notorious "Black Beard," who in company with one Stede Bonnet, had long
ravaged the coast with impunity.

In August of the same year word was brought to Charlestown that Bonnet
with his ship the _Royal James_ was refitting in the Cape Fear River.
Colonel William Rhett volunteered to attack him. With two sloops of
eight guns each, the _Henry_ and the _Nymph_, and about 130 men in all,
he set sail, and found Bonnet at anchor in the Cape Fear River. In
making the attack, and during the encounter, all three ships ran
aground. The fight raged desperately all day between the _Henry_ and the
_Royal James_, the _Nymph_ being unable to get off the shoal and come to
the help of her companion ship. Bonnet finally surrendered and was taken
prisoner to Charlestown. It is this adventure which the poem celebrates.

Bonnet escaped, but was afterwards recaptured by Colonel Rhett on
Sullivan's Island. He and about thirty of his crew were hanged about the
corner of Meeting and Water Streets. Bonnet, himself, was hanged later
than his crew, after a masterpiece of invective by the judge, who
painted hell vividly. This pirate leader was dragged fainting to the
gallows, and there was much sympathy for him, as it was said, "His humor
of going a-pirating proceeded from a disorder of the mind ... occasioned
by some discomforts he found in the married state."

NOTE ON "THE SEEWEES OF SEEWEE BAY"

The Seewee Indians, who lived on the shores of what is now known as
Bull's Bay, S.C., but was formerly called Seewee Bay, became
discontented with the small prices obtained from the white traders for
pelts. Seeing the ships constantly coming into the Bay from England,
they conceived the idea of building large canoes and reaching England
over the ocean. Several huge canoes, larger than any heretofore built by
Indians, were accordingly constructed; these were loaded with the
proceeds of a season's hunting, and, manned by all the braves of the
tribe, set out in the direction from which the ships came. A gale came
up and the braves were never seen again. Their squaws gradually wandered
off to other tribes. This event took place about 1696.

NOTE ON LA FAYETTE

TO ACCOMPANY "LA FAYETTE LANDS"

The Marquis de la Fayette, under the name of Gilbert du Motier, sailed
from Bordeaux on the 26th of March, 1777, accompanied by the Baron Kalb
and several French Army Officers. On the 14th of June, 1777, he first
landed in America on North Island in Winyah Ba