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<v Speaker 1>Chapter thirty of Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts. This

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<v Speaker 1>is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the

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<v Speaker 1>public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit

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<v Speaker 1>LibriVox dot org. Recording by Lucy LaFaro, New South Wales, Australia.

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<v Speaker 1>Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts by Frank R. Stockton,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter thirty, The Pirate of the Golf. At the beginning

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<v Speaker 1>of this century, there was a very able and indeed

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<v Speaker 1>talented man living on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico,

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<v Speaker 1>who has been set down in the historical records of

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<v Speaker 1>the times as a very important pirate, and who is

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<v Speaker 1>described in story and in tradition as a gallant and

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<v Speaker 1>romantic freebooter of the sea. This man was John Lafitte,

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<v Speaker 1>widely known as the Pirate of the Gulf, and yet

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<v Speaker 1>who was in fact so little of a pirate that

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<v Speaker 1>it may be doubted whether or not he deserves a

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<v Speaker 1>place in these stories of American pirates. Lafitte was a

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<v Speaker 1>French blacksmith, and while still a young man, he came

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<v Speaker 1>with his two brothers to New Orleans and set up

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<v Speaker 1>a shop in Bourbon Street, where he did a good

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<v Speaker 1>business in horseshoeing and in other branches of his trade.

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<v Speaker 1>But he had a soul which soared high above his

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<v Speaker 1>anvil and his bellows, and, perceiving an opportunity to take

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<v Speaker 1>up a very profitable occupation, he gave up blacksmithing, and,

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<v Speaker 1>with his two brothers as partners, became a superintendent of

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<v Speaker 1>privateering and a general manager of semi legalized piracy. The

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<v Speaker 1>business opportunity which came to the watchful and clear sighted

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<v Speaker 1>Lafitte may be briefly described. In the early years of

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<v Speaker 1>this century, the Gulf of Mexico was the scene of

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<v Speaker 1>operations of small vessels, calling themselves privateers, but in fact pirates.

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<v Speaker 1>War had broken out between England and Spain on the

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<v Speaker 1>one side, and France on the other, and consequently the

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<v Speaker 1>first named nations were very glad to commission privateers to

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<v Speaker 1>prey upon the commerce of France. There were also privateers

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<v Speaker 1>who had been sent out by some of the Central

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<v Speaker 1>American republics who had thrown off the Spanish shoke, and these,

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<v Speaker 1>considering Spanish vessels as their proper booty, were very much

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<v Speaker 1>inclined to look upon English vessels in the same light

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<v Speaker 1>as the English and the Spanish were allies, and when

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<v Speaker 1>a few French privateers came also upon the scene, they

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<v Speaker 1>helped to make the business of legitimate capture of merchantmen

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<v Speaker 1>during the time of war a very complicated affair. But

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<v Speaker 1>upon one point these privateers, who so often acted as

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<v Speaker 1>pirates because they had not the spare time in which

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<v Speaker 1>to work out difficult problems of nationality, were all agreed,

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<v Speaker 1>when they had loaded their ships with booty, they must

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<v Speaker 1>sail to some place where it would be safe to

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<v Speaker 1>dispose of it. So, in course of time, the Bay

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<v Speaker 1>of Barrataria, about forty miles south of New Orleans and

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<v Speaker 1>very well situated for an illegal settiment, was chosen as

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<v Speaker 1>a privateer's port, and a large and flourishing colony soon

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<v Speaker 1>grew up at the head of the bay, to which

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<v Speaker 1>came privateers of every nationality to dispose of their cargoes.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, there was no one in the comparatively desolate

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<v Speaker 1>country about Barrataria who could buy the valuable goods which

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<v Speaker 1>were brought into that port. But the great object of

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<v Speaker 1>the owners of this merchandise was to smuggle it up

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<v Speaker 1>to New Orleans and dispose of it, but there could

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<v Speaker 1>be no legitimate traffic of this sort, for the United

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<v Speaker 1>States at the very beginning of the century was at

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<v Speaker 1>peace with England, France, and Spain, and therefore could not

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<v Speaker 1>receive into any of her ports goods which had been

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<v Speaker 1>captured from the ships of these nations. Consequently, the plunder

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<v Speaker 1>of the privateering pirates of Barrataria was brought up to

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<v Speaker 1>New Orleans in all sorts of secret and underhand fashions,

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<v Speaker 1>and sold to merchants in that city, without the custom

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<v Speaker 1>house having anything to do with the importations. Now this

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<v Speaker 1>was great business. John Lafitte had a great business mind,

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<v Speaker 1>and therefore it was not long after his arrival at

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<v Speaker 1>Barrataria before he was the head man in the colony

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<v Speaker 1>and director in chief of all its operations. Thus, by

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<v Speaker 1>becoming a prominent figure in a piratical ste circle, he

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<v Speaker 1>came to be considered a pirate, and as such came

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<v Speaker 1>down to us in the pages of history. But in

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<v Speaker 1>fact Lafitte never committed an act of piracy in his life.

