leadership
During his pirate career, Stede Bonnet, the 15th wealthiest pirate, plundered over 30 ships and gained an estimated total of $4.5 million dollars (Woolsey). He, with the help of Blackbeard, blockaded Charleston’s port for five days, letting no one get in or out, and brought up the idea of going to Charleston in the first place. He lead 29 to 70 crew members, based on the time period in his career, for a total of two years. Then Stede Bonnet and his crew lost the Battle of Cape Fear River, or the Batlle of the Sandbars, and got sent to Charleston for their trials. "Unwilling to risk sailing the Cape Fear River's narrow channels at night, Bonnet planned to fight his way past Rhett's force in the morning...At first light, Bonnet set sail towards Rhett's sloops. The two sloops from South Carolina split, attempting to expose Royal James to attack from both sides. Bonnet saw the trap and steered Royal James close to the river's western shore, but soon ran aground. Rhett's sloops also ran aground while maneuvering to attack, leaving only the Henry in range of the Royal James. Over the next five or six hours Royal James and Henry pounded each other with musket and cannon fire. Both Royal James and Henry were hard aground and unable to move. Rhett's second sloop, also aground, was too far away to take part in the fight. Bonnet's men raked Henry's deck with musket fire, killing 10 and wounding 14 of Rhett's crew...On board Henry, Rhett's men fired volley after volley into Royal James, felling 12 of Bonnet's pirates. The deciding moment came when the rising tide freed Rhett's sloops while Royal James remained stranded. Bonnet could only watch as his enemies closed to board his helpless vessel...The Battle of the Sandbars ended with the arrest of Stede Bonnet and his surviving pirates." (Battle of the Sandbars).
He and his 29 guilty crew members were sentenced by Judge Nicholas Trott to be hung: “Robert Tucker, Edward Robinfon, Neal Paterfon, William Scot, Job Bayley, John-William Smith, Thomas Carman, John Thomas, William Morrifon, William Livers alias Evis, Samuel Booth, William Hewet, John Levit, William Eddy alias Nedy, Alexander Annand, George Rofs, George Dunkin, John Ridge, Matthew King, Daniel Perry, Henry Virgin, James Robbins, James Mullet alias Millet, Thomas Price, John Lopez, Zachariah Long, James Wilfon, John Brierly, and Robert Boyd. ” (Thelf, i). But before Bonnet was hung, he sent a letter to the governor of South Carolina, pleading his life. The governor denied his letter for freedom so Bonnet escaped and went to Sullivan's Island. "When reached Stede that a pirate named Christopher Moody was preying on ships outside of Charleston harbor, Stede made a dramatic escape from the city and across the harbor disguised as a woman in an effort to reach his fellow pirate...Camped across the harbor from Charleston on Sullivan's Island, Stede desperately scanned the horizon for Moody for the nearly two weeks...Stede would eventually be recaptured by William Rhett and returned to Charleston for trial." ("Charleston & The Golden Age of Piracy"). "On December 10, 1718 Bonnet swung from a Charleston gallows. Some in the crowd reportedly felt pity as the once proud man, with drooping head, walked up to the gallows, with shackled hands holding a bouquet." (Stede Bonnet (1618-1718))