Black Caesar

 

 

The story of Black Caesar is a rare one in pirate terms, that of an African tribal chief who escaped from slavers to become an infamous pirate in his own right, as well as Blackbeard’s right-hand man. Black Caesar was not just dark of skin, but black of soul, and his evil exploits are still remembered by the people of Elliott Key, some of whom believe that the spirits of his unfortunate prisoners continue to haunt the area.

 

 

There are many pirates who were dubbed ‘black’ – Bartholomew Roberts for instance, nicknamed Black Bart – but in most instances this referred to the state of their souls rather than the colour of their skin. The case of Black Caesar was different. He really was a black man, an African slave turned pirate, who plied his trade around the Florida Keys for almost 10 years before being caught and hanged.

 

African chief

Legend has it that Black Caesar was originally the chief of an African tribe. He was often hunted by slavers, but owing to his keen intelligence and physical prowess, he usually outwitted his pursuers. However, in one instance, he was tricked into going aboard a merchant ship, along with 20 of his men. The captain of the ship, a slave trader, showed the Africans a watch, and promised there were more precious goods on board for them to see. They were curious, and followed him on board. To begin with, all went well, and the captain entertained the men royally, with feasting and music. But unbeknown to them, the crew were raising anchor as they caroused, and before they knew it, they found themselves out at sea.

At first, Black Caesar and his tribesmen tried to escape, attacking the captain and his crew, but their captors were well armed with guns and pistols, and eventually they surrendered. They were trapped, and had to accept that they were now prisoners aboard a ship whose captain would undoubtedly sell them as slaves when it reached land. Angry at having been duped, Caesar refused to accept food or drink from any but one sailor in the crew who befriended him.

However, as luck would have it, Caesar did not have to wait long before a chance came to make his escape. The ship ran into a fierce hurricane, which proved a blessing in disguise. As the winds battered the ship, Black Caesar and his friend the sailor managed to row to shore on a longboat, where they waited out the storm together.

 

Outlaw colony

Stranded on shore, at a spot now called Elliot Key, the pair soon hit on a means of survival. When they saw a passing ship, they would row out in the lifeboat. Those aboard would let them onto the ship, thinking they were shipwrecked sailors. However, once on deck they would brandish their pistols, demand food and supplies of ammunition, and then row off again. As time went on, they would demand cargo as well, including gold, silver and precious gems. In one case, they brought back a woman as part of the booty. This proved a source of dispute, however, which ended when Black Caesar killed his former friend and claimed the woman for his own.

Much of what happened next appears to be conjecture, but legend has it that Black Caesar remained on a remote part of the Florida Keys, building up a sizeable community of pirates who subsisted by preying on passing ships. Despite the efforts of the authorities to catch them, they were able to escape, since they knew the terrain much better than their opponents did. Whenever a posse was sent out to hunt down Black Caesar and his pirates, they hid in various creeks and inlets (one of the creeks is now called Caesar’s Creek), also camouflaging their boats and equipment. It was rumoured that as well as his ever-increasing band of pirates, Black Caesar also kept a large group of women, numbering over 100, who were used as concubines for the men. In addition, he was said to keep a supply of prisoners from the ships, including children, so that he could blackmail their relations and gain ransoms for them. According to some reports, the prisoners were kept in terrible conditions, often starving to death when the pirates left them to make raids on passing ships. There were stories of children escaping and surviving by eating berries and shellfish, forming their own communities in the wild and growing up speaking strange languages that they had devised themselves. Even today, some inhabitants of Elliott Key believe that the area is haunted by the ghosts of these children.

 

Gunpowder trail

At some time during the turn of the 18th century, Black Caesar tired of life as a landlubber joined forces with the notorious pirate Blackbeard on board the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Together, this formidable pair attacked shipping in the Atlantic until a naval posse finally engaged them in battle on Ocracoke Island. Cornered, Black Caesar laid down a trail of gunpowder leading to some explosives, which he hoped would blow up his enemies. However, he was overpowered just before he ignited it. He was arrested and taken to Williamsburg, Virginia, where he was imprisoned. He was then put on trial, sentenced to death and hanged.