This year (1723) two Pirate sloops, called the Ranger and the Fortune, committed many piracies on the American Coast, having captured and sunk several vessels.—­On the 6th of June, they captured a Virginia sloop, which they plundered and let go, who soon after fell in with his Majesty’s Ship Grey Hound, Capt.  Solgard, of 20 guns, who on being informed of the piracy, immediately went in pursuit of the Pirates, and on the 10th came up with them about 14 leagues south from the east end of Long Island.  They mistaking her for a Merchant ship, immediately gave chase and commenced firing under the black flag.—­The Grey Hound succeeded in capturing the Ranger, one of the sloops, after having 7 men wounded, but the other Pirate escaped.  The Grey Hound and her prize arrived in the harbor of Newport, and the Pirates, 36 in number, were committed for trial.

    Trial of the Pirates.

    A Court of Admiralty, for the trial of Pirates, was held at
    Newport on the 10th, 11th and 12th of July.  The Hon. William
    Dummer, Lt.  Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of
    Massachusetts Bay, President of the Court.

The thirty-six Pirates taken by Capt.  Solgard, were tried, when Charles Harris, who acted as captain, and 25 of his men, were found guilty, and sentenced to suffer death, and 10 men were acquitted on the ground of having been forced into their service.

    Execution of the Pirates.

On Friday the 19th of July, the 26 Pirates were taken to a place in Newport, called Bull’s Point, (now Gravelly Point,) within the flux and reflux of the sea, and there hanged.  The following are their names:—­Charles Harris, Thomas Linnicar, Daniel Hyde, Stephen Mundon, Abraham Lacy, Edward Lawson, John Tomkins, Francis Laughton, John Fisgerald, Wm. Studfield, Owen Rice, Wm. Read, Wm. Blades, Tho’s Hagget, Peter Cues, Wm. Jones, Edward Eaton, John Brown, James Sprinkly, Joseph Sound, Charles Church, John Waters, Tho’s Powell, Joseph Libbey, Thomas Hazel, John Bright.

The Pirates were all young men, most of them were natives of England, Wm. Blades was from Rhode Island and Thomas Powell from Wethersfield, (Conn.); after the execution, their bodies were taken to the north end of Goat Island, and buried on the shore, between high and low water mark.

    As this was the most extensive execution of Pirates that ever
    took place at one time in the Colonies, it was attended by a vast
    multitude from every part of New England.

    From the Salem Observer, Nov. 11, 1843.

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Description of “Villains” in the “Boston Post-Boy,” Dec. 12, 1763.