The legislature offered a reward for the capture of Blackbeard or any of his men; but the Governor, feeling that this was not enough, determined to do something on his own responsibility, for he knew very well that the time might come when the pirate vessels would begin to haunt Virginia waters.
There happened to be at that time two small British men-of-war in Hampton Roads, and although the Governor had no authority to send these after the pirates, he fitted out two sloops at his own expense and manned them with the best fighting men from the war-vessels.

One of the sloops he put under Captain Brand, and the other under Captain Maynard, both brave and experienced naval officers.

All preparations were made with the greatest secrecy--for if Blackbeard had heard of what was going on, he would probably have decamped--and then the two sloops went out to sea with a commission from the Governor to capture Blackbeard, dead or alive.

This was a pretty heavy contract, but Brand and Maynard were courageous men and did not hesitate to take it.
The Virginians had been informed that the pirate captain and his men were on a vessel in Ocracoke Inlet, and when they arrived they found, to their delight, that Blackbeard was there.

When the pirates saw the two armed vessels sailing into the inlet, they knew very well that they were about to be attacked, and it did not take them long to get ready for a fight, nor did they wait to see what their enemy was about to do.