The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-10-19

u uZi nun III your inscription. lie wa
g nothing of tina, sort"
Was he not pirate 7" We exclaimed
with biting scep,icism and deiiIncc.n
Nothing of The SORT"
Nor freebooter, hnccaueer, a skim
mcr of The seas, with fl,g Of cross bones
aud long, low, black, fakish vessel p
, Nothing of that SOFT"
CIV ell. sir, Won aslound me. Perhaps
you will mex! DENY iha, he ever sailed o
, ship or Gu, throat ~
" Most empha'icaIy ! do deny thai be
ever did both"
; THAT he vas No, sailor anv more
than pirate ~ lie ~as ne,,Le,.n
Al this. VIC broke out into laugh end
complimenied our venerable friend upon his
ikll IN running a circular upon lond-lb.
bers. ! he elderly genileman rather dig
n fedly remarked that he d,a'ni Ike upon
serious matters and as h,ie was On old
friend and acquaintance Of his. he should
take no such Liberties With his history.
% d friend of Laitle's I" we said TO
ourselses, Here. pretty muss We have
ten or twelve miles ffon The shore, With q
particular friend Of one, Who, We u,c assur.
ed by the veracious lngraham and d zen
others, was the boodiea william that ever
SKINNED The seas. We Involuntary rails.
I'D Our umbrella, the only convenient weap
on a, hand, TO repel any effort Laite'.
friend nigh, make to punish The imperli
uen, inquiries N the mysterious life OF the
pirate.
/ A, last, the mild coun,cnance Of our com.
p1nion dIspellng ell apprehensions of vio.
lcnce. We feebly, and with n percep,be
sofiening Of cur voice and manner, remark.
ed
Then. my venerable friend, if Lafue
was not pirate, freebooter, a skinner
Of tie seas, aho ia the name Of Heaven was
he ?"
"A blacksmith I" he promptly replied.
a blacksmith r. On. son Of Jupiter Oh,
husband OF the lovely Nenu, Oh. Professor
Iueraham o., George l. pperd !!
"a blacksmith, sir; il j. incredible, i'm.
possible. How could he sail vessel If he
vas biacksui'h
lie never did sal o vessel. and could at
do It any m3.e than YOU" We had been
within an inch, q fcw moments before, al
caps Nc our vessel in q very shoi, admin
lsiration Of he helm of Slate.
Ls6ltc," Ger comp1n,on continued,
gravely ard deliberately, twas born lnBar.
dcauy, oud served his time at the black
smiths ttadc. lie came 10 this country
when quite young man. ard kept llule /
shop for some time on the L@,ee. Here he
remained Tor several years making an hon.
es, living at this trade, when, cue day, he
vas persuaded by sCue Spaniards on the I
lovee-some OF whom are now living 10
your CITY. in wealth and responsibility
go into The smuggling trade. He went into
partnership with the owner OF a vessel trad.
ing between Nea o. leans and the Yves, 10. /
dia Islands. He remained in the city 10 !
dispose Of the goods smugged, whilst his
partner maoegod The ship. Meeting with
greet success lie employed several other I
vessels. md taking advantage Of the con
iusion incident TO the situation OF Louisiana (
IN ne transfer from Spain 10 France, aud
from France to the Dated States, he oca
ted himself a, Ba'ataria, on q bay opening
into the Gull OF Mexico, where his vessels
unlosded. and their catgoes we're sent up
IN small boats and pitogues, through the
bayous and canals, 10 The Mississippi, and
we're taken across the river in boats, dis
gused as those Of the planters. The ar.
,cles thus smuggled, were disposed Of by
numerous agents, and handsome profits
were made upon them. AIer a while, the
attention OF the Govcnmen, beng attracted
to i,s operations, naval force, under the
command of Captain Patterson, was sen,
down 10 break them up. Lahte and his
men made out TO escape, but all ,he,r prop.
cry was confisca,ed their houses burned to
the ground. aud 80 vissige now rrmaIns 7
Of the establ,shnen,. Thus driven on, to +
sea, l. ,tite's men took to their vessels, and /
we're dode % sbou, the Islands in the Gulf,
when ,hs1English invading force arrived at .
The mSuth Of the Mississippi. Proposals .
wcrctheu submitted to Lsfte TO allow him .
a hsndsome annuity and nn honorable pos. /
III N in the Englsh navy, il he would pilot
lie British force up to the city, or inform
hem OF the mos, practicable route for reach /
ing the city. LATTE Immediately wrote
10 Gov. Claiborne o(the proposal, and beg /
ped to be permitted to fight under the Hog
Of tho United States. The Governor sub
mll,ed his petition to General Jackson, who
freely gtsnled their pardon and gave them
nm honorable position IN the lines on the
9Th of January, when, in charge OF the s
pouuders, they did effective service
This is briefly the history Of L1h'te,
lie has been much v,h6ed and .raduced.-
The crlminali,y Of his smuggling consisted
10 its being more open than much Of the
Snug Cling now catried on 10 your city,
Our companion then proceeded TO relate
many interesting incidents IN Laht'e's ll'e'
some Of which we will endeavor TO lay be-
fore our readers in future numbers Of our
l..... IL concluded hia narrative nv de.