hitman

That was my worry deacon with so many ships and crews never touching the southern cost I cant imagine witch way to go it appears that one could do pretty much as they wished and be able to defend it but I'd like to get this into the plaussible not just possible range. I know that the Alabama was built and fitted out in europe. Is there any documantation on where they got their arms. I haven't found too much yet in my online search and our local library is so outclassed by even small town standardes for the moment the internet is the only place I can look. I'm also running into a wall in regards to my side arm but then thats another story

Well Foxe The capt isn't exactly 180 out on that yes there were other occupations a woman could hold but they were few and far between. Normaly the choice was a woman was house wife or the worlds oldest proffesion. Unless of course she was a slave then she could work the fields same as any man. Now you are correct that there were women in other fields the thing is these women were the exceptions not the rule. For instance there was a black poet that John Paul Jones had a fasination with. She had been a slave but when her incredible poetry came out (and she passed a board of inquiry) she was regocnized as something of a rareity and to a very small degree (very very small) was accepted into the society of Northeren Virginia.

NOT I......Hey is it just me or is it the threads where we will never really know the answer that seem to be the most intresting. Also I'd never go so far as to doubt his courage. My point was more to the line of the jitters all but the craziest of people get right before thay knowingly enter a situation that could cause them bodily harm.

Found these pics of the real thing, http://www.confederatearmscompany.com/catelog2.html if your wonderin why I dont snap em up me maties I'll be pointen ya to the price.

capnwilliam You asked about the pipes and tobacco in egyptian mummies."where did they get the weed" You just asked the million dollar ? my friend. If you belive in the theory of diffusion (i.e. that there was contact and trade with the new world long before columbous sailed the ocean blue.) Then you have one more peice of circumstantial evidance. but beware mate don't speak of this in loud tones for you'll get lumped in with the crazies ( the ufo's built the pyramids kinda folks....they just ain't right and comein from me thats say'n something) As for me I'll brave these here waters and say that I belive in regular contact and trade b4 the dunce I mean navigator "found" us. If some surivivalist can make the crossing in a row boat then I'll lay odds that the phonecians could do it blinfolded. and thanks for the links mates I needed a new pipe.

Ahh Mister JB himself I love his songs. Fits into my cheap wine collection Warning if you are (as Lewis Grizzard ounce wrote) Cry'n bout my daddy drunk do not listen to a pirate looks at 40.

Played percussian in High school (yes percussian when you know how to play the timpani,xlophone,bells,chimes,do a good clean snare role, and carry the #5 bass drum in the Ga heat then you can call me a drummer or hell you can call me one now I don't care )

Ahoy mates, I've been lookin for info on the confederate commerce raiders. More pointedly weapons this propably runs the gammit of possibilities but maybe I can narrow it down some. Would loyalist arms naval cutlass and cabelas navy revolver cut it at muster or should I look else where?

There are several refrences to pine tar in this thread by that do you mean turpentine? It was of course widely avalible and the home turff of Black Beard himself was the Brits perrfered source of export. (the carolinas) If not turpentine do you mean raw pine tar I would find this difficult to belive given its nature witch (points to his avatar) I am quite familliar with.

A good point Cascabel I had forgoton about the explosive listing for black powder. I always thought that a little odd seeing as how pyrodex and the like have more power per grain. Oh well best not to be given the law makers any ideas. (won't have anything left that smokes) I agree that flint locks would( I use would for my lack of experince with the flash and pan is limited) have trouble with pyrodex as I said it reguires more heat to ignite. While I have your attention I'd like to apologize for the seemingly wierd times I post if it takes me a while to get back too you its because I work third shift here in the real world.

Key guns were very rare but they did indeed exist ( if the history channels tales of the gun is to be belived)

In regards to the rifle versus smothie debate its worth adding the diffrence between the market hunter and the farmer. To the pro the rifle was the weapon of choice. When its your lively hood at stake the if its brown its down policy becomes a whole lot more appealing (one more reason I dont like the market hunters of the past) for the common man sustance was the need not expnsive buck skins. This diffrence along with the decaons argument about manufacturing are propably the root causes for the rarity of rifles in the north east. A little off topic but intresting to note it wasn't the colt or the winchester that "won the west" it was the shotgun in the hands of simple farmers. Thier reasons for the smooth bore were the same as those of thier ancestors.

