Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-26
The Pirate of the Gulf.
His Military Service and his Death.

His Military Service and his Death,
Lawrence Leslie contributes the followin rem
niscence OF noted pirate to the Inter. Ocean:
Jean LATTE, the Pirate of the Gulf" as he
was usually called, was u trenchmln by birth.
early enlisted IN the French navy and soon fell
into the hands of the English, by whom hc was
cruelty treated, kept long time in prison and
| only liberated when brought by confinement and
torture TO the very borders OF the grave lie
thus acquired hatred OF the Euglish. which he
| took occasion to Hlatiy on tho occasion OF the
| memorable attack on New Orleans.
OF his early life more than the above is not
| known. That he was wild, icstlcss and dating, |
| cold, inscriptions and cruel may well ba inag- |
ucd. The first positive glimpse We got of his |
mature lille is ut the island OF Grand Terrc or |
Barataria, an unduanS piece Of land, five SIX |
miles long, some sixty miles west OF the delta OF
the Mississippi Here, IN good harbJr, with a
strong natural position, made stronger BY forts |
and batteries we'll armed aud manned Jean La
tite, with 600 or 500 men aud eight ten yes.
sells, established his headquarters about the year
1907.
8 From this stronghold his cruisers went FORTH
sometimes under one flag aud sometimes under
| another, plunderlng the rich merchantmen which
were traversing the Gulf Oh their way to a prot-
table market. But Latitte repeled the appella-
tion ot pirate lie claimed to be only "prlyA
teer." SPAN had BECOME involved in a with
her South American colonies, and the latter were
sending out privt ers to prey upon Spanish COM
merce. From the government OF CarteGena La
ite obtained commission and entered upon a
career Of plunder, little caring what flag his we
inns bore 80 they covered a rich cargo
| Spanish, French, English and American were
ali the same to him, and he soon became a terro.
| TO all honest navlgators. The Iavages OF the Al
ALBANIA and other Confederate cruisers wers small
compared with the havoc made by laiitte's plrat-
ical 1eet 1t is estimated that 400 richly laden
. ships were captured by him and his euteuans,
- their cargoes being marketed in Nsw Orleans,
into which port they were Smugged.
Finally, ln 1878, the authorities OF Louisiana,
, wearied ot the lawlessness carried on SO near
their borders, Issued proclamation thToug h Gov
IA | Claiborne, dated New Orleans, March l6. 1919
reciting the numerous acts Of piracy nud SNUG
Cling with which the occupants Of Blratara wsIe
charged, and ordered them 10 disperse This
proclamation was disregardei, and soon alter the
Governor offered a reward oil ) 1000 for LATTE:
No head. This was shortly followed by counter
~ proclaim alton from the pirate, promising rewarl
09 OF $50 900 to any one who would deliver Govern
,GJ or Claiborne into his hands.
90 Matters were in this condition when late
)oo in 1914, the English resolved to attack New
~ Orleans. But the difficulties in ascending
1G0 the Mississippi were numerous, and they
900 finally resolved to seek a passage througt
DUO Barstaria and its bhvous; considering Oh
wy relations hstween tha authorities III NeV
IN Orleans and the pirati al crew at that point
%G they were confident OF attaching Lahlte Il
90 their interest. Thus on the 30th OF August
lSl4 Captain Lockyer, OF tho British shi
70 Sophie. sailed on ludl tulSslOu. l us bdi "a
10 tartan chiefthe employed l 100 meu unde
~ his command ami thirteen armed vessels
1V Cart. Lockyor WAS permitted TO land, am
had a private interview With the pirate. 4
. which he promised him, as reward for hi
Ino operation, $50, 900 In coin, II commissio
II in His Maiesty's navy, aud "a tree pardo
| for himself and followers. Iititt9 re1ues
ed ten days for consideration, pretending
desire to consult some OF his associates VIII
were then absent
tod lata InN
English on account OF their cruelty Ia hiI
iu early life. HIS interei, too, MAS with Ill
Americans. New Orleans was his best ma
ket for stolen goods, and II was importal
that he should coneliate the American GO
erument Therefore he instantly departt
for New Orleans, presented himself befol
Governor Claiborne in disguise, laid befol
. him the disptches from Capt. lrockyer, AN
others from Latitte, promising TO AID Il
= American cause ii pardoned.
AT the time OF his arrival an eNp6utl,
WAS fitting out to drive the pirates fro
their stronghold, and he asked that II
I'd. delayed. Claiborne laid tho letters beto
.pa- his council but they would not believe the
we genuine. aud the expedition was ordered
sail. Sorely disappointed, l.aiitte relurne
:; but before no reached his quarters his fol
had been attacked. his fleet sunk or ca
!, tured, and his men scattered. The sp
that fell into the hands OF the America
amounted to S5OOGO0.
IL was now too late TO sccept the HIATT
ling oyertures from the English, even II
WAS SO inclined; and his only salvation
ren.s In An American alliance. lie accordin
,sIoS. again wrote to Claiborne, saying that
aud his command were willing to enr
ADF themselves against the enemy. Gene
Jackson was consulted. aud was stron
,,r i'm favor OF the scheme. Accordingly. t.
ernor Claiborne issued proclamation, c
IN. Guiding as follows; ,,,,,,, ;,
II therefore ,io hereby invite them 4
Raratai ians) to join the standard OF
ouse. limited States, and am authorized 10
that should their conduct IN the HELD IN
a.. the APPRECIATION of the Major General I
ss;iv. that officer will unite with the Cover
Id on in a request to the President OF the l nj
x can States To extend to each and every ~
or st yidual so marching and 50 acting "a
: svi i've and full pardon
sales Iafitte and hundred or so OF his
lowers embraced these condiiiuns;and II
lErY than half that number came out oi prl
cept IN enroll themselves IN Jsckson's ar
TN and their service aud conductre'elVed
ushes. highest praise.
loods. An official account of the battle :
'earis. "Thus early on the morning oi Janua
"n,vu nn 1915. a rocket sent up 10y the Brltlsh it
solisi- announced that the action was ABOUT Il
ain. The Americans bad made "A bf
work OF cotton bales, which extended I
the leyee to the woods back OF Roiril