The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1879-07-26
THE CH.4IN OF GOLD.

Among the most remarkaple alpa
almost thelast Of the pirates, free.
hooters or buccaneers, who for
nearly two centuries infested the
tropic seas of this continent, was
Jean Lafittc, "thc Pirate Of the
Gulf"
It is singular that so very little
is known of this strange being
He was born in France, but no ono
knows where, about 1850. How,
or where, or when he died, is an
unsolved question. Vt is reported
that he was killed at sea; that he
died u natural death, in 1Sl7, and
that he died at Sisal In 1926; and
again that he died much later, in
France. The little that is sure Of
is this:
About the time our last war with
Great Britain begun, Lafitte was a
sea rover, slave-stoaler, buccaneer,
privateer, and so on, having his
headquarters on the island Of
Grand Terre, in the Bay Of Bara-
taria, about fifty miles west of the
mouth Of the Mississippi. He had
a number Of vessels, and large
following of dcsperadoes.
His position during the war was
for a time uncertain. ,.,and in 1914
Commodore Patterson undertook
to capture him. The commodore
took the vessels in harbor at Grand
Terrc, and destroyed the settlement ;
but Lafittc and his men, with. the
best ships, escaped, and resumed
their old business as soon as the
American force had disappeared.
In 1914, when the British were
preparing for a descent upon the
Gulf Coast, Commodore Percy
sought to enlist Lafitte for his as
sistant. But Lafitte had, in ear
lier life, been prisoner in England,
where llc was harshly treated, and
from that treatment he took an in
tense hatred to everybody and
everything British. 1t is averred
that the only acts Of his that were
in reality piracy, were toward Brit
ish vessels and officers. When
,tl:is offer to join in an attack upon
tho Americans was received, Lafittc
took a day or two to decide, but in
| stantly sent 4 messenger to Gov
crnor Claiborne, of louisiana, cX.
posing the British design, and Of
fering his aid to the Americans on
condition that he and his men
should receive full pardon for past
offenses. These terms were ac-
ceptcd, and it is asserted that La
iitte himself, with a small band of
his old piratieal crews, fought with
Jackson at the Battle Of New Or
leans.
But 1t is with the more romantic
history of Lafitte that We have to
doal. Pirates for the most part
have been ugly fcllows-fcrocious,
brutal, and altogether unlovcly.
Lafitte was gentleman. He was
six feet two inches high, finely
formed, with black hair and hazel
eyes, easy and graceful manners,
and captivating in address and
conversation.
That he often visited New Or
leans and other towns under as.
sumed names, and sometimes op-
cnly, is no doubt true. His reck-
lossness was displayed, when, on
learning that Governor Claiborne
had offered u reward Of five hun
drcd dollars for the pirates head, he
offered i thousand for the Cover
nor'5 head, and" handbills to that
effect were posted up in New Or
leans.
In 1911, Mrs. Davidge, a widow
| from Baltimore, had a boarding.
house in New Orleans, which was a
centre of attraction to tho young
men Of the Crescent City, and to
strangers within its gates. Fre'
quent parties were given by her
lo..la., J,,,;o~ tho N;,{or oo,-