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Though these two men never stood side by side and their voyages never caused them to cross paths, Blackbeard and Isaac Hull mark are unified in their position as two prominent figures in Wilmington's history and North Carolina's former Deputy State (Underwater) Archaeologist Mark Wilde-Ramsing's career. Our very own Cape Fear River and neighboring waters were frequented by these men and their vessels, beginning with Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge in the early eighteenth century, and later in the mid-nineteenth century by Isaac Hull's namesake, the USS Commodore Hull. The journeys that these two ships and their crews took on the waters bordering Downtown Wilmington were significantly different in their geography, motivation, and on-board lifestyle. Through the remains of an eighteenth century pirate ship and a nineteenth naval vessel, we are offered a lens into two tremendously different tales; not only of two captains, but of their crewmen and the citizens of historical Wilmington.
Queen Anne's Revenge, pictured to the left, is speculated to have been constructed in 1710. As a 200-ton frigate used firstly as a French merchant ship, then later as a privateer fleet in the Triangular Trade, she was appointed as Blackbeard's flagship upon her capture in 1717. In May 1718, having been Blackbeard's flagship for just under a year, she was run aground in Topsail Inlet.
After her discovery in 1996, Mark Wilde-Ramsing's archaeological research confirmed that the wreckage was in fact that of Edward Teach's flagship. The archaeological record shows that when QAR was run aground, the process was slow and allowed enough time for Blackbeard and his crew to safely evacuate and take their belongings (or, rather, Blackbeard and a few men to claim the entire loot and leave the majority of the crew with nothing).
While many of the men's more personal and valuable belongings were taken off the ship by the crew, the materials left on the ship and discovered by Mark Wilde-Ramsing provide insight to the lifestyle and every day practices of the men on the ship. Among the loaded cannons and general weaponry, a unique conglomeration of items were found that tell us about the beliefs, practices, and routines of not only the men on the ship, but of society.
A urethral syringe recovered from the QAR; this syringe, in particular, contained mercury and is believed to have been used in the treatment of syphillis.
One of the most significant discoveries was the collection of medical and surgical equipment left on the ship. What makes the discovery of these so poignant is that it reveals both information surrounding eighteenth century medicinal practices and shows that Edward Teach was conscious that the health of his crew was key. Prior to this discovery, little was known about how illness was recognized and/or treated on ships like the QAR. Aside from the revelations of the shocking treatments and medicines used (for example, mercury-infused mixtures in syringes, like the one pictured above), the equipment's French origins and first-hand accounts of crew members reveal that Blackbeard had captured French surgeons, formulating a crew dedicated strictly to maintaining the health of his men. This recovered equipment paints a picture of the surgeon's responsibilities, treatments and recipes, and the cognizance of Edward Teach in maintaining his ship and crew.
Jumping into the mid-eighteenth century, the recovery of the USS Commodore Hull similarly provides a unique scope into history and lifestyle of life on the open waters. The USS Commodore Hull, originally the civilian ferryboat Nuestra Señora del Regla, was built in New York City, then later purchased by the Union Navy in 1862. She was re-outfitted as a gunboat, and was utilized in the North Atlantic blockade and the Seige of Plymouth. After being heavily damaged in the Siege, she was repaired and further utilized throughout the Civil War, only to be abandoned here in the Cape Fear River in Downtown Wilmington in late 1886.
A letter aboard the USS Commodore Hull, posted on September 11, 1861 in Pendleton, SC.
Akin to the discovery of Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge, the artifacts recovered from the USS Commodore Hull offer a scope into the landscape of the eighteenth-century waters in which she voyaged. Including recovered materials that tell us about life of the members on the ship, letters like the one above speak to the journey of the ship itself. Letters like these help paint a picture of the logistics of the ship's journey through their postage and content. Mail like that of the above picture are significant indicators in identifying contraband on captured blockade runners; the CSA postage shows us a timeline of the journey from Charleston, SC to New York that the ship took.
Despite the height of their journeys being taken hundreds of years ago, these ships aren't done yet; even in their wreckage, sites like that of Queen Anne's Revenge and USS Commodore Hull can tell us the tales of the waters they sailed, the crews that called them home, and the citizens that saw them from the riverbanks and coastlines. To hear more about the discovery of the wreckage and the archaeological treasures they have to offer, attend Dr. Mark Wilde-Ramsing's lecture tonight, March 5th, at 6:30 PM here at Bellamy Mansion. As usual, doors open thirty minutes before the lecture, at 6:00 PM, and are first come, first serve!
Written by UNCW Anthropology student and Bellamy Mansion Intern, Payton Schoenleber.
Sources:
Blackbeard's Booty: Pirate Ship Yields Medical Supplies. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/49563-blackbeard-pirate-ship-yields-medical-supplies.html
Dino. (2018, June 7). Author Interview: A conversation with Mark Wilde-Ramsing and Linda Carnes-McNaughton. Retrieved from https://uncpressblog.com/2018/06/11/author-interview-mark-wilde-ramsing-and-linda-carnes-mcnaughton/
Hull, Isaac. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/z-files/zb-files/zb-files-h/hull-isaac.html
"A Maritime History and Survey of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear Rivers, Wilmington Harbor, North Carolina." (April 1996). Vol. 1, Underwater Archaeology Unit.
Blackbeard's Booty: Pirate Ship Yields Medical Supplies. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/49563-blackbeard-pirate-ship-yields-medical-supplies.html
Dino. (2018, June 7). Author Interview: A conversation with Mark Wilde-Ramsing and Linda Carnes-McNaughton. Retrieved from https://uncpressblog.com/2018/06/11/author-interview-mark-wilde-ramsing-and-linda-carnes-mcnaughton/
Hull, Isaac. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/z-files/zb-files/zb-files-h/hull-isaac.html
"A Maritime History and Survey of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear Rivers, Wilmington Harbor, North Carolina." (April 1996). Vol. 1, Underwater Archaeology Unit.