Intrestingly enough Capt. Roberts Many of the female pirates in the orient had been prostitutes and that is how they came to be pirates. I didn't see this posted already but if so here it is agian http://www.deadmentellnotales.com/onlinete...womenlist.shtml This is a list of known female pirates. Hope the link works Quick edit here wanted to clarify the "that is how they became pirates" part I ment it to be in agreement with you Capt. Roberts but when I posted it I realised it didn't sound that way many apollogies madame

Here is a thought..... for the ladies.... and a damn fine joke for everyone else even if I do say so myself. Lets take an example of authenticity nazi posted earlier.."a tankayard full of pepsi and wearing raybans" now picture this person at your next gathering....he and his group of hangers on(what fun is being a authenticity nazi if no one is around to hear you whine?) As our group of misfit walks around harranging one person or another they come across a woman dressed in the makeup and attire of a gesha. Now picture all the fun you'll have knowing this person is actually potraying the most feared pirate of all time... Cheng Sao. In and around the year of 1810 she led a fleet of over 1000 vessels. She was so powerful in fact that for many years the Royal navy refused to engage her and British mariniers had to pay for thier security in the south china sea. Just thought a few of you lasses might get a kick out of that,and yes I know gesha is a Japanese term and that Sao was chinese but hey I'm trying to convay an image here. Now as some of you will note this situation fits in with what appears to be the concinsous here be as authentic as you can but still have FUN!!! And whats more fun than messin with the minds of your lessers hey

On the subject of pyrodex I would agree it must be almost worthless to reenactors. It was designed to be a reliable powder for hunting hence its avalibility in a capusle form. It reguires a hotter burn rate (this is why inlines are going to shotgun primers) but is supposed to be more resistant to humiditty and as said before can be reloaded faster than powder in its capsual form. If one was starting out in the world of black powder for hunting or competitive shooting it would propably be advisable as it ellimanates much of the measureing and possible explosians(i.e. the reloding from a flask being a grenade) but it just won't have the look of black powder

I be currently dry docked in the middle of no where. (With the exception thats its a day maybe two sail to the ocean I like it here) To give you an idea how far out of nowhere picture this..... outside these small towns in Georgia be what we call communities. Now these aint communities in the since city folk be useing, no this be a place that never did become a town but ounce had a store. If you drive about 6 miles from one of these and turn onto the right road you'll find me. Now if you really be into history Sherman passed not too for from here on his way to the sea and had a little dust up at a place called buckhead church. Now can you find that. Me matey

I don't know if I could go along with the demntia part of this thread. The simple truth is (and has already been stated) that pirates picked the best among them for there captin, given the skills needed to maintain this postion I doubt a person with advanced demintia could handle it. As any one with open mind and a honest tounge can tell you men do strange things to cover there fear. If I had to bet the rent I'd say black beard was crazy..........like a fox! To operate at anything like its peak level a sailing ship reguired vast amounts of skill to handle the day to day gripes and complaints of an other wise restless crew would reguire a not only a sound mind but more than a little bravado..(there weren't any empulants to garner respect aboard pirate ships) acting like a depraved heathen and mixing some gun powder in your rum would add just that much more respect among you're mates and accordingly that much more authority(we all rember the nut in high school who didn't seem to be afraid of anything). As for the burning hemp and other tricks I'll quote myself "men do strange things when they're scared" this extra bit of bravado if you will not only scared his opponet but would have given him something else to do besides sit and wait for the battle (like football players head butting each other on the sidelines) maybe me old compass is 180 out here but there's my two pence now wataya think.

I must admit I have enjoyed the argument but as a quick detour back to trafalger and pirating would anyone have a comment on Mahon's work as it relates to pirates (commerce raiders in his terms) and or trafalger. I find hisargument that as a millitary weapon commerce raiding was only truly effective if one had a main fleet to back it up quite persausive but then as you can see from my avatar I have a connection to a certian example he used.

I dont know if pilots will be going obselete any time soon. The reason for this is simple even today virtually all major harbors have piolts the reason is you have to not only operate the vessel through the everchanging dangers of a port but you must also bring the massive ship to rest without killing everyone on the dock. The proplem with replacig this with moderen tech is simple ...... who's at fault when something goes wrong? It sounds stupid I know but this is the reason that automatic piolt isn't avalible in your car yet. As far as history goes I haven't gone father back than the late 17th century but it appears from that time forward the term pilot was simmiliar to todays use of the word.

I am very new to Pirating but at firearms I'm an old hand despite my youth. The advice in your quote is dead on. I haven't done or seen enough reenactments to know how they work but this is a secret my dad taught me and I'll share it here with you these rules are all you really need to know the trick is to not just know them but to live by them ALWAYS!!

The three band enfield I do belive I know that model(points to his flag) or could I be mistaken