate Lieutenant Robert Maynard to be arrested for wrongful imprisonment. Holloway is seeking five-hundred pounds damages in the civil action he has instituted against the justice of the peace and two naval officers in the common-law court of Virginia. That pirate-loving lawyer has created a mess and made a mockery of our criminal justice system.”
“Holloway is a clever one. He seems to have turned the tables rather quickly.”
Spotswood frowned again, feeling his anger coming on, as he took in a trifle of sherry. He hated to admit it, but he was up against a formidable opponent. Howard’s legal advisor was of the highest caliber, a well-respected lawyer and property owner from a distinguished family with deep ties in the colony. An attorney of the Marshalsea Court of London before emigrating to Virginia, he was indeed one of the most eminent legal minds in all of Virginia. And yet, despite Holloway’s clever lawyerly maneuvering, Spotswood was slowly building a case against William Howard and Blackbeard both. The problem was he was on shaky legal ground. Technically, he had no legal power to try men for piracy, a legal loophole that he had been informed would soon be closed by fresh legislation sent from London. But the new orders from the Crown had not arrived yet, which meant that he had no right to arrest Howard without trial and confiscate his goods. But despite the lack of legal precedent and guidance from the King, he was moving forward with a case and was planning on charging Howard for piracy, since the former quartermaster’s own testimony revealed that he had violated the terms of the royal pardon.
“It would seem that William Howard knows how to fight back,” said Moseley. “Are you planning on trying him for piracy?”
“That is the plan, yes. The rascal certainly deserves it. He ought by the judgement and sentence of the court suffer such pains, penalties, and forfeitures as by the laws of Great Britain are inflicted upon pirates and robbers on the high seas.”
“I see. And by holding a show trial and making an example of Howard, your goal is to send a signal to all present and former pirates in the American colonies that there is no safe haven for them here. But what about the reformed pirates?”
“There is no such thing in my book. Sea rovers who take up the pardon will inevitably return to their old profession like dogs to the vomit. In Howard’s case, we have direct evidence that he was trying to recruit a fresh company of rogues and commence a new piratical voyage of pillaging and plunder.”
“So you’re using Howard to get to Blackbeard, and Blackbeard to get to Eden.”
He nodded in the affirmative. “During the trial, Howard will tell us everything we need to know about Blackbeard’s previous sea robberies as well as his current whereabouts, crew strength, and fighting capability. But his most valuable evidence will be in proving that Thache and his crew have violated the terms of His Majesty’s most gracious pardon.”
“So are you planning on invading North Carolina to apprehend Blackbeard?”
Spotswood held up a hand. “You are jumping the gun here, Edward. No one has said a word about invading anything, and you would best be served to put such thoughts out of your mind. At least until we have a clearer picture of Thache’s and Eden’s dealings in Bath Town and all our ducks, so to speak, are lined up in a row. Do you understand?”
“You’ve made your mind quite clear to me. Honestly, I just want to help.”
“No, you want much, much more than that, Edward. Now it’s time for you to be specific. What do you want to get out of this?”
“Special privileges for the export of my tobacco through Virginia’s ports. That would be a good start.”
“You’re aware that such things are normally prohibited by my policies.”
“Yes, but there are always exceptions for the King’s representatives in the colonies, especially when the distance between London and Williamsburg is three thousand miles and it takes a full two months for the Crown’s directives to reach our shores.”
“And what specifically can you offer me in return.”
“I will deliver Blackbeard’s head on a platter to you. Me and my loyalists will continue to act as spies on your behalf. We will keep an eye on the dealings between the pirate captain, Governor Eden, Tobias Knight, and local Bath traders, especially those willing to turn a blind eye to piratically taken goods and provisions. Thache is scheduled to deliver the casks of sugar and other supposed tariff goods, and he likely has substantial items to sell on the black market to the local traders. My men will be there to, shall we say, keep an eye on things and note if there are any further disturbances in Bath on the part of the pirates. And once all your ducks are lined up in a row and you decide that you do want to arrest Blackbeard or Eden, me and my men will be able to act as guides through the territory, which we know like the back of our hands.”
Spotswood smiled, barely able to conceal his excitement. Moseley was the perfect collaborator, the perfect accomplice in his ambitious plan to destroy Blackbeard and Eden. With him on board, he would be able to win a grand victory for himself in the eyes of his superiors in London and thwart his stubborn colonist detractors. It was all coming together clearly now. Together, they were going to win this epic struggle to combat piracy and push aside the unethical Charles Eden once and for all. As the feeling of exultation navigated through his body, he glanced at the miniature golden horseshoe on his desk inscribed Sic Juvat Transcendere Montes—Thus It Is A Pleasure To Cross The Mountains. The souvenir had been given to each of the members of the immortal order of the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe. He remembered how potent and alive he had felt during his expedition to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall of 1716, and he felt like that now, as if anything was possible and all his hopes and dreams would come true.
He held up his glass of sherry in a toast. “I believe this could the beginning of a wonderful relationship, Edward. I say let’s drink to success.”
Moseley held up his glass in return. “To success,” they toasted in unison.
To which Spotswood then added, “And to absolute secrecy, because that, Edward, is what will ultimately win us the day.”
CHAPTER 56
OCRACOKE ISLAND
OCTOBER 8, 1718
THE TWO JAMAICAN PRIVATEER-TURNED-PIRATE FRIENDS—Edward Thache and Charles Vane—stared out from the Adventure at the ongoing banyan taking place on the sandy beach near Ocracoke’s Old Watering Hole. Amid the cool fall breezes of Pamlico Sound, the combined one hundred fifteen crew members of the Adventure and Ranger had been drinking, feasting, swapping tales of swashbuckling adventures, singing, and playing music with a tightly stringed, wooden cittern and a pair of Jew harps for almost a week. But now it was time for Vane and his crew to leave: they were set to depart tomorrow at first light for Eleuthera.
“I will be sad to see you go, Charles,” said Thache with genuine feeling as they watched the revelers on shore with the sun setting over the sound and the sky a dusky pink. The familiar strains of Seven Drunken Nights rose up into the salty air. The song told the story of a gullible drunkard returning night after night to see new evidence of his wife’s lover, only to be taken in by increasingly implausible explanations. “It has been one hell of a party.”
“Aye, it has indeed, my friend,” responded Vane, his sun-crinkled face catching the last rays of sunlight. “And the good news is the rum hasn’t even run out.”
“Aye, that is good news,” agreed Thache before taking a gulp from his glass of brandy and assuming a thoughtful pose. “But these are perilous times, Charles. It is not easy to know which way to go.”
“I understand why you’ve taken the King’s pardon. You want to tie up all the loose ends so you can retire from a-pirating, marry Margaret, and go on to live a normal life. But that’s not the way for me. I enjoy the pirate’s life too much to quit.”
“His Majesty’s Navy will hunt you down sooner or later and you know it. You should get out while you still can.”
“I know I should. But just think, if we could recruit two more captains and their crews, like Paulsgrave Williams or La Buse, we could take the Bermudas and turn it into our own Madagascar. We could do it, Edward my friend, we could really do it.”
“You know it will never work. Big pirate companies just become too unwieldy. That’s why I ran the Queen Anne’s Revenge aground and split up my force. And even if we could secure a new base, King George will send in the navy to run us out as Woodes Rogers has done in the Bahamas.”
“So you believe the game is up? I never took the great Blackbeard for a bloody fucking defeatist?”
Blackbeard- The Birth of America Page 42
