The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-01-15

He liked dash and enterprise he wa
cross /; cruel, harsh, avaricious an
overbearing. We feared him, but di
not love him as we did Laftte. Well
one day Chauvet took command of tn
Vengeance, the fastest vessel and bes
armed Of our navy, and sailed into tn
gulf for cruise. We stopped at on
Of the Florida Keys, and, while there
Chauvet received some dispatches, tn
contents of which seemed to give hin
intense pleasure. He immediatel,
weighed anchor and run into the Allan
tic, heading for Hatteras. After W,
got off Hatteras, man was kept day
and night aloft, on the lookout, will
orders to report every sail he saw. One
day, I think it was sometime in the
month of March or April, 1915, the maj
aloft reported strange sail on our lar
board. Chauvet seized his glass, snG
after viewing the stranger for some time
ordered the men piped to quarters, and
the decks cleared for action. l was
then the gunner of the same identical
six-pounder captured at New Orleans
All but she was a beauty. 1 never
missed with her.
We kept the stranger in sight until
dark, and then, under press of sail,
began to crawl upon her. She was q
fast sailer, but Mon Dieu she was 9
tortoise compared to the Vengeance.
About daybreak next day we we're close
enough to make her out distinctly. She
was pilot boat built schooner, and was
armed two guns amid-ships and a
swival forward. We ran about 200 ca
bles' length distant from her, and Chau-
vet, mounting the railing, hailed her.
She replied that she was the American
privateer schooner Patriot, bound from
York, and ran up the Stars and Stripes.
Ohauvet, instead of displaying the
Venezuelan flag, under which we usu-
ally sailed, flung to the breeze the ter
rible black flag, and fred a broadside
into her. Mon Dieu the Yankees
were no towards, and they replied with
their starboard gun and their swival.
And well aimed they were, too, for we
had four men killed and some six
wounded by the discharge, besides hav-
ing our rigging badly cut up. After a
sharp but brief conflict we carried her
by boarding, and every soul was either
put te the sword, or
MADE FOOD FOR SHARKS
in our own peculiar way. All! but
didn't my pet, my beauty-mv little
six-pounder, do good work ! Never a
shot missed. She behaved splendidly.
And didn't pet and kiss her when the
fight was over and the prize secured. A
prize indeed the patriot proved. She
had been cruising for some months,
upon british commerce,
and was returning to New York to di-
vide the plunder.
After we had disposed of the dead
and living privateermen, Chauvet de-
scended into the cabin, and pretty soon
he called out in an angry tone for nv
self and my mate to go to him. We
descended and found him in the cabin,
confronted by a beautiful woman, who
held an empty bottle in her hand, with
which she had struck Chauvet, who had
it seems, to make too free
with her. He ordered us to tie her
hand and foot and convey her on board
the Vengeance and place her in his
cabin. We obeyed him but she
fought Us, and did all she could to jump
overheard.
After quitting the captured vessel, and
the valuables to the Ven
geance, we fred her, and then headed
for Galveston island.
just after we entered the gulf, and
while flying the Venezuelan flag, we
had terrible fight with a Spanish
cruiser, and being badly hulled and cut
up, and after losing one, third of our
crew (ah the brave fellows-how gal
Iantly they fought y, we took advantage
Of foggy night to draw of. and nnder
full press of canvas made for the island.
Upon our arrival we found the Ven
yeance SO badly damaged that it became
necessary to remove from her her arma-
ment and all valuables. and sent her TO
our navy yard for repairs.
We had cotton everything off but
three or four guns, my little six-pounder
among the number, when one night,
through the internal carelessness of the
the Vengeance caught fire
and burned to the waters edge, and in
4 few hours after sank In the channel
our town, on the east end of
Galveston island, and our navy yard,
which was about half mile to the west.
An, how my heart bled to lose my
title pet-my little six FOUNDER.
yrieved over its loss even as grieved
3ver the death OF one of my comrades.
D, little beauty, little hoped ever to
near of you again. Yes, sirs, that can
ION described in yOur paper, is my lost
pet. I know her. Have not handled
ler2 Don't know every mark on her ?
The marks you describe near the cross
we're made by cursed Spanish shot in
,ur engagement in the gulf. If / were
not so old and SO feeble would travel
70 Galveston to see once more my little
let.
The woman captured on the privateer
lied few days after our arrival in
She was very handsome
and I afterwards learned was
he daughter of distinguished Ameri-
,an. Her cIothing-which was OF the
inest material was marked "T. A."
md she had a golden locket containing
portrait of beautiful boy. On the
ocket were the words, "TO my wife,
She was buried on the
sland, few hundred yards to the east
# the old fort on the point. It was
among the men that Chauvet
lad killed her, because che would not
,ieId to his wishes.
I hope, sirs, you will excuse the prosy |
ak of an old man. / am nearing my
much to repent of. But |
ghen saw the description in your
,aper of my lost pet, I felt compelled |
O write you the truth about her. My |
Id comrades, who may be living-and |
ONE were living in Texas year ago |
an bear witness to the truth of what I |
ave written. / am nearing the grave. |
| few weeks, nay, days, and may be
one. There are but few of my old |
omrades living. Those that are will |
ne when they read the name
bore in the brave days of Lafitte. |
hey will remember the best gunner
Iafitte and Chauvet ever had, the best
arsman, and the one whom they nick
amed "PEcolier."
If you publish this in your paper,
lease correct the English and put some
olish to my rough sentences, for / have
ONE pride yet in maintaining the repu-
alton for scholarship enjoyed among
be brave filibusters of our loved Lafitte.
Adieu, messieurs,
JEAN BAPTIsTE CALLIsTRE.
Calcasizu, La, Dec. %, 1874.
Jim Fisks Estate.
An inventory Just made Of the Jim
'isk estate, which at the time of his
;II;,o, ~zoa raobcra5 of millions ehOua