Woodes Rogers who had not yet accepted it, and started to rebuild the island's fortifications, which had fallen into decrepitude under pirate domination. Less than a month into his residence on New Providence, Rogers was faced with a double threat: Vane wrote, threatening to join with Edward Teach (better known as Blackbeard) to retake the island, and Rogers learned that the Spanish also planned to drive the British out of the Bahamas. Rogers' expedition suffered further setbacks. An unidentified disease killed almost a hundred of his expedition members, while leaving the long-term residents nearly untouched. Two of the three navy vessels, having
William Read (pirate) captured grab. Thomas White remained aboard until leaving to sail with Nathaniel North. William Read of the "Alexander" should not be confused with William Read of the "Ranger", a pirate who served under Captain Charles Harris until Harris was abandoned by Edward Low and captured by the "HMS Greyhound" in 1723. William Read (pirate) William Read (died 1701, last name occasionally Reed) was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. He is best known for rescuing fellow pirate captains John Bowen and Thomas White. Read was captain of the "Alexander", a 60-ton brigantine based out of Madagascar. Around