Blackbeard's Return

I n 1718, along the coast of North Carolina, the man feared most was Mr. Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard. He had raided dozens of ships and seized a fortune in gold, silver and valuable cargo. However, no one knew where he hid his treasure. Not even his many wives (he was said to have promised to remain faithful "til death do us part" to thirteen women).

B lackbeard wore both his beard and his hair in braids when he was at sea, sometimes even adorning it with ribbons or burning candles.

H e made the port town of Bath, North Carolina, his home. During a sail out in the Pamlico Sound, Blackbeard encountered a young woman named Martha Piver digging for clams. He was so entranced with her red hair and sweet face, he (once again) proposed marriage. He told her that he would return for her in the afternoon, and return captain of the finest ship in the world.

"When you hear cannons firing one after another, wait for me in the shallow water. And bring your fishing basket, for the creatures of the sea will dance at your feet when I return."

M artha waited and waited. She scanned the horizon for signs of the ship of her betrothed, but sadly only heard rumors of more piracy. She even heard that Blackbeard had taken a new wife--Mary Ormand of Bath Town. But she refused to believe that her beloved would betray her. Then one dark day in November Martha heard of Blackbeard's final battle at sea. She was shattered--the shock was so intense that she fell ill and died soon thereafter.

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E very summer from that day until the present, all along the coast from the Pamlico River to the Neuse, people heard loud, rumbling sounds. Could it be? It sounded like cannon fire! It always happened in the afternoon, and every time the sounds occurred, the waters would be filled with fish and clams, and crabs would dance on the shore.These loud booms have occurred faithfully every summer since 1719 and came to be known as "Jubilee."

"When you hear cannons firing one after another, wait for me in the shallow water. And bring your fishing basket, for the creatures of the sea will dance at your feet when I return."

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Could it be that Blackbeard is trying to fulfill his promise?

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Adapted from a story in A Student Guide to North Carolina Ghosts and Legends by Beth Cradock Smith