In May of 1718, Blackbeard, with Stede Bonnet, and a flotilla of four ships arrived outside of Charleston and blockaded the port. Many were frightened of what the pirates might do to the city, but the men on board those ships weren’t looking for rum. The pirates needed something more valuable to keep them alive. During the week-long blockade, Blackbeard and Bonnet captured nine vessels, including a ship that carried Samuel Wragg and his son. Wragg was the great-uncle of Joseph Manigault, a member of the Executive Council.
In many ways, Blackbeard struck gold with the capture and used the hostages to obtain much-needed medication for the people aboard those ships. It’s believed that Blackbeard and many others who blockaded Charleston were afflicted with syphilis at the time and desperately needed the medication.
Once they received the large chest of meds, the hostages were released.
History has taught us that Blackbeard’s real name was Edward Teach, but books have been written suggesting that his name was an alias and that he was really from the Lowcountry of South Carolina. He used the name so his relatives would not be targeted.
Blackbeard died on November 22, 1718.
