Chapter 14: Swamp Swag and Jekyl Island
Fiction
Robert Deaux, although an actual Savannahian, he was not alive in the 1700’s. The real Robert Deaux passed away in 1993 and his ashes were spread into the air ducts at his favorite bar in the 1790 Inn and Restaurant. It is rumored that patrons and employees of the bar see his ghost drinking in the corner from time to time.
Real
Privateers routinely attacked ships of the southern coast during this time.
“Jamestown weed” got its nickname when it was used on soldiers during Bacon’s Rebellion to incapacitate them for over a week.
Accounts of massive packs of wolves eating people were common.
Just the amount of the iron content in a cannon was worth a good amount of gold back then, but an actual cannon that worked could sell for a fortune.
Chapter 15: Gods and Freedom
Fiction
Although battle rats could have salvaged a few cannons, it is assumed that the attacking Spanish force captured them all.
I could find no records of what happened to the Highlander and Indian prisoners at Fort Mose. I took liberty that someone bought their freedom.
During the time period of the book, Tybee Lighthouse was not really a lighthouse at all. It was just a daymark and actually did not acquire its light until the 1800’s. I took liberty and gave it a light because I thought it would be a nice picture in the book.
Real
The first Tybee lighthouse was the tallest structure of its kind in the America’s at the time.
Nobles Jones was a real person and the Wormsloe plantation, Skidoway River and the tabby fort were all real places.
There have been a total of four Tybee lighthouses. The first two did not last long and were blown down in storms. Part of the third lighthouse still stands at the location it is currently in. During the war for Southern Independence, a.k.a. the civil war, confederate soldiers burned down part of the third lighthouse to keep union soldiers from using it.
Chapter 16: The Crimson Dogwood and Exodus
Fiction
The murders of Archibald Freeman and Sergeant Luther
Real
Having anti-government books could easily cause a person to be labeled a traitor to the crown and executed.
Chapter 17: The Argyle Colony
Fiction
Captain MacKay
Farmer MacKay
Mr. Perry
Real
The Argyle Colony was a large Scottish community located in Cape Fear, North Carolina.
The Scottish funeral rights and service were accurate for that time period.
George Carteret and John Carteret really were Lord Proprietors of a sovereign section of land in North Carolina on the Virginia border known as the Granville District. The free land was stolen by the new U.S government immediately after the Revolutionary War and was enveloped into North Carolina.
Most Indians did not understand or did not care about the concept of property rights hence the frequent complaints about them poaching on private lands.
Chapter 18: Bloody Marsh and Gully Hole Creek
Fiction
Garland Willis
So Lat Ti Kee
The poisoning of English troops in Fort Frederica
Real
Some Indian belts were much more then decoration, they were a pictorial family history. The bead belt would have been considered very important to a warrior.
The retaliation of the Spanish and the Battles of Gully Hole Creek and Bloody Marsh really happened. Fort St. Simon, Fort Frederica and military road were real and the accounts of the battles were accurate.
Spotted Hemlock can cause death by affecting the nerves and breathing.
Chapter 19: Pirate Tunnels
Fiction
Bartender Jim Jaques is fictional, but the Pirate House bartenders did really drug unsuspecting victims and sell them.
The Three Lantern Pub is fictional but there was rumored to be residential houses built in the Trustee’s Garden before the Pirate’s House existed. Since most buildings were never knocked down, I took the liberty in making this the illegal tavern the predecessor of the Pirate’s House.
Gardner Goldsmith
Tracy Sky
The caregiver Mrs. Bias
Real
The Pirate tunnels under the Trustee’s Garden. Lots of debate and speculation have occurred about when these were built. Since they were used as illegal smuggling tunnels, no records of them exist. Official records from Oglethorpe’s letters to England do state he commissioned other tunnels be built under all of Savannah at a later time, however, I am taking liberty assuming these smuggling tunnels appeared earlier with the introduction of his alcohol prohibition. The tunnels under Savannah were later used to keep women out of the brutal weather, moving cargo and for military movement. The darkest purpose of the underground passage was as a mass grave for victims of yellow fever. Over 150 sick souls were buried alive in tunnels to quarantine the outbreak and it is rumored the tunnels are one of the most haunted areas in Savannah.
Scribbling rings were all the rage in the 16th century.
Chapter 20: Secrets
Fiction
Closing down of the Red Lady, although very sad, it was not real.
April Read and her male persona Albert Read
Real
Sperm whale ambergris was worth a fortune; it was used to make expensive perfumes which supposedly protected one from the Black Plague.
Baleen whales were called “right whales” because they would float and not sink after being harpooned.
A combination of English, Spanish and French government policies created the great pirate scourge.
Anne Bonny ran off with “Calico” Jack Rackum from Nassau and took to a life of pirating. Mary Read was the most famous cross dresser of the time, pretending to live most of her life as a man. The capture and trial were accurate, but the fate of Bonny and her child are unknown. No records were ever found confirming she was executed. Accounts also state Mary Read either died in prison from fever or during childbirth.
Chapter 21: Charles Towne
Fiction
The Italian or Greek Scullery wench, Teresa
The German political dissident, Miss Bleish
The pearl diver and amateur archeologist, Audrey Scott
Leo, the Barkeeper
Linus, the slave
Mary Burleigh, Anne and Jack Rackum’s prison born child
Julius Chessher
Nina
Real
Francis and Elizabeth Dandridge did have large acreage in Stono, within St. Paul’s Parish in what was then Colleton County.
