Stede Bonnet: (English Version)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Famous in history as "the gentleman pirate," Stede Bonnet might more accurately be called, "the dumb pirate," or "the inept pirate," or "the cowardly pirate." Stede Bonnet is primarily remembered for two things: first, for being a snappy dresser, and second, for having no sense whatsoever. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bonnet lived on the island of Barbados, where he owned a large estate. In 1717 the wealthy young man purchased a 10-gun sloop, named her Revenge, and sailed off to be a pirate. No one is sure exactly why he did this -- the best guess is that he turned to piracy to get away from his shrewish wife. Once at sea Bonnet made his way up the coast of North America. His relations with his crew quickly deteriorated as they discovered that he had no knowledge of the sea at all. In March of 1718 the Revenge fell in with the Queen Anne's Revenge, commanded by the pirate Blackbeard. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It didn't take Blackbeard long to determine the true measure of his compatriot, and he politely insisted that Bonnet remain aboard his own ship as a "valued guest," assigning one of his own lieutenants to command Bonnet's vessel in his absence. Blackbeard was so polite and deferential that it took Bonnet quite some time to realize he had been deposed. After cruising up and down the coast for a while, things began to get a little hot for the pirates, and both decided to accept a pirate amnesty being offered by the British. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in command of his own ship, the "reformed" Bonnet then headed out to sea, where within a few short weeks he was once again attacking British shipping. Eventually two British Navy sloops caught up with him in Cape Fear River. After a nasty river battle Bonnet and his crew were captured and taken in chains to Charles Town. There, after a failed escape attempt, Bonnet stood trial and was sentenced to death. Bonnet did not go to his doom with dignity. When he learned of his sentence, Bonnet said to the judge, "Cut off my arms and cut off my legs so that I may sit and read from the scriptures and, please sir, I will for ever sing praises to our Lord. But, whatever you do, please don't hang me!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ladies present at court were much moved by the handsome young man's pleas -- the judge wasn't. Bonnet was hanged on December 10, 1718. Bonnet's body was buried secretly in the marshes outside of town. Local legend says that Bonnet requested that his bones be hidden because he feared that his wife would seek vengeance on his body after his death.