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<v Speaker 1>He was a blacksmith and knew no more about sailing

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<v Speaker 1>a ship or even the smallest kind of a boat,

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<v Speaker 1>than he knew about the proper construction of a sonay.

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<v Speaker 1>He did not even try, like the celebrated Beaunet, to

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<v Speaker 1>find other people who would navigate a vessel for him,

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<v Speaker 1>for he had no taste for the ocean wave, and

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<v Speaker 1>all that he had to do he did upon firm

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<v Speaker 1>dry land. It is said of him that he was

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<v Speaker 1>never at sea but twice in his life, once when

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<v Speaker 1>he came from France and once when he left his country,

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<v Speaker 1>And on neither occasion did he sail under the Jolly Roger,

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<v Speaker 1>as the pirate flag was sometimes called. For these reasons,

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<v Speaker 1>it seemed scarcely right to call Lafitte a pirate, But

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<v Speaker 1>as he has been so generally considered in that light,

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<v Speaker 1>we will admit him into the bad company the stories

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<v Speaker 1>of whose lives we are now telling. The energy and

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<v Speaker 1>business abilities of Jean Lafitte soon made themselves felt not

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<v Speaker 1>only in Barrataria, but in New Orleans. The privateers found

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<v Speaker 1>that he managed their affairs with much discretion and considerable fairness,

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<v Speaker 1>and while they were willing to depend upon him, they

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<v Speaker 1>were obliged to obey him. On the other hand, the

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<v Speaker 1>trade of New Orleans was very much influenced by the

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<v Speaker 1>great quantities of goods which under Lafitte's direction, were smuggled

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<v Speaker 1>into the city. Many merchants and shopkeepers, who possessed no

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<v Speaker 1>consciences to speak of, were glad to buy these smuggled

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<v Speaker 1>goods for very little money and to sell them at

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<v Speaker 1>low prices and large profits. But the respectable business men

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<v Speaker 1>who were obliged to pay market prices for their goods,

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<v Speaker 1>were greatly disturbed by the large quantities of merchandise which

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<v Speaker 1>were continually smuggled into New Orleans and sold at rates

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<v Speaker 1>with which they could not compete. It was towards the

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<v Speaker 1>end of our war with England, which began in eighteen twelve,

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<v Speaker 1>that the government of the United States, urged to speedy

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<v Speaker 1>action by the increasing complaints of the law abiding merchants

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<v Speaker 1>of New Orleans, determined to send out a small naval

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<v Speaker 1>force and entirely break up the illegitimate rendezvous at Barrataria.

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<v Speaker 1>Lafitte's two brothers were in New Orleans acting as his agents,

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<v Speaker 1>and one of them, Dominique, was arrested and thrown into prison,

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<v Speaker 1>and Commodore Patterson, who was commanding at that station, was

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<v Speaker 1>ordered to fit out an expedition as quickly as possible

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<v Speaker 1>to sail down to Barrataria, to destroy the ships found

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<v Speaker 1>in the bay, to capture the town, and to confiscate

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<v Speaker 1>and seize upon all goods which might be found in

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<v Speaker 1>the place. When Jean Lafitte heard of the vigorous methods

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<v Speaker 1>which were about to be taken against him, his prospects

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<v Speaker 1>must have been very gloomy ones, For of course, he

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<v Speaker 1>could not defend his little colony against a regular naval force, which,

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<v Speaker 1>although its large vessels could not sail into the shallow bay,

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<v Speaker 1>could send out boats with armed crews, against which it

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<v Speaker 1>would be foolish for him to contend. But just about

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<v Speaker 1>this time a very strange thing happened. A strong English

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<v Speaker 1>naval force had taken possession of Pensacola, Florida, and as

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<v Speaker 1>an attack upon New Orleans was contemplated. The British commander,

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<v Speaker 1>knowing of Lafitte's colony at Barrataria, and believing that these

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<v Speaker 1>hardy and reckless adventurers would be very valuable allies in

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<v Speaker 1>the proposed movement upon the city, determined to send an

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<v Speaker 1>ambassador to Lafitte to see what could be done in

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<v Speaker 1>the way of forming an alliance with this powerful leader

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<v Speaker 1>of semi pirates. And smugglers. Accordingly, the sloop of war Sophia,

