The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-01-21

sailed for South America. remained
behind on the island with Chauvet
Chauvet was not the leader Lafitte was
He liked dash and enterprise; he wa
cross cruel, harsh, avarieious anC
ovcrbearing. We feared him. but die
not love him as we did LATTE. Well
one day Chauvet took command of the
Vengeance, the fastest vessel and besi
armed of our navy, and sailed into the
gulf for a cruise. We stopped at one
of the Florida Keys, and, while there,
ChRuvet sesived some dispatches, this
contents of which seemed to give him
intense pleasure. He Immediately
weighed anchor and run into the Allan
tic, heading for Hatterss. After We
got off Hatteras, man was kept day
and night aloft, on the lookout, with
orders to report every sail he saw. One
day, think it vas sometime IN the
month of March or April, 1916, the man
alofb reported a strange sail on our lar
board. Chauvet seized mis- glass, and
after viewing the stranger for some time.
ordered the men piped to quarters, and
the decks cleared for action. was
then the gunner of the same identical
slx-pounder captured at New Orleans.
All but she was a beauty. I 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 a
fast sailer, but Mon DSeat she was a
tortoise compared to the Vengeance.
About day break next day we were 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
Georgetown, South Carolina, to New
York, and ran up the Stars and Stripes.
Chauvet, instead of displaying the
Venezuelan flag, under which we usu-
ally sailed, flung to the breeze the ter
rible black daG, and fred a broadside
into her. Non DieaG 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 g
sharp but brief conflict we carried her
by boarding, and every soul was either
put To the sword, or
MADE FOOD FOR SHARKS
in our own peculiar way. All but
didn't my pet, my beauty-my little
six-pounder, do good work Never g
shot missed. She behaved spIendidIy.
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,
depredating 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 my
self and my mate to go to him. We
descended and found him in the cabin.
confronted by beautiful woman, who
held an empty bottle in her hand, with
which she had struck Chauvet, who had
attempted, it seems, to make too free
with her. He ordered as to tie heI
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 oau q junT
overheard.
After cutting the captured vessel, and
transferring 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 a terrible fight with a Spanish
cruiser, and being badly hulled and cut
up, and after losing one third of oUl
crew (ah ! the brave felIows-how gal
lantly they fought y, we took advantage
of a foggy night to draw of. and under
full press of canvas made for the island.
Upon our arrival we found the Ven.
geance so badly damaged that it became
necessary to remove from her her arma.
ment and all valuables, and sent her tC
our navy yard for repairs.
We had cotton everything off but
three or four guns, my listle six-poundel
among the number, when one night,
through the Internal carelessness of the
watchman, the Vengeance caught fire
and burned to the waters edge, and II
a few hours after sank in the channel
between our town, on the east end oi
Galveston island, and our navy yard
which was about half mile to the west
All, how my heart bled to lose my
little pet-my little six FOUNDER.
grieved over its loss even as I grieve6
over the death of one of my comrades
o, little beauty, 7 little hoped ever tC
hear of you again. Yes, sirs, that can
non described in your paper, is my los
pet. I know her. Have not handled
her? Don't know every mark on her
The marks you describe near the eros
we're made by a cursed Spanish shot IL
our engagement in the gulf. If I wer'
not so old and SO feeble would trave
H.T- - AL.
pet.
The woman captured on the privatee
died a few days after our arrival il
Galveston, She was a very handsOm
woman, and I afterwards learned wa
the daughter of distinguished Ameri
can. Her clothing-which was of tn
finest msterial-was marked "T. A,
and she had golden locket containing
a portrait of a beautiful boy. On th
locket were the words, &c To my wife
| Theodosia." She was buried on tn
island, few hundred yards to the eas
of the old fort on the point. It wa
whispered among the men that Chauve
/ had killed her, because che would No
| yield to his wishes.
hope, sirs, you will excuse the pros
| talk of an old man. I am nearing IA
! end-have much to repent of. BU
when [ saw the description in you
paper of my lost pet, felt compelle
to write you the truth about her. NJ
old comrades, who may be hving-an
some were living in Texas q year ago
can bear witness to the truth of what
have written. am nearing the gravI
A few weeks, nay, days, and I may /
gone. There are but few of my ol
comrades living. Those that are wi
remember me when they read the nan
I bore in the brave days of Laitt
They will remember the best gunn'
Lafitte and Ohauvet ever had, the be
oarsmaD, and the one whom they nicl
named "PEcolier."
If you publish this in your pape
please correct the English and put son
polish to my rough sentences, for / ha'
some pride yet In maintaining the rep
tation for scholarship enjoyed amor
the brave filibusters of our loved Lafitt
A6ieU, messieurs,
JEAN BAPTIsTE CALLIsTRE.
Calcasizu, La, Dec. %, 1874.
in the New York postoffice there
8 clerk whose memory Of the Off
brings him back to the year 1896 VIII
a Young woman used 20 call every We,