John Prue was real and related to Francis Dandridge through marriage of his sister, also named Frances.
The Charles Town Fortification brick wall with the half-moon battery really did have a pirate prison above it. Later a dungeon would be built under it to store cargo and eventually prisoners. It is now called The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon; there is a fun tour to take.
The gentleman pirate, Stede Bonnet, did sail with Blackbeard and was hung in Charles Towne.
All accounts of The Pink House Tavern are accurate. It is currently an art gallery and continued to serve as a brothel into the 20th century.
Pasties (plural for pasty and pronounced as păs’tēs, not pās’tēs) is a food that is a pastry usually filled with beef and vegetables.
The Powder Magazine was real and is still there today serving as a museum.
Fowling parties were very popular in upper crust society and would last for days.
Pteryplegia: The Art of Shooting-Flying is a real book that introduced sport shooting. It became a best seller and was wildly popular.
Anne and John Burleigh were also real Charles Towne residents. The tales of Anne Bonny and her new husband are most likely accurate. Many historians now believe that her father brought her back to Charles Towne where Anne married John and had many chi
ldren.
Chapter 22: Hilton Head’s Booty
Fiction
Mary Read’s treasure
Real
Hilton Head did have an ancient Indian tribe inhabit the island who built huge circle shaped mounds out of shells. Remains of the shell rings can still be seen at Sea Pines Forest Preserve.
The Swedish Boarding Axe pistol was only made between 1703 and 1709. They are extremely rare. Only one place in the world I know of makes a replica. Check out the real pictures of it and buy the real weapon at www.kingsforgeandmuzzleloading.com.
Before pearl farming existed, pearls were rare and very valuable.
A ship of the line was a large vessel but not as large and powerful as a man-of-war.
Chapter 23: Checkmate
Fiction
The attack to liberate the slave ship never happened.
Mingo
Margie, the wet-nurse
Real
The Florida Keys was originally known as Cayo Hueso because of the large amounts of unburied skeletons originally found by the Spanish.
All the accounts of Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Bogeymen, going souling for soul cakes, Lemuria, Jack-o-Lantern and Guy Fawkes celebrations are all accurate and prominent beliefs of the time.
An en passant might be unknown to many players but it is a real move in chess.
Accounts taken from real slave ships are even more inhuman than I describe in the book. Slaves ship cargo holds were horribly disgusting and cruel.
Pirate ships absolutely attacked slave ships and liberated their crews. I found estimates that 40%-60% of pirate crews were made up of ex-slaves.
Pirate ships were considered the first true forms of democracy in America. Their crews voted on all the major decisions about the ship.
Pirates really did have one of the first known examples of disability insurance through the use of mutual aid funds.
Pirate captains did not usually rule with an iron fist because they could get voted out and removed from their position at anytime.
Chapter 24: Hunting Pirates
Fiction
The final battle and duel at Myrtle Beach.
The Pirate House wench
Isaac’s and Garland’s son, Tobias
Real
“Long Bay “or “Myrtle Swash” eventually was renamed Myrtle Beach.
Man-of-war ships were terrifying vessels usually carrying as many as 40 cannons.
During my research on dueling I discovered that duels by blade and lantern at night were popular during that time period. The history behind dueling is fascinating and I could write another book just on the subject.
All the pirate weapons including grappling hooks, boarding axes, blunderbusses, plug bayonets, grenades, stinkpots, blades and firelocks of all kinds are all accurate.
Savannah did use ships’ waste ballast rocks to make cobblestone streets.
The Pirate House did exist in the time period of the book and is still in operation as a bar and restaurant today. You can see down into the real Pirate tunnels from inside the restaurant and take a tour. It is also world famous for being haunted by the ghost of Captain Flint and its history with the novel Treasure Island. The Trustees’ gardener’s house called the, Herb House, is part of the restaurant and is the oldest existing structure in Georgia. Order the steak at The Pirates House. It’s great!
Thanks for reading the book, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope it encourages you to visit and see some of the locations. Please remember, I am self-publishing so I could really use your help with marketing. If you enjoyed it please tell your friends and have them checkout www.PiratesofSavannahBook.com. Who knows? If I get enough support I might be talked into writing a sequel.
As always this is Tarrin P. Lupo and GOOD HUNTING!
About the Author
Tarrin P. Lupo is best known for being the author the historical fiction novel "Pirates of Savannah" and his children's book "Catch that Collie". He is also a full time liberty activist who runs a news service called The Low Country Liberty Report. He is also nationally known for co-hosting the wildly popular Wheels off Liberty show and guest hosting other acclaimed national podcasts. Tarrin has successfully written two eBooks titled Stash Your Swag: 100+ Secret Hiding Places Under $50 and How to Make a Living Outside the System. He currently resides in Savannah Georgia and is a member of the Free State Project, spending time in New Hampshire promoting the ideas of Freedom and Liberty.
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Pirates of Savannah: The Complete Trilogy - Colonial Historical Fiction Action Adventure (Pirates of Savannah (Adult Version)) Page 39