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<v Speaker 1>commanded by Captain Lockyer, was sent to Barrataria to treat

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<v Speaker 1>with Lafitte, and when this vessel arrived off the mouth

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<v Speaker 1>of the harbor, which she could not enter, she began

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<v Speaker 1>firing signal guns in order to attract the attention of

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<v Speaker 1>the people of the colony. Naturally enough, the report of

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<v Speaker 1>the Sofia's guns created a great excitement in Barrataria, and

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<v Speaker 1>all the people who happened to be at the settlement

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<v Speaker 1>at that time crowded out upon the beach to see

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<v Speaker 1>what they could see. But the war vessel was too

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<v Speaker 1>far away for them to distinguish her nationality, and Lafitte

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<v Speaker 1>quickly made up his mind that the only thing for

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<v Speaker 1>him to do was to row out to the mouth

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<v Speaker 1>of the harbor and see what was the matter. Without doubt,

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<v Speaker 1>he feared that this was the United States vessel which

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<v Speaker 1>had come to break up his settlement. But whether this

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<v Speaker 1>was the case or not, he must go out and

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<v Speaker 1>try the effect of fair words, for he had no

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<v Speaker 1>desire whatever to defend his interests by hard blows. Before

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<v Speaker 1>Lafitte reached the vessel, he was surprised to find it

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<v Speaker 1>was a British man of war, not an American, and

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<v Speaker 1>very soon he saw that a boat was coming from

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<v Speaker 1>it and rowing toward him. This boat contained Captain Lockyer

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<v Speaker 1>and two other officers besides the men who rowed it.

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<v Speaker 1>When the two boats met, the captain told who he

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<v Speaker 1>was and asked if mister Lafitte could be found in Barrataria,

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<v Speaker 1>stating that he had an important document to deliver to him.

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<v Speaker 1>The cautious Frenchman did not immediately admit that he was

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<v Speaker 1>the man for whom the document was intended, but he

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<v Speaker 1>said that Lafitte was at Barrataria, and as the two

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<v Speaker 1>boats rowed together towards shore, he thought it would be

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<v Speaker 1>as well to announce his position, and did so. When

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<v Speaker 1>the crowd of privateersmen saw the officers in British uniform

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<v Speaker 1>landing upon their beach, they were not inclined to receive

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<v Speaker 1>them kindly, for an attack had been made upon the

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<v Speaker 1>place by a small British force some time before, and

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<v Speaker 1>a good deal of damage had been done. But Lafitte,

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<v Speaker 1>quieted the angry feelings of his followers, conducted the officers

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<v Speaker 1>to his own house and treated them with great hospitality,

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<v Speaker 1>which he was able to do in fine style, for

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<v Speaker 1>his men brought into Barrataria luxuries from all parts of

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<v Speaker 1>the world. When Lafitte opened the package of papers which

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<v Speaker 1>Captain Lockyer handed to him, he was very much the christ.

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<v Speaker 1>Some of them were general proclamations announcing the intention of

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<v Speaker 1>Great Britain if the people of Louisiana did not submit

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<v Speaker 1>to her demands. But the most important document was one

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<v Speaker 1>in which Colonel Nicholls, commander in chief of the British

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<v Speaker 1>forces in the Gulf, made an offer to Lafitte and

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<v Speaker 1>his followers to become a part of the British Navy,

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<v Speaker 1>promising to give amnesty to all the inhabitants of Barrataria,

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<v Speaker 1>to make their leader a captain in the navy, and

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<v Speaker 1>to do a great many other good things, provided they

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<v Speaker 1>would join his forces and help him to attack the

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<v Speaker 1>American seaports. In case, however, this office should be refused,

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<v Speaker 1>the Barratarians were assured that their place would speedily be attacked,

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<v Speaker 1>their vessels destroyed, and all their possessions confiscated. Lafitte was

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<v Speaker 1>now in a state of great perplexity. He did not

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<v Speaker 1>wish to become a British captain, for his knowledge of

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<v Speaker 1>horseshoeing would be of no service to him in such

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<v Speaker 1>a capacity. Moreover, he had no love for the British,

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<v Speaker 1>and his sympathies were all on the side of the

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<v Speaker 1>United States in this war. But here he was with

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<v Speaker 1>the British commander asking him to become an ally and

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<v Speaker 1>to take up arms against the United States, threatening at

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<v Speaker 1>the same time to destroy him and his colony in

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<v Speaker 1>case of refusal. On the other hand, there was the

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<v Speaker 1>United States at that moment, preparing an expedition for the

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<v Speaker 1>purpose of breaking up the settlement at Barrataria, and to

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<v Speaker 1>do everything which the British threatened to do in case

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<v Speaker 1>Lafitte did not agree to their proposals. The chief of

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<v Speaker 1>Barrataria might have made a poor show with a cutlass

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<v Speaker 1>and a brace of pistols, but he was a long

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<v Speaker 1>headed and sagacious man with a strong tendency to practical diplomacy.

