The Unfortunate Captain Kidd
One of New York City’s most charismatic socialites and leading citizens, William Kidd (circa 1645 – 1701) was a personal friend of at least three colonial governors of New York. A philanthropist, he played a major role in building New York City’s now historic Trinity Church. There was little to indicate that he would end up a tragic loser, hanged as the notorious pirate, Captain Kidd. His first sea command was as a privateer. In 1689, the governor of Nevis commissioned him to fight the French, and gave him a letter of marque that authorized him to prey on French vessels. His mission was expanded in 1695, when he received a roving commission to attack pirates in the Indian Ocean.
Things got off to a bad start. As he sailed out of London in a newly equipped ship, the 34 gun and 150-man-crew Adventure Galley, Kidd offended a Royal Navy captain when he failed to salute his warship. In retaliation, the captain stopped the Adventure Galley, and pressed half of its into the Royal Navy. Kidd crossed the Atlantic short-handed, and replenished his crew in New York with whatever unemployed seafarers he could find. Most them were hardened criminals and former pirates. As he sailed to the Indian Ocean, a third of Kidd’s crew died of cholera by the time they reached the Comoros islands. To top it off, he was unable to find any of the pirates he had been sent to hunt down.