Thus organized and prepared, the “Revenge” was steered to the fishing banks and several small vessels were soon captured out of which they forced a few men and found a few others who joined them voluntarily. Among the latter was a man named John Rose Archer who had served off the Carolina coast under the famous Teach, otherwise called “Black Beard,” and because he was experienced in the trade Captain Phillips made him quartermaster, an appointment that disaffected some of the original company and especially Fern, the carpenter, which led to his attempted desertion at a later time. Three fishing vessels were taken Sept. 5th, near a harbor in Newfoundland and John Parsons, John Filmore, and Isaac Lassen, an Indian man, were forced. Lassen was usually employed afterwards as man at the helm. About the middle of the month a schooner, one Furber, master, was taken and on the 20th of September a French vessel of 150 tons fell into their hands from which they looted thirteen pipes of wine, provisions and a “Great Gun & Carriage valued at £50.”[161] Two Frenchmen, John Baptis and Peter Taffery, were forced from this vessel. They afterwards were active in helping Cheeseman and Haraden to recapture the “Squirrel.”
Early in October the “Revenge” was off Barbadoes and among the captures made was the brigantine “Mary,” —— Moor, master, from which cloth and provisions valued at £500, were taken. A few days later they fell in with a brigantine, —— Reed, master, bound to Virginia with servants. It was from this vessel that William Taylor was enlisted. He afterwards said “they were carrying me to Virginia to be sold and they met with these honest men [meaning the pirates] and I listed to go with them.” Seven days later a Portuguese brigantine bound for Brazil was captured, out of which a negro man slave named Francisco, valued at £100, was taken; also three dozen shirts valued at £40, and a cask of brandy valued at £30. On October 27th the sloop “Content,” George Barrows, master, was captured near Bermuda. She was bound from Boston for Barbadoes. The mate, John Masters, was forced and the sloop was plundered of plate and provisions. Masters remained on board the “Revenge” for four months before he was released.
Captain Phillips now bore away for the island of Barbadoes and cruised about there and off the Leeward Islands for nearly three months without speaking a single vessel so no captures were made and the supply of provisions ran so low that the company was reduced to a pound of meat a day for ten men. It was then that they came up with a French sloop out of Martinico, of twelve guns and thirty-five men, a far superior force which they would not have ventured to attack at any other time. But “hunger will break down stone walls” and so the black flag was run aloft and they boldly ran along side the sloop and ordered them to strike immediately or no quarter would be given, which so intimidated the Frenchmen that they made no resistance. The pirate crew plundered her of all her provisions and taking four of her men, the sloop was allowed to go.
Soon after this welcome supply of provisions was obtained Captain Phillips proposed that the “Revenge” be careened and her bottom cleaned and suggested that they go to the island of Tobago where the former company of pirates that he belonged to, under Anstis and Fern, had broken up. He said that there had been left behind on the island six or eight men who would not take the chance of returning to England, and three negro servants, and if any of these men yet remained on the island they now would certainly join the company on board the “Revenge.” This seemed worth while to the company so a course was set for Tobago and when reached careful search was made for the men but only one of the negroes was found, who told Captain Phillips that the rest of those left behind including Captain Fern had been taken by a man-of-war’s crew and carried to Antigua and hanged. This was bad news. Nevertheless, they fell to work careening the sloop and just as the job was completed, a man-of-war’s boat came nosing into the harbor and the ship could be seen cruising to the leeward of the island. No time was lost and as soon as the boat left, the “Revenge” was warped out and a course to the windward was made in all haste. The four Frenchmen were left on the island.