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<v Speaker 1>He was in a bad scrape, and he must act

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<v Speaker 1>with decision and promptness if he wanted to get out

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<v Speaker 1>of it. The first thing he did was to gain

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<v Speaker 1>time by delaying his answer to the proposition brought by

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<v Speaker 1>Captain Lockyer. He assured that officer that he must consult

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<v Speaker 1>with his people and see what they would do, and

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<v Speaker 1>that he must also get rid of some truculent members

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<v Speaker 1>of the colony who would never agree to act in

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<v Speaker 1>concert with England, and that therefore he should not be

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<v Speaker 1>able to give an answer to Colonel Nicholls for two weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>Captain Lockyer saw for himself that it would not be

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<v Speaker 1>an easy matter to induce these independent and unruly fellows,

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<v Speaker 1>many of whom already hated England, to enter into the

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<v Speaker 1>British service. Therefore, he thought it would be wise to

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<v Speaker 1>allow Lafitte the time he asked for, and he sailed away,

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<v Speaker 1>promising to return in fifteen days. The diplomatic Lafitte, having

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<v Speaker 1>finished for a time his negotiations with the British, lost

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<v Speaker 1>no time in communicating with the American authorities. He sent

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<v Speaker 1>to Governor Clairborne of Louisiana all the documents he had

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<v Speaker 1>received from Captain Lockyer, and wrote him a letter in

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<v Speaker 1>which he told him everything that had happened, and thus

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<v Speaker 1>gave to the United States the first authentic information of

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<v Speaker 1>the proposed attack upon Mobile and New Orleans. He then

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<v Speaker 1>told the Governor, that he had no intention of fighting

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<v Speaker 1>against the country he had adopted, that he was perfectly

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<v Speaker 1>willing and anxious to aid her in every manner possible,

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<v Speaker 1>and that he and his followers would gladly join the

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<v Speaker 1>United States against the British, asking nothing in return except

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<v Speaker 1>that all proceedings against Barrataria should be abandoned, that amnesty

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<v Speaker 1>should be given to him and his men, that his

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<v Speaker 1>brother should be released from prison, and that an act

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<v Speaker 1>of oblivion should be passed by which the deeds of

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<v Speaker 1>the smugglers of Barrataria should be condoned and forgotten. Furthermore,

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<v Speaker 1>he said that if the United States government did not

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<v Speaker 1>accede to his proposition, he would immediately depart from Barrataria

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<v Speaker 1>with all his men, for no matter what loss such

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<v Speaker 1>a proceeding might prove to him, he would not remain

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<v Speaker 1>in a place where he might be forced to act

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<v Speaker 1>against the United States. Lafitte also wrote to a member

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<v Speaker 1>of the Louisiana legislature, and his letters were well calculated

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<v Speaker 1>to produce a very good effect in his favor. The

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<v Speaker 1>governor immediately called a council and submitted the papers and

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<v Speaker 1>letters received from Lafitte when these had been read, two

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<v Speaker 1>points were considered by the Council, the first being that

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<v Speaker 1>the letters and proclamations from the British might be forgeries

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<v Speaker 1>concocted by Lafitte for the purpose of averting the punishment

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<v Speaker 1>which was threatened by the United States, and the second

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<v Speaker 1>whether or not it would be consistent with the dignity

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<v Speaker 1>of the government to treat with this leader of pirates

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<v Speaker 1>and smugglers. The consultation resulted in a decision not to

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<v Speaker 1>have anything to do with Lafitte in the way of negotiations,

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<v Speaker 1>and to hurry forward the preparations which had been made

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<v Speaker 1>for the destruction of the dangerous and injurious settlement at Barrataria.

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<v Speaker 1>In consequence of this action of the Council, Commodore Patterson

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<v Speaker 1>sailed in a very few days down the Mississippi and

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<v Speaker 1>attacked the pirate settlement at Barrataria, with such effect that

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<v Speaker 1>most of her ships were taken, many prisoners, and much

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<v Speaker 1>valuable merchandise captured, and the whole place utterly destroyed. Lafitte,

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<v Speaker 1>with the greater part of his men, had fled to

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<v Speaker 1>the woods and so escaped capture. Captain Lockyer at the

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<v Speaker 1>appointed time, arrived off the harbor of Barrataria and blazed

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<v Speaker 1>the way with his signal guns for forty eight hours,

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<v Speaker 1>but receiving no answer, and fearing to send a boat

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<v Speaker 1>into the harbor, suspecting treachery on the part of Lafitte,

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<v Speaker 1>he was obliged to depart in ignorance of what had happened.

