Page:Daring deeds of famous pirates; true stories of the stirring adventures, bravery and resource of pirates, filibusters & buccaneers (1917).djvu/215

 CHAPTER XVIII

A NOTORIOUS AMERICAN PIRATE

The notorious sea-robber of whom we are to speak in the following chapter has an especial interest for English and American readers, from the fact that he was a member of the Chesapeake during her historic duel with the Shannon. This Charles Gibbs was born in the State of Rhode Island in the year 1794. From the sulky, refractory character which he exhibited as a child any reader of human nature could have guessed that his career promised none too well, and when his full powers had been developed he developed finally into a singularly cruel robber of the sea. From one cruelty to another he sunk lower and lower until the inevitable gallows were ready to put an end to his atrocities.

Possessed of that roving spirit which was ever an early characteristic of those who were destined to become pirates, he threw up his work as farm-hand at the age of fifteen, ran away from home and signed on as one of the crew in the United States sloop-of-war Hornet. Off the coast of Pernambuco this ship was in action and captured H.M.S. sloop Peacock. The commander of the former was Captain Lawrence, and on his return he was promoted to command the Chesapeake, and to that ship Gibbs accompanied him. When the Shannon emerged from the fray victorious, the