Siege of Charles-Towne
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The Siege of Charles-Towne was a naval blockade on the city of Charles-Towne, set up by the pirate captain Edward Thatch, to obtain medicines for Nassau. The blockade lasted for a week, in which there were no responses from the governor, Robert Johnson. This prompted Thatch's fellow pirate, Edward Kenway, to infiltrate the city and steal medicines.
Background[edit | edit source]
Edward Thatch was approached by Benjamin Hornigold about the lack of medicines needed to cure diseases which plagued the pirates' new republic. Not wanting to attack Royal Navy ships, Thatch and Kenway decided to recover medicines from the underwater shipwreck of San Ignacio, a ship of the ill-fated 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet. However, the medicines recovered by Kenway were spoilt, which made attacking Royal Navy ships the only choice of obtaining medicines.[1]
Subsequently, the Queen Anne's Revenge and the Benjamin attacked a British Man O' War, but the attack was unsuccessful, as the Benjamin suffered heavy damages and the Queen Anne's Revenge was forced to dock at Mariguana Island. Kenway came to aid Thatch in his brig, the Jackdaw, and fought off the British soldiers who had cornered him and his crew. Having rescued Thatch, Kenway took the helm of the Queen Anne's Revenge and managed to board the Man O' War and steal medicines. However, as the amount recovered was far from enough, Thatch decided to obtain more from the source: Charles-Towne.[2]
The blockade[edit | edit source]
Thatch's crew arrived at Charles-Towne on 22 May 1718. For six days, they laid siege to the city, blockading the harbor, taking hostages, and terrorizing the town while demanding medical supplies.[3] However, a week passed and Charles-Towne's officials offered no response, much to Thatch's frustration.[4]
In a display meant to intimidate the people of Charles-Towne, Thatch tied his hostages—including the crew of the Man O' War he had attacked previously—to the mast of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Despite the conditions they were put in, Thatch had no intention of harming the captives and gave his word that they would be released as soon as he obtained what he wanted. However, the continued lack of response from South Carolina's governor angered Thatch, and he began debating whether to release the hostages, recruit them into his crew, or kill them ouright.[4]
Eventually, Kenway arrived and told Thatch to stop before he became a target of the Royal Navy. Since the party sent by Thatch to bargain with the governor had never returned, Kenway saw stealing the medicines from Charles-Towne as the only solution and decided to take matters into his own hands. He sailed the Jackdaw through the marshes of Charles-Towne, tailing a gunboat of soldiers who were about to meet with their captain Wyatt, and eavesdropped on their conversation. However, the guards saw the Jackdaw and raised an alarm, revealing Kenway's presence.[4]
After spotting Kenway, Wyatt ran to alert the governor at his mansion, but Kenway chased him through the city and killed him. He then retrieved a warehouse key from Wyatt's body, allowing the pirates to steal medicines and the ingredients to make additional doses. Having accomplished their aims, Thatch ended the blockade, and he and Kenway left Charles-Towne.[4]
Aftermath[edit | edit source]
Despite procuring medicines, Thatch decided to take King George I's offer of a pardon and settled in the pirate camp of Ocracoke in North Carolina.[4] However, the blockade's success led Virginia's governor Alexander Spotswood to order Royal Navy lieutenant Robert Maynard to besiege Ocracoke. The Queen Anne's Revenge was destroyed, and Thatch tried to escape with Edward Kenway, but was killed while boarding Maynard's ship, the HMS Pearl.[5]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Diving for Medicines
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Devil's Advocate
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Database: Medicinal Hostages
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – The Siege of Charles-Towne
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Do Not Go Gently...
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