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<v Speaker 1>When the papers in letters which had been sent to

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<v Speaker 1>Governor Claiborne by Lafitte were made public, the people of

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<v Speaker 1>Louisiana and the rest of the country did not at

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<v Speaker 1>all agree with the Governor and his counsel in regard

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<v Speaker 1>to their decision and their subsequent action, and Edward Livingstone,

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<v Speaker 1>a distinguished lawyer of New York, took the part of

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<v Speaker 1>Lafitte and argued very strongly in favor of his loyalty

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<v Speaker 1>and honesty in the affair. Even when it was discovered

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<v Speaker 1>that all the information which Lafitte had sent was perfectly correct,

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<v Speaker 1>and that a formidable attack was about to be made

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<v Speaker 1>upon New Orleans. General Jackson, who was in command in

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<v Speaker 1>that part of the country, issued a very savage proclamation

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<v Speaker 1>against the British method of making war, and among their

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<v Speaker 1>wicked deeds he mentioned nothing which seemed to him to

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<v Speaker 1>be worse than their endeavor to employ against the citizens

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<v Speaker 1>of the United States the band of Hellish Banditi commanded

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<v Speaker 1>by John Lafitte. But public opinion was strongly in favor

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<v Speaker 1>of the expirate of the Gulf, and as things began

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<v Speaker 1>to look more and more serious in regard to New Orleans,

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<v Speaker 1>General Jackson was at last very glad, in spite of

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<v Speaker 1>all that he had said, to accept the renewed offers

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<v Speaker 1>of Lafitte and his men to assist in the defense

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<v Speaker 1>of the city. And in consequence of his change of mind,

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<v Speaker 1>many of the former inhabitants of barriers Ataria fought in

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<v Speaker 1>the Battle of New Orleans and did good work. Their

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<v Speaker 1>services were so valuable, in fact, that when the war closed,

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<v Speaker 1>President Madison issued a proclamation in which it was stated

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<v Speaker 1>that the former inhabitants of Barrataria, in consequence of having

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<v Speaker 1>abandoned their wicked ways of life and having assisted in

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<v Speaker 1>the defense of their country, were now granted full pardon

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<v Speaker 1>for all the evil deeds they had previously committed. Now

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<v Speaker 1>Lafitte and his men were free and independent citizens of

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<v Speaker 1>the United States, they could live where they pleased without

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<v Speaker 1>fear of molestation, and could enter into any sort of

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<v Speaker 1>legal business which suited their fancy. But this did not

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<v Speaker 1>satisfy Lafitte. He had endeavored to take a prompt and

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<v Speaker 1>honest stand on the side of his country. His offers

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<v Speaker 1>had been treated with contempt and disbelief. He had been

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<v Speaker 1>branded as a deceitful knave, and no disposition had been

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<v Speaker 1>shown to act justly toward him until his services became

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<v Speaker 1>so necessary to the government that it was obliged to

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<v Speaker 1>accept them. Consequently, Lafitte, accompanied by some of his old adherents,

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<v Speaker 1>determined to leave a country where his loyalty had received

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<v Speaker 1>such unsatisfactory recognition, and to begin life again in some

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<v Speaker 1>other part of the American continent. Not long after the war,

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<v Speaker 1>he sailed out upon the Gulf of Mexico. For what

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<v Speaker 1>destination it is not known, but probably for some central

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<v Speaker 1>American port, And as nothing was ever heard of him

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<v Speaker 1>or his party, it is believed by many persons that

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<v Speaker 1>they all perished in the great storm which arose soon

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<v Speaker 1>after their departure. There were other persons, however, who stated

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<v Speaker 1>that he reached Yucatan, where he died on dry land.

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<v Speaker 1>In eighteen twenty six, but the end of Lafitte is

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<v Speaker 1>no more doubtful than his right to the title given

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<v Speaker 1>to him by people of a romantic turn of mind,

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<v Speaker 1>and other persons of a still more fanciful disposition might

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<v Speaker 1>be willing to suppose that the Gulf of Mexico, indignant

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<v Speaker 1>at the undeserved distinction which had come to him, had

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<v Speaker 1>swallowed him up in order to put an end to

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<v Speaker 1>his pretension to the title of the Pirate of the

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<v Speaker 1>Gulf end of Chapter thirty