New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-17

strange Revelation BY an Ex.Piraee
Some days ago the Galveston .News put
lished an account of the recovery Of an oil,
ak pound bgase cannon By one Of tn
dredgeboats operating in the harbor at tina
port. Several conjectural histories of th,
recovered gun accompanied the announce
ment, none Of which according to che sela
ton gwen below were correct. SubseCuen
TO the publication above cited q person
who signs his name a. Jean Baptiste Calls
tro. and who, says he is now ninety year.
I and claims to have been q gunner O,
Lafittes pirate ship Vengeance, writes 2
| long but exceedingly interesting letter from
I Calcasleu. Louisiana. entering fully into
! the history Of che gun and how il came "a
De planted in the bottom OF Galveston bay,
the material portion Of this story is given
peIo~. But the etrangest part of 10 all Il
the revelation made concerning the fate 81
!heodosia Burr Aston, only daughter Of
Aaron Burr. Tho narrator, as will be seen
cialms that she was probably killed hv
ChSuVet, The pirate commander for refus.
ing to comply with his wishes. He asserts
positively that che was buried on Galveston
island. Speaking Of tho cannon recovered
IN toe bay. the old ex-pirate says:
~ aas story, and a most eventful, but
orlef one, and could 10 but speak would tell
its own tale in language far more eloouent
than can. am an old man nOw-"in The
sere and yellow leaf" I was MANY. many
years ago member Of the company of the
brave Latitte. ] am old now. close on to
ninety years, and though somewhat veal
OF limb and dim Of eight, yet have remem-
Drance OF persons and events of long ago
remarkably vivid. An old snan lives in Tho
past entirely; be 10 fond of talking Of tho
brave days Of his youth, Of Tho brave men
Who lived then, Of their deeds Of daring. Of
theft generosity, and Of himself. NAV.
sirs, grow tedious and prosy, but permit me
70 tell my story il thy own way-the story
OF the cannon-f0r, sirs, IL AGs 4 story. and
ono of great interest.
You will remember that . short fine
before che great battle Of New Orleans tho
great and brave General Andrew jackson
INDUCED our captain the brave LATTE. 70
help him fight the British. I we'll Ye,pen,her
The dag when a small veseel-a schoonar
appeared Oft che bar Of what is now called !
Galveston Island. She displayed the Amer. !
lean flag, fired gun and then lowered her
national flag, ran q white flag to her pe,I |
That meant a parley. Lattte scanned ,he |
new conner closely with his glass for eome !
minutes. and Then ordering his four-oared
,lg. pulled to the schooner. I was Then
7cung and 1usty and accounted the best
'trokc N our navy. and was one OF the gigs
S>oAoeO Ood1uCu Iue schooner and hA 1
mo young American officer, whose name
attervard learned was Donnelson-I.i.n.
ensnt Donnelson, Of General Jackson's
taH-descended into che cabin. There thew
emalned an hour Or more. and then they
anne Ous. As Latitte stepped over the !
chooner's side e. get into his gig, he said
DOnnelson: TELL General jackson I will
o with him. he may rely on me Tor a.
East eighty skilled artilleryists."
n
The name Of The schooner was the John
hancock. and neat clipper enc was. w.
nlled back 10 The fort, LaEtte saving not |
wore: out pulling in his quick, nervous
tanning some desperate work. That NIGHT |
le schooner weighed anchor and left. Tho !
ext morning there was . grand council |
eld at the fort. All this occurred = ioun
ing time ago-nearly sixty years ago! Won !
''sn! how time does fly: It seems but ses.
'rday. Well. sirs. ] don't want to DO to.
ous, outan old man is naturally garrulous. !
Q mas so much to live over in thought. So. !
re-. boar with me patiently. q,
don't know what happened in the ro,c. !
!. but two days after three Of our hen,
,ssele. with the flower Of our tilibusters.
lied Tor New Orleans under the Command :
the brave Latitte himself. Chauvef. his
ght bower. being With him After fonr ! !
'ys' sail We entered the Mississippi river. !
10 coon anchored ot New Orleans. little \
lcv tho city. ] was then , gunner ON ! .
ard the fen-gun brig Vengeance. com !
aA0e9 oy Chauvet. brave but cruel ! :
an. When the British forces. under Pak.
ham. approached the city, in January. d
10. We ran up and anchored above The | 4
y. Al! was buetle and preparation. We a
* OUT most OF The cannon and placed o
eIn IN position IN the work. Genera! Jack. =
2 had hastily thrown up at Chaime,te. n
'2V picked ar'illeryists, or gunners. l.
IN az our officers. headed by the brave ! Fl
mite IN person, manned them. :.
IN the eighth day Of January the British 9,
ehe0 terrific fire on us with their field ! Q,
ces. but as we were safe behind our "
thwOrks and cotton bales we lie, then: h,
sts their powder. Laftte-our brave r.
fItte! alb. how grand he looked: how his
OK eyes flashed: Oh. he was the gen;u. "a
the fight: How his French blood boiled h,
she sight Of red coat. Les Anglc;s tI
Ndes: jackson. tall and gauh'. was ..
wing among his men, occasionally o6. al
wing The British line with his glass. and ! Ii,
nIns anon toencourage his Tsnnesseeans We
kentuckians. How ;mpatien. ,bos. W
men appeared: But Jack.on's orders Or
rters - ~'''0 NC ue
fetty soon the cannonading ceased. and mi
we could see a long and solid line of br
'ish advancing. first at Glow, steady tn
Q. then az . double quick. When fhey ha
. in 300 yards Of our works. LATTE. tn
ngIng upon q gun carriage. Numbered
Fire" col
,cre 6sea3 What a sheet Of fame leaps 70,
!, from our suns: How the front ranks ! 10
ne foe seemed 10 melt away. Then l .
Sson. with . clear ringing voice that La
d be heard above the roar o: battle.
out: "Make every shot tell. Fire low.
boys!' Crack crack! went the uper. {
rifles. Our guns roared. Grape, can. Ja1
and round shot vent crashing through 1 me
advancing ranks. The toe ree.d under the
Ire. For an instant they faltered-for Nj
lstant nniy-then. with close! rank, mo,
again advanced under = mos, wither the
md deadly ire. A general officer leads bea
/. He n"rnts the parap... waving his ! the
y and cheering On his men. LATTE unc
gs toward him. pistol in hand. a new