Blackbeard: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:31, 15 September 2006

Revision as of 20:19, 17 September 2006

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{{cquote|Maynard and Teach themselves begun the fight with their swords, Maynard making a thrust, the point of his sword against Teach's cartridge box, and bent it to the hilt. Teach broke the guard of it, and wounded Maynard's fingers but did not disable him, whereupon he jumped back and threw away his sword and fired his pistol which wounded Teach. Demelt struck in between them with his sword and cut Teach's face pretty much; in the interim both companies engaged in Maynard's sloop, one of Maynard's men being a Highlander, engaged Teach with his broad sword, who gave Teach a cut on the neck, Teach saying well done lad; the Highlander replied, If it be not well done, I'll do it better. With that he gave him a second stroke, which cut off his head, laying it flat on his shoulder.}}

Despite the best efforts of the pirates (including a desperate plan to blow up the ''Adventure''), Teach was killed, and the battle ended. Teach was reportedly shot five times and stabbed more than twenty times before he died and was decapitated. Such was the mythical status of the man, legends about his death immediately sprung up, including the oft-repeated claim that Teach's headless body, after being thrown overboard, swam 3between 2 and 7 times around the ''Adventure'' before sinking. Teach's head was placed as a trophy on the [[bowsprit]] of the ship (it was also required by Maynard to claim his prize when he returned home). Later, it hung from a pike in Bath, and, according to legend, was eventually taken down and turned into the base of a [[punch (drink)|punch]] bowl.

== The Legend ==