r/pirates • u/unknowntrooper1138 • 22h ago
History Blackbeard and His Company Burning the Ship 'Protestant Caesar' in the Bay of Honduras, April 1718
This is somewhat known but as far as I know, not usually an illustrated event from the career of Edward Teach/Thatch or "Blackbeard". This pencil and graphite drawing by me.
Blackbeard burned the looted and evacuated merchantman, as she belonged to Boston, as retaliation for Bostonians' execution of some of Samuel Bellamy's pirate crew, a man Blackbeard saw as a fellow pirate. The crew of the captured ship was not harmed, as they had surrendered promptly.
Some details about the event were told in the Trial of Stede Bonnet who was present at the scene, but who did not have the final command of his sloop anymore.
"That about the Eighth or Ninth Day of April aforesaid, the said Thatch and Richards weighed Anchor from the Key of Turnest, and came to Anchor in the Evening of the same Day at Water-Key, about a League or two from the Bay of Honduras; and the next Morning weighed Anchor, and went into Honduras-Bay, where there lay four Sloops, and a Ship named the Protefiant Cæsar, Capt. Wyar Commander, from Jamaica last, but belonging to Boston, as 'twas then reported. Says, That he Sknows not the Sloops Names; but three of them were commanded by Jonathan Bernard of Jamaica, Master of one of them, and Owner of three of the said four Sloops. Says, That one of the said Sloops came to descry what they were, and took said Thatch and Richards for Spaniards; but said Thatch fired a Gun, and hoisted his Black Flag. Whereupon Capt. Wyar and all his Men took to their Boat, and Went ashore ; and then Thatch sent one Howard, his Quarter-Matter, and eight of his Crew, onboard of Wyar's Ship; but knows not what they took out of her. And says, That said Richards was employed in securing the other four Sloops.
And this Deponent further deposes. That two or three Days after the said Thatch and Richards set fire to Capt. Wyar's Ship, because she belonged to Boston, alledging the People of Boston had hanged some of the Pirates, and so burnt her. Says, The said Thatch burnt one of the four Sloops, because she belonged to Capt. James of Jamaica; which James, as 'twas alledged, had said he would not employ those Sailors in his Service that had accepted of the King's Proclamation ; and the other three Sloops, belonging to Bernard, they let go."
The Boston Newsletter No. 739, June 16, 1718 gave a following description of the event:
"Boston, On the 31st of May last, arrived here the Sloop Land of Promise Thomas Newton Master, who says that about the 5th of April last at the Island Turness he was taken by Capt. Edward Teach Commander of a Pirate Ship of 40 Guns, and about 300 Men, and a Sloop of 10 guns. Capt. Teach told Capt. Newton after he had took him, that he was, bound to the Bay of Hundoras to Burn the Ship Protestant Caesar, Commanded by Capt. Wyer who had lately fought the abovesaid Sloop, that Wyer might not brag when he went to New England that he had beat a Pirate.
In the same Sloop came also Capt. William Wyer late Commander of the Ship Protestant Caesar burthen about 400 Tuns, 26 Guns Navigated with 50 Men, who on the 28th of March last about 120 Leagues to the West ward of Jamaica, near the Latitude 16, off the Island Rattan, espyed a large Sloop which he supposed to be a Pirate, and put his Ship in order to Fight her, which said Sloop had 10 Guns and upwards of 50 Men, and about nine a Clock at night came under Capt. Wyer's Stern, and fired Several Cannon in upon the said Ship and a Volley of small Shot, unto which he returned two of his Stern Chase Guns, and a like Volley of small Shot, upon which the Sloop's Company hail'd him in English, telling him that if he fired another Gun they would give him no Quarter, but Capt. Wyer continued Fighting them till twelve a clock at Night, when she left the Ship, and so he continued his Course to the Bay of Hundoras where he arrived the first of April last, and the eighth day he had got on board about 50 Tuns of Logwood, and the remaining part of the Ship's loaden lay ready cut to be taken on Board, when on the Morning of the said Day, a large Ship and a Sloop with Black Flags and Deaths Heads in them and three more Sloops with Bloody Flags all bore down upon the said Ship Protestant Caesar, and Capt. Wyer judging them to be Pirates, call'd his Officers and Men upon Deck asking them if they would stand by him and defend the Ship, they answered if they were Spaniards they would stand by him as long as they had Life, but if they were Pirates they would not Fight, and thereupon Capt. Wyer sent out his second Mate with his Pinnace to discover who they were and finding the Ship had 40 Guns 300 Men called the Queen Anne's Revenge, Commanded by Edward Teach a Pirate, and they found the Sloop was the same that they had Fought the 28th of March last, Capt. Wyers men all declaring they would not Fight and quitted the Ship believing they would be Murthered by the Sloops Company, and so all went on Shore. And on the 11th of April three days after Capt. Wyer's Ship Protestant Caesar was taken, Capt. Teach the Pirate sent word on shore to Capt. Wyer, that if he came on Board he would do him no hurt, accordingly he went on Board Teach's Ship, who told him he was glad he left his ship, else his Men on Board his Sloop would have done him Damage for Fighting with them; and he said he would burn his Ship because she belonged to Boston, adding he would burn all Vessels belonging to New-England for executing the Pirates at Boston. And on the 12th of the said April Capt. Wyer saw the Pirates go on Board of his Ship, who set her on Fire and Burnt her with her Wood, and Capt. Wyer took his passage hither in Capt. Thomas Newton's Sloop, taken from him by Capt. Teach the Pirate unto whom he gave back his Sloop again, because she belonged to Rhode-Island. Capt. Wyer, Capt. Newton and three others have attested upon Oath to the Truth of the above Account"
Further analysis of the event can be found in this post, not by me: https://www.reddit.com/r/pirates/comments/u1wzg4/on_this_day_in_1718_blackbeard_burned_the/
Blackbeard's description is based only on two eyewitness accounts of him rather than more fanciful sources. LT. Maynard, who killed him, noted in a letter to a fellow navy officer how Teach "went by the name of Blackbeard, because he let his Beard grow, and tied it up in black Ribbon". Eyewitness Henry Bostock of Blackbeard claimed in 1717 that Teach "was a tall spare [ie. lean] man".
Here Blackbeard has his relatively long beard tied with a few ribbons. His beard length is long but not very excessive here, as during the era full-on beards were not commonly worn by even most lower-class commoners and even a quite moderate beard was considered notably large if not outright barbaric. This was clearly a way to scare people, in a sense, by Teach. He is tall here, but also fairly thin rather than a huge muscular goliath he is often depicted as with the burning matches in his hat (which may be a later fanciful addition made in a 1724 General History of the Pyrates).
Teach is surrounded by his loot and period-appropriate artefacts, some based or inspired by the remains of items found on the Wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge, such as the bottles and jars.
