Chesapeake Pirates
Pirates were not just sailors of crystal clear seas and vast oceans. They also sailed into the bays, streams, and harbors of the east coast.
Maybe not as popular as their Caribbean cousins, the Chesapeake pirates had their share of looting, murdering, and folk lore that left a mark on the history of Chincoteague. There are tours available on the island that tell some of these better known stories. These pirates were considered part of the Brethren of the Coast. Besides the interesting addition to the sea lore that pirates provide, the ghost tours claim locals have witnessed these pirates in the bay and on the coastline.Â
Belznickel
The Chesapeake Bay is surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. During settlement and into the Revolutionary War, this area was extremely important for trade and commerce. Big boats, carrying a lot of expensive stuff, it’s going to attract pirates.Â
During the American Revolution, most of the Chesapeake Bay was pro-Britain and did not trust the “Boston” frame of mind. Loyalists and Tories were seen all over the Eastern shore in Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties. Watermen especially did not trust the rebels and their fight against the crown.Â
Some of these watermen turned to piracy during the war in order to steal supplies for the British. As stated in The Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay, pirates were such a detriment to the rebels that the Maryland Attorney General Luther Martin wrote they “committed such acts of “villainy” that the patriot cause on the lower Eastern Shore was imperiled.” Â
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Belznickel
One of the most famous pirates of all time, Edward Teach or Blackbeard, used the Chesapeake as a safe haven. Teach was a large man, around 6’5, with dark features, who seemed to intimidate everyone even before speaking. It was also rumored he drank his rum with gunpowder. Whether he did or not doesn’t matter since he met an untimely death due to an attack in 1718 planned by Alexander Spotswood, the Governor of Virginia. Blackbeard’s head remained on his ship, right up front for all to see. Â
There are other famous pirates who made their way into the Chesapeake.Â
William Kidd