Interview with captain byrd
Why do you think Bonnet became a pirate?
"Stede's failure to successfully escape Charleston after he was captured in the Cape Fear River is one of the most difficult things for me to understand about the man. I have often wondered how come after he escaped from the Provost Marshall's house and made it all the way across the harbor to Sullivan's Island , why didn't he start walking north and put as much distance between himself and Charleston? Why would he spend nearly two weeks on Sullivan's Island and burn a fire for everyone to see? I guess he was scared and confused and in his heart truly believed that the pirate Christopher Moody, who was allegedly somewhere offshore of Charleston, was going to come and rescue him. If I was Stede, I would have tried to get to North Carolina since Stede had in his possession a pardon from North Carolina's Governor Eden."
What caused Bonnet to fail to escape prison?
"Stede's failure to successfully escape Charleston after he was captured in the Cape Fear River is one of the most difficult things for me to understand about the man. I have often wondered how come after he escaped from the Provost Marshall's house and made it all the way across the harbor to Sullivan's Island , why didn't he start walking north and put as much distance between himself and Charleston? Why would he spend nearly two weeks on Sullivan's Island and burn a fire for everyone to see? I guess he was scared and confused and in his heart truly believed that the pirate Christopher Moody, who was allegedly somewhere offshore of Charleston, was going to come and rescue him. If I was Stede, I would have tried to get to North Carolina since Stede had in his possession a pardon from North Carolina's Governor Eden."
What sparked your interest in pirates?
"I read Robert E. Lee's "Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of his Life and Times" while I was on vacation in North Carolina almost 25 years ago. I enjoyed it so much that I drove all the way down to Ocracoke Island to see where Blackbeard had his final bloody battle. Ocracoke is full of pirate stuff - stores, museums, etc. I loved it. I also read about Stede for the first time in that book and found him fascinating. I never thought back then that I would write a book about him someday."
What do you find the most interesting about Bonnet?
"I find Stede fascinating because he was more a less just a regular guy who took an unbelievable leap of faith in life and became a pirate. Millions of people daydream of being a pirate but would never take the risk. Can you imagine if someone you knew suddenly packed their bags and headed off to Somalia to become a modern-day pirate?! Of course, Stede being a little crazy may have contributed to his decision, but still it is pretty remarkable. And not only did he actively become a pirate, he ended up partnering with the most famous pirate of all times - Blackbeard." (Downey Smith)
"Stede's failure to successfully escape Charleston after he was captured in the Cape Fear River is one of the most difficult things for me to understand about the man. I have often wondered how come after he escaped from the Provost Marshall's house and made it all the way across the harbor to Sullivan's Island , why didn't he start walking north and put as much distance between himself and Charleston? Why would he spend nearly two weeks on Sullivan's Island and burn a fire for everyone to see? I guess he was scared and confused and in his heart truly believed that the pirate Christopher Moody, who was allegedly somewhere offshore of Charleston, was going to come and rescue him. If I was Stede, I would have tried to get to North Carolina since Stede had in his possession a pardon from North Carolina's Governor Eden."
What caused Bonnet to fail to escape prison?
"Stede's failure to successfully escape Charleston after he was captured in the Cape Fear River is one of the most difficult things for me to understand about the man. I have often wondered how come after he escaped from the Provost Marshall's house and made it all the way across the harbor to Sullivan's Island , why didn't he start walking north and put as much distance between himself and Charleston? Why would he spend nearly two weeks on Sullivan's Island and burn a fire for everyone to see? I guess he was scared and confused and in his heart truly believed that the pirate Christopher Moody, who was allegedly somewhere offshore of Charleston, was going to come and rescue him. If I was Stede, I would have tried to get to North Carolina since Stede had in his possession a pardon from North Carolina's Governor Eden."
What sparked your interest in pirates?
"I read Robert E. Lee's "Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of his Life and Times" while I was on vacation in North Carolina almost 25 years ago. I enjoyed it so much that I drove all the way down to Ocracoke Island to see where Blackbeard had his final bloody battle. Ocracoke is full of pirate stuff - stores, museums, etc. I loved it. I also read about Stede for the first time in that book and found him fascinating. I never thought back then that I would write a book about him someday."
What do you find the most interesting about Bonnet?
"I find Stede fascinating because he was more a less just a regular guy who took an unbelievable leap of faith in life and became a pirate. Millions of people daydream of being a pirate but would never take the risk. Can you imagine if someone you knew suddenly packed their bags and headed off to Somalia to become a modern-day pirate?! Of course, Stede being a little crazy may have contributed to his decision, but still it is pretty remarkable. And not only did he actively become a pirate, he ended up partnering with the most famous pirate of all times - Blackbeard." (Downey Smith)