Vane cruised some time off the bar, in hopes to catch Yeats, and unfortunately for them, took two ships coming out, bound to London, and while the prisoners were aboard, some of the pirates gave out, that they designed to go into one of the rivers to the southward. Colonel Rhet, upon hearing this, sailed over the bar the , with the two sloops before mentioned; and having the wind northerly, went after the pirate Vane, and scoured the rivers and inlets to the southward; but not meeting with him, tacked and stood for Cape Fear River, in prosecution of his first design. On the , in the evening, the Colonel with his small squadron, entered the river, and saw, over a point of land, three sloops at an anchor, which were Major Bonnet and his prizes; but it happened that in going up the river, the pilot run the Colonel’s sloops aground, and it was dark before they were on float, which hindered their getting up that night. The pirates soon discovered the sloops, but not knowing who they were, or upon what design they came into that river, they manned three canoes, and sent them down to take them, but they quickly found their mistake, and returned to the sloop, with the unwelcome news. Major Bonnet made preparations that night for engaging, and took all the men out of the prizes. He showed Captain Manwaring, one of his prisoners, a letter, he had just wrote, which he declared he would send to the Governor of Carolina; the letter was to this effect, viz. that if the sloops, which then appeared, were sent out against him, by the said Governor, and he should get clear off, that he would burn and destroy all ships or vessels going in or coming out of South Carolina. The next morning they got under sail, and came down the river, designing only a running fight. Colonel Rhet’s sloops got likewise under sail, and stood for him, getting upon each quarter of the pirate, with intent to board him; which he perceiving, edged in towards the shore, and being warmly engaged, their sloop ran aground: the Carolina sloops being in the same shoal water, were in the same circumstances; the Henry, in which Colonel Rhet was, grounded within pistol shot of the pirate, and on his bow; the other sloop grounded right ahead of him, and almost out of gunshot, which made her of little service to the Colonel, while they lay aground.
At this time the pirate had a considerable advantage; for their sloop, after she was aground, listed from Colonel Rhet’s, by which means they were all covered, and the Colonel’s sloop listing the same way, his men were much exposed; notwithstanding which, they kept a brisk fire the whole time they lay thus aground, which was near five hours. The pirates made a wiff in their bloody flag, and beckoned several times with their hats in derision to the Colonel’s men, to come on board, which they answered with cheerful huzzas, and said, that they would speak with them by and by; which accordingly happened, for the Colonel’s sloop being first afloat, he got into deeper water, and after mending the sloop’s rigging, which was much shattered in the engagement, they stood for the pirate, to give the finishing stroke, and designed to go directly on board him; which he prevented, by sending a flag of truce, and after some time capitulating, they surrendered themselves prisoners. The Colonel took possession of the sloop, and was extremely pleased to find that Captain Thomas, who commanded her, was the individual person of Major Stede Bonnet, who had done them the honour several times to visit their own coast of Carolina.
There were killed in this action, on board the Henry, ten men, and fourteen wounded; on board the Sea Nymph, two killed and four wounded. The officers and sailors in both sloops behaved themselves with the greatest bravery; and had not the sloops so unluckily run aground, they had taken the pirate with much less loss of men; but as he designed to get by them, and so make a running fight, the Carolina sloops were obliged to keep near him, to prevent his getting away. Of the pirates there were seven killed and five wounded, two of which died soon after of their wounds. Colonel Rhet weigh’d the , from Cape Fear River, and arrived at Charleston the , to the great joy of the whole province of Carolina.
Bonnet and his crew, two days after, were put ashore, and there not being a public prison, the pirates were kept at the watch-house, under a guard of militia; but Major Bonnet was committed into the custody of the marshal, at his house; and in a few days after, David Hariot the Master, and
