A General History of the Pirates · Chapter
Of Captain Worley, and His Crew explained
This chapter recounts the brief but fierce pirate career of Captain Worley, who set out from New York in September 1718 with only eight men in a small open boat.
What happens
This chapter recounts the brief but fierce pirate career of Captain Worley, who set out from New York in September 1718 with only eight men in a small open boat. After committing robberies in the Delaware River and taking several sloops, Worley increased his crew to about twenty-five men and mounted six guns. He adopted a black ensign with a white death's head and swore his crew to take no quarter. After cleaning his sloop in North Carolina, he was pursued by two government sloops from Carolina. Mistaking them for merchant vessels, Worley sailed into the Chesapeake Bay, where he was trapped. In the ensuing battle, the pirates fought desperately hand-to-hand, refusing quarter, and all were killed except Worley and one other man, who were captured, brought ashore in irons, and hanged the next day, February 17, 1718/19.
Themes in this chapter
Economic Despair as a Driver of Piracy
Worley's crew set out with minimal provisions—a few biscuits, a dried tongue, a little keg of water, and old muskets—highlighting the desperation and poverty that drove men to piracy.
Violence, Brutality, and Moral Depravity
Worley's crew swore to take no quarter and fought to the death, refusing to surrender even when offered quarter, resulting in a bloody hand-to-hand battle where many were killed.
Corruption of Colonial Governance
The colonial governments reacted with alarm and military force, issuing proclamations and fitting out vessels, yet the initial response was ineffective, and Worley was only caught after returning from the Bahamas.
Characters to notice
- Worley
Captain Worley led a small but resolute crew from New York in a small open boat, eventually commanding a sloop with 25 men. He swore his crew to take no quarter and was killed except for himself and one other, who were hanged.
Key passages
“This was as resolute a crew as ever went upon this account: they took with them a few biscuits, and a dry’d tongue or two, a little keg of water, half a dozen old muskets and ammunition accordingly.”
This crew was as determined as any that ever turned pirate: they set out with only a few biscuits, a couple of dried tongues, a small keg of water, half a dozen old muskets, and some ammunition.
Describes the meager provisions of Worley's initial crew.
“They all signed articles, and bound themselves under a solemn oath, to take no quarters, but to stand by one another to the last man, which was rashly fulfill’d a little afterwards.”
They all signed articles and swore a solemn oath to accept no quarter and to stand by each other to the last man—a vow they recklessly kept soon after.
Highlights the pirates' oath to fight to the death, which they later fulfilled.
“The pirates proved as good as their words, not a man of them cry’d out for quarter, nor would accept of such, when offered, but were all killed except the captain and another man, and those very much wounded, whom they reserved for the gallows.”
The pirates kept their word: not one of them begged for mercy or accepted it when offered; all were killed except the captain and one other, both badly wounded, who were kept to be hanged.
Describes the pirates' refusal to surrender and the aftermath of the battle.