Wilmington, NC 10 - Much Ado About Murder

Captain Jonathan Wood and his adventures as master of a vessel on its maiden voyage from Philadelphia to the West Indies in May of 1762. Those were war years for England, war with France and Spain.”
    “Remember,” Binkie interrupted, “America was still a colony at that time. The War for Independence had not yet been fought.”
    “They know that, Benjamin,” Aunt Ruby said. She is the only one who calls Binkie by his given name.
    “Captain Wood was hired by the ship’s owner to sail the brigantine to Barbados where merchants would receive the cargo. The cargo consisted of flour, bread, white oak, and other supplies. The cargo was worth 600 pounds.
    “The voyage took a month. They arrived on June 27th. Captain Wood’s orders were to remain in Barbados no longer than twenty days and indeed on the twentieth day he set sail for Philadelphia. His return cargo consisted of rum and sugar. And one passenger, a well-to-do Englishman from London. He and Captain Wood were about the same age, early twenties. They forged a fast friendship.”
    “Aunt Ruby,” Melanie inquired, “Do you mean a man in his early twenties possessed sufficient experience to captain one of those huge sailing ships to the West Indies?”
    Binkie answered, “Yes, Melanie dear, some of them began sailing as boys, you know, as young as fourteen or fifteen perhaps.”
    Aunt Ruby continued with her account of our ancestor’s adventures. “A few days out to sea, The Rebecca was captured by a French privateer. You see, the Rebecca was not armed because the owner was a Quaker. Seeing the approach of the privateer and knowing what it could mean for his new friend, Captain Wood instructed the Englishman to change his clothing for the rugged garments of one of the crew. The rich garments of the Englishman were then hidden in the Captain’s own trunk.”
    “Clever thinking,” Jon commented.
    “Captain Wood, being knowledgeable about the practices of privateers at high sea in those days, knew that it was common for a passenger or an officer to be taken for ransom. And that is precisely what happened. Captain Wood’s First Mate was taken hostage and Captain Wood was forced to make a written pledge of two thousand dollars on behalf of the ship’s owner.”
    Seeing me shake my head in disbelief, Binkie said, “Piracy was a common practice in those days, Ashley. When two countries were at war, they raided each other’s ships if they met on the high seas.”
    “There still are pirates out there,” Jon commented.
    “Captain Wood was then free to sail home to Philadelphia. After he arrived, the story of the abduction was reported in the Pennsylvania Gazette on …” Aunt Ruby consulted her notes, “… on August 19, 1762.”
    “Was the first mate ever released?” Melanie asked. “Did the ship’s owner pay the ransom?”
    “Yes,” Aunt Ruby replied, “but the transaction took about a year. During that year the first mate was held captive in Bordeaux.”
    “What became of the English passenger?” Jon asked.
    “There’s no further mention of him in any of the files I researched,” Aunt Ruby said. “And his name was never mentioned either.”
    “And just how is Captain Wood related to us?” Melanie wanted to know.
    “He was your fifth great-grandfather’s older brother. That would be Samuel Wood’s older brother.”
    “What exciting lives they lived in those days,” I commented.
    “Now it’s my turn,” Binkie said excitedly. “While Ruby was doing her research at the DAR library, I made a special visit to the Washington Monument. Cracks in the monument from the earthquake are being repaired and the monument is closed to the public. In fact, it may take until 2014 until the structure is made safe again.
    “But I had contacted the National Park Service and was able to secure an appointment with a park ranger to view the Thalian Stone.”
    “There’s a Thalian Stone?” Melanie asked.
    “Oh, yes, Melanie, I first viewed the stone many years ago when my mother was alive and she and I and other Thalians journeyed to the capitol to visit the monument. You see, I’ve served on the Thalian Association board for oh . . .”
    “Decades,” Aunt Ruby chimed in with a chuckle.
    “Yes, decades,” Binkie repeated with a smile. “And my mother before me. I felt it was my duty to check on the status of our stone. Had it been damaged in the earthquake, I wondered. I wanted to set my mind at ease and see for myself. And the park