Captain Phillips now steered northerly and on February 4, 1724, when about thirty-five leagues south of Sandy Hook, they captured a snow, ———— Laws, master, from New York bound for Barbadoes, and obtained cloth and provisions. Fern, the carpenter, James Wood, William Taylor and William Phillips were sent on board the snow and ordered to navigate her in company with the “Revenge.” They sailed southward until latitude 21° was reached when Fern and Wood attempted to run away with the vessel. Fern had not forgotten that Archer had been appointed quartermaster in preference to him and had been waiting for this opportunity to break company with Captain Phillips, so he brought over the others to his way of thinking and then changed the course of the snow. Captain Phillips was keeping a good lookout, however, and interpreting their design correctly gave chase and coming up with the snow a skirmish ensued. Fern was ordered to come on board the “Revenge” and replied by firing at the captain and a brisk exchange of shots followed during which Wood was killed and William Phillips badly wounded in his left leg. The other two then surrendered.
There was no surgeon on board either of the vessels and after a consultation it was decided that Phillips’ leg must be cut off. But who should perform the operation was much disputed. Finally the carpenter was selected as the man best fitted for the job. He brought up from his chest his largest saw and taking the injured leg under his arm fell to work as though he were cutting a deal board in two and soon the leg was separated from the body of the patient. The carpenter then heated his broadax red hot and cauterized the wound but this use of his excellent tool being less familiar to him than the previous operation he unfortunately burned flesh somewhat removed from the amputated surface and in consequence the wound narrowly escaped becoming mortified. Nature, however, made up for his lack of skill and in time a cure was effected without other assistance.
Two months after this rude operation had been performed, a fishing schooner was taken and Captain Phillips proposed that the maimed man should be put on board the vessel before she was allowed to go, but he absolutely refused saying “if he should go they would hang him.” William Phillips afterwards testified at his trial in Boston, that he had been forced out of the sloop “Glasgow,” William Warden, master, which had been captured in October, 1723, and “that sometime after he was on board, he understood there were Articles drawn up for the Captain called him auft, and with his pistol Cocked demanded him to sign the said Articles or else he would blow his Brains out, which he refused to do, Reminding the Captain of his promise that he should be cleared; but the Captain Declaring that it should not hurt him, & Insisting on it as aforesaid he was obliged to sign the said Articles.” He also testified that when Fern and the others were attempting to get away in the snow, they told him they were going to Holmes’ Hole and “there every one to shift for himself.”[162]
On Feb. 7, 1724, in latitude 37°, a ship bound from London for Virginia, fell into the clutches of Captain Phillips. The master was Captain Hussam and from this vessel they secured a great gun and carriage, with powder and ball and forced Henry Gyles, “an artist,” i. e. a man who understood navigation. Gyles afterwards testified in the Admiralty Court that William White, one of the pirates who boarded the ship, threatened “to cut him in sunder if he didn’t make haste to go on board the pirate with his Books and Instruments.”[163] While on board the “Revenge,” Gyles kept the journal having been ordered to do so by Nutt, the sailing master.
Captain Phillips continued his southerly course and shortly took a Portuguese ship bound for Brazil and two or three sloops from Jamaica in one of which Fern again attempted to make his escape and this time he was shot and killed by Phillips. Another man met the same fate a few days later so that the forced men became very careful how they discussed measures for getting away and in sheer terror several of them signed the Articles and quietly waited for a certain opportunity.
On March 27, 1724, two ships from Virginia, bound for London, were taken, one of them commanded by Capt. John Phillips, the pirate’s namesake, and the other by Capt. Robert Mortimer, a young married man on his first voyage in command. Phillips, the pirate captain, remained on board Captain Mortimer’s ship while his men transferred the crew to the sloop and when the boat returned one of the pirate crew called up to Phillips that there was a mutiny on board their vessel. Captain Mortimer had two of his men left on board and there were two pirates with Phillips. When Mortimer heard of the mutiny he thought it was an opportunity to recover his ship and taking up a handspike he struck Phillips over the head making a dangerous wound but not felling him to the deck. Phillips was able to draw his sword and wound Mortimer and the two pirates that were on board coming to his assistance the unfortunate captain was soon cut to pieces while his own two men stood by and did nothing.