In
the early 1700s an escaped slave of African royalty turned to
piracy. For several years he roamed the Florida Keys
attacking ships of all nations. He called himself Black Cesar.
Black Cesar was skillful and vicious in the pursuit of his
chosen trade. He later joined the pirate Blackbeard and
sailed north on the 40gun ship Queen Ann’s Revenge. In
September 1718 near Ocracoke Island off the tip of Cape
Hatteras British Naval Lieutenant Maynard successfully
attacked the Queen Ann’s Revenge; Blackbeard is killed.
Black Cesar is captured and taken to Williamsburg, Virginia
where he is hanged.
On Friday the
13th in July of 1733 the annual Spanish Treasure
Fleet of 22 ships sails from Havana, Cuba for Spain. The next
day a hurricane swept all but one ship to their destruction.
The sunken ships are scattered over 30 miles of the Florida
Keys. The Spanish government salvaged what treasure they could
over the next few years however, millions of pesos remained on
the bottom of the shallow waters of the Florida Keys.
Nearly one hundred years later a man of mixed blood arrives
in the Florida Keys. He takes the name of Black Cesar and
resumes the pirate trade of his namesake. His attacks on
innocent ships are deadly and he always leaves one survivor to
spread the word of his deeds until the mere mention of his
name causes ships to surrender or flee.
In late
1803 word reaches London that this Black Cesar has discovered
the wreck of the Spanish Treasure ship San Pedro in the
shallow waters between Lower Matecumbe Key and Indian Key. It
is learned that Irish Rebels, who intend to use their share of
the treasure to wage a revolution on the British Government,
are financing the salvage operation with Black Cesar.
The
British government knows that while at peace with Spain a
naval squadron cannot be ordered into Spanish territory to
stop Black Cesar and his Irish benefactors.
The
Admiralty is directed to devise a plan for a clandestine
venture to prevent the pirate and the Irish Rebels from
succeeding in recovering the treasure and arming the Irish
Rebellion.
A
former Dutch merchantman is taken into the Royal Navy, armed,
and outfitted as a pirate raider. Commander Nathan Beauchamp
is given command and ordered to the Spanish Florida Keys to
prevent the San Pedro’s treasure from falling into Irish hands.
His Majesty’s pirate ship Hawk
sets sail on an adventure of danger, romance and the “Pursuit
of Honor” as have British Warships before her.
Can this
cumbersome former merchant ship succeed in her mission and
