The History of Texas: Jean Lafitte
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Mexican Revolution)
Jean
Lafitte, it appears, was the eldest of three brothers, natives of
Bordeaux in France. At an early age he ran away from home, and joined a
British vessel-of-war. His father pursued him, and brought him back. He
absconded the second time, and joined the British frigate Fox. Here,
after serving for some time, he deserted, and went to live with a French
family at Deptford. He did not remain long in this family, but, finding
quarters in a vessel for South America, he took passage, and went to Carthagena, and afterward to Santa Martha, which last-named place he for
a time made his home. Here he managed to fit out a privateer, with which
he often visited the coasts of the United States, particularly
Charleston. But, having killed a rival in an affair of the heart, he
left that port, and frequented the West India seas. In the year 1807,
the United States laid an embargo upon foreign commerce, which offered
great temptation to persons of easy virtue to engage in illicit trade.
New Orleans afforded a good market; while the various bays, lakes, and
bayous, about the mouth of
the Mississippi, furnished a secure retreat
and means of smuggling.
The island of Grand Terre, situated about
sixty miles from the delta of the Mississippi, stands in the entrance of
a lake behind it, which connects by a narrow pass on each side of the
island with the gulf of Mexico. The surface of the island is undulating,
and covered with a small growth of wood, and its waters abound in turtle
and fish. Previous to its occupation by the buccaneers, it was
uninhabited, but frequented by fishermen. About the year 1810 or 1811,
it was selected as the rendezvous of individuals of various nations,
who, driven from their homes by the wars which for so many years had
ravaged Europe and America, had engaged in a clandestine and lawless
trade. From the nature of this traffic, the island soon obtained, by
general consent, the name of Barataria. Though there were many leaders
engaged in this business, and connected by no other tie than that of
plunder, yet Jean Lafitte, from the superiority of his privateers, his
prudence in their management, and the completeness of his arrangements,
soon acquired over the other chieftains of Barataria an authority and
power nearly absolute. His two brothers, Pierre and Henri, or Antoine,
were located at New Orleans, and acted as his factors in disposing of
his prizes, and in furnishing him with supplies. So adroitly did Jean
manage this business, that, though his brothers were often brought
within the clutches of the law, he always escaped. In addition to his
other advantages, he had interested in this business many of the
principal merchants and traders in and about New Orleans. Thus, in a
year or two, the honest and fair traders of that city were greatly
injured, and the public morals so corrupted, that the state of
Louisiana
was well-nigh disgraced.
To correct this state of things, Governor
Claiborne, on the 15th of March, 1813, issued a proclamation, commanding
the Baratarians to disperse. Failing in this, the governor then offered
a reward of five hundred dollars for the head of Jean Lafitte. The
daring freebooter replied by an offer of fifteen thousand dollars for
the head of his excellency! The latter, seeing his authority thus set
at defiance, sent a company of militia to Barataria, to break up the
establishment. Unfortunately, it was commanded by one of Lafitte's old
captains. Lafitte surrounded them, loaded them with presents, and sent
them home. All these steps being reported to President Madison,
Commodore Patterson, of the United States navy, was ordered, early in
1814, to destroy the establishment.
Accordingly, on the 11th of June, 1814,
the commodore left New Orleans, accompanied by Colonel Ross and
seventy-one picked men of the 44th regiment, United States infantry. He
took with him the schooner Caroline and the United States gunboats at
the Balize. On the morning of the 16th he reached Barataria. The town
consisted of about forty houses, of different sizes, badly constructed,
and thatched with palmetto. The vessels of the freebooters consisted of
six fine schooners and one felucca, as cruisers, and one armed schooner,
under Carthagenian colors. The rovers came out to meet the commodore,
and formed their vessels into line of battle, having mounted on them
twenty pieces of cannon, and exhibiting a force of eight hundred or a
thousand men. But when they saw the commodore determined, and still
advancing, they abandoned the place and fled, concealing themselves in
the numerous morasses of the surrounding country. The commodore returned
to New Orleans on the 23d of June, bearing with him the vessels and
spoil of Barataria.
This expedition so crippled the
freebooters, that they could only operate afterward with great secrecy.
