pagesofhistory A Pirate’s Life
Infamous pirate Edward Thatche, also known as Blackbeard, was ruthless while plundering cities, but a recent discovery reveals he might have been more than just a thieving brigand.
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he pirate known as Blackbeard might have been a thieving brig- and, but he treated his crew well,
even providing top-notch health care, re- ports Dr. Linda Carnes-McNaughton, Fort Bragg, N.C., department of public works environmental division program archeolo- gist and curator who volunteers with the ongoing excavation of Blackbeard’s flag- ship Queen Anne’s Revenge, which sank in June 1718. A variety of period medical equip-
ment was found in the ship’s wreckage discovered off Beaufort, N.C., in 1996, says Carnes-McNaughton. Among them: a ure- thral syringe used to treat syphilis; nest- ing weights for measuring drugs; a brass mortar and pestle used to grind medicinal compounds; two pewter pump clysters used to administer medical enemas; pieces of ceramic galley pots used to store salves or ointments; a silver needle; and scissors. Queen Anne’s Revenge was a captured
French merchant ship originally called La Concorde de Nantes. When Blackbeard snatched the vessel in 1717, he took three surgeons and several other crew members, says Carnes-McNaughton. “It appears that Blackbeard was greatly concerned with the health of his crew, as any captain would be, pirate or otherwise,” says Carnes-McNaughton. “Without a functioning crew, the operation of the ship would not be successful.” Blackbeard, whose real name was
Edward Thatche, was killed near Ocracoke IMAGE: COURTESY WIKICOMMONS
Island, N.C., in November 1718 during a vi- cious battle with British sailors led by naval Lt. Robert Maynard.
Wartime Lovers Reunite merican servicemember Norwood Thomas was 21 years old during World War II when he
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met and fell in love with 17-year- old Joyce Durrant outside London. Their relation- ship abruptly ended when Thomas was de- ployed to France, but he never forgot about his British beauty. In Febru-
ary, after 70 years apart, Thomas, 93, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Durrant (now Joyce Morris), 88, reunited in Adelaide, Australia, where Morris now lives, for a two-week reunion. Thomas’ trip was funded by donations from people who had learned of the lovebirds’ story and wanted to help. Thomas and Morris reconnected via Skype in November 2015 when Morris’ son found a news article about D-Day that mentioned Thomas.
MO
— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free- lance writer, authors this monthly column.
To see artifacts and medical equipment found in the Queen Anne’s Revenge wreckage, visit
bit.ly/1QeUswC. APRIL 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 79
The Capture of the Pirate Blackbeard, by Jean Leon Gerome Fer- ris, depicts the pirate’s fatal encounter with British Navy Lt. Robert Maynard.
History Lesson On April 20, 1861, Col. Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the U.S. Army. Three days later, he accepted command of Vir- ginia’s state forces and later became general-in-chief of Confederate forces.
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