The war between the United States and Great Britain prevented further
attempts against them. They were, however, approached by the British in
a different manner. On the 3d of September, 1814, Captain Lockyer,
commander of his majesty's man-of-war Sophia, put in to the shore at
Barataria, and offered Lafitte the rank of post-captain in the British
navy, the command of a frigate, and thirty thousand pounds sterling, to
join his majesty's forces. Lafitte asked two weeks' time to consider the
proposal, giving the captain some hope, however, that he would accept
it.
The next day, Lafitte enclosed the
written propositions to Governor Claiborne, writing him also a polite
letter, tendering his services to the United States, on condition that
he and his adherents should be protected from further interruption. The
offer was accepted; and Lafitte and his men, stationed at the guns near
the levee, on the 8th of January, 1815, did such service as to call
forth a general pardon from the president of the United States.
The vigilance of the government, and the
promises of Lafitte, prevented him from re-establishing himself at
Barataria. After a visit to Washington city, in which he squandered his
wealth with princely profusion, he endeavored to establish his
headquarters at Port-au-Prince, but failed. While he was wandering over
the gulf of Mexico with his adherents, Aury sailed from Galveston on the
expedition against Soto la Marina; and, in a few days afterward, the
island was occupied by the buccaneers of Lafitte.
The number of his followers on the island
was about forty persons. On the 15th of April, 1817, the captains and
owners of vessels then present, consisting of Louis Itourribarria, Louis
Derieux, A. Pironneau, John Ducoing, Rousselin, Rd. Espagnol, and
Bartholomew Lafon— seven in all, Lafitte not choosing to have his name
used—met on board the schooner Carmelita, for the purpose of taking the
necessary oath of fidelity to the Mexican republic. Derieux, as
commandant, was duly sworn by Itourribarria; the others were severally
sworn by Derieux. Having reduced this proceeding to writing, they signed
it, and filed it as an evidence of the existence of a government at
Galveston.
By the 20th of the month, other
sailing-craft had come in; and, after due notice given, all the captains
and owners of vessels assembled on board the schooner Jupiter, and
proceeded to choose officers, and lay down such rules of government as
they required. Derieux was confirmed as military commandant, Pironneau
was appointed adjutant commandant, Ducoing judge of admiralty, Rousselin
administrator of the revenue, Espagnol secretary of the public treasury,
and Jean Jannet marine commandant of the place.
The laws established by the buccaneers
consisted of regulations concerning the mode of distributing the gains
of their profession, and the payment of the officers' salaries.
This new government had not the odor of
legitimacy which attached to that of Aury. The latter was duly appointed
by Manuel Herrera, commissioner from the Mexican republicans to the
United States; and Herrera certainly received his appointment from
President Morelos. Whether with or without the sanction of Aury, the
Lafitte government stipulated for the payment of all the old debts of
Aury's administration, provided the creditors were not non-residents.
This clause had the happy effect of withdrawing from Aury's banners such
of his followers as held claims against the old government.
The extent of Lafitte's authority as a
cruiser will appear from a statement of his connection with
Colonel
Ellis P. Bean. In the latter part of 1814, Bean was dispatched by
General Morelos, the then president of the revolutionary party in
Mexico, on a mission to the United States, to procure aid for the
patriot cause. At the port of Nautla, Bean found one of Lafitte's
vessels, Captain Dominic master, and, informing him of his business, was
taken on board, and landed at Barataria. Here Bean saw Lafitte, and
imparted to him the object of his mission. The buccaneer-chief conducted
him by a near way to New Orleans; and, upon an invitation from General
Jackson, with whom Bean was an old acquaintance, the latter took
command of one of the guns at the levee on the 8th of January, and
fought by the side of Lafitte in that battle. It was from Colonel Bean
that General Jackson received a detailed account of the conduct of the
Baratarians on that day. Lafitte, being pardoned, and hoping for more
honorable employment through the agency of Colonel Bean, furnished a
fine schooner to transport the latter, and the munitions he had
procured, back to Nautla. There is no doubt but that Bean gave Lafitte a
commission to cruise against the enemies of the Mexican republican
party; but, whether this commission was given before or after the battle
of New Orleans, is uncertain. We are also informed, from Colonel Bean's
letters, that this appointment was afterward confirmed by the republican
authority in Mexico.
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Texas History:
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