The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-03-24

4 ,
that Capt. Laftte left. The pirat
chief received the officer courteousl,
entertained him sumptuously at th
Red House, and issued instructions /
his followers to prepare to depart. TIL
buccaneers having everything in read
ness, LATTE ordered the town to be Sc
on fire, and embarking on the Pride, hi
favorite vessel, sailed from the islam
on the 18th of May, 1920, never to re
turn. After cruising in the Caribbea
sea for several years he located on tn
island of Mugeres, off the coast of Yu
catan, where, according to the travelle
Stevens, he died in 1926, leaving
widow and a hecatomb of turtle shell
to honor his memory.
JAMES CAMPBELL.
While LATTE was located at Calves
ton one of his favorite and trusted lieu
tenants was James Campbell, who doe:
not appear to have followed the FORTUNES
Of his chief after he had sailed from thi
place, as he was found located on farm
near Round Point, at the head of Gal
weston bay at very early day. Camp
bell was born in 1886, and in 1877
enlisted to join Commodore Perry OF
Lake Erie. Reaching Philadelphia he
was transferred to the frigate Constitu
ton and participated in her brilliant
engagement with the Guerrero. He
joined Laftte and became
his favorite lieutenant. Campbell al
ways spoke of Laftte as sailing under
letters of marque, said he was highly
honorable man and fearless privateer
but unhesitatingly denied that he was a
pirate. In early times Campbell had
frequent skirmishes with the rowing
bands of Indians who infested this vicin-
ity and hunted game on the island and
prairies. He finally settled at Camp
BELLS bayou, a few miles from Galveston,
lead quiet, peaceable life, and was a
good citizen. He was the last of
Lafitt's men left on Galveston bay, and
died on his farm on the 9TH of May,
1856, aged 10 years. He had two
son and daughter-both
residents of this county.
STEPHEN CHURCHILL
Was another of Lafitte's followers, who
located at Galveston after the establish
ment of the city. He was not disposed
to be communicative when questioned
the operations of that per-
son, but stated that he had participated
in but one cruise under him. He con-
irmed the reports of the selling of
slaves taken from Spanish vessels by
Laftte's men, and said that the average
price paid by them, by the people who
came to Campeachy to purchase, was
$40 per head. In january, 1889,
with his son, kept the ferry
at the west end of the island, and cap
tured a noted murderer named Cook,
who had escaped from prison at Gal
weston, and returned him to the sheriff
Churchill spent the latter part of his
life about Galveston bay, and died in
1853 or 1854.
JOHN LAMBERT.
This man was also lieutenant under
Laftte before he held sway here, but
after he was forced to leave the island
by the limited States forces did not fol
low him, but settled at Mobile, whence
he returned to Texas at an early day,
and in 1889 was established in Calves
ton as a butcher. He was large, pow
erful man, and very courteous. After
pursuing the business of butcher for
several years Lambert returned
to Mobile, where he died He was
not with LATTE when the latter was
located here, having left the barbarian
forces after the battle of New Orleans,
and after several years seclusion settled
at Montgomery, Ala, going thence to
Mobile, and finally coming to Galveston.
"CRAzY BEN"
Many besides the coolest inhabitants"
will remember Benjamin Dolliver,
known as "Crazy Ben,' who came and
went from this city for many years, and,
who had been one of Laftte's men. He
had served in the South American and
Florida wars as a soldier, and his skull
had been indented by stroke from
sabre, which impaired his intellect, and
when he drank liquor rendered him
crazy. The following notice of his phys
iqqe is extracted from the New Orleans
Delta of July, 1847, where it was head
ed 'sOne of Laftte's Crew."
might before last one of the guar
dams of the public peace belonging to
the Second municipality arrested
little weather-beaten man named Ben
iamin Dolliver. The accused talked
about boarding-pikes and cutlasses
spoke of kbags of silver in the shold,
and diamonds and bags of gold dust.
Delivers face looked like a piece of
carved into human semblance.
His nose was sharp and crooked enough
to have served for a boat-hook in an
and his mouth, cheeks and
throat were covered with a thick dark
beard. His little gray eyes twinkled in
their sockets with semi-piratical feroci-
ty. His forehead was SCARED and full
Of wrinkles, and seer might have dis
covered In them lines written by vice
in the tablet of crime. The police knew
him to be one of the crew once under
the command of the celebrated Lafitte,
and if Prof Ingraham had been In the
seat, he would have worked
him up into a splendid old pirate In
prize tale for one of the monthly maya
Zines. Recorder Baldwin, however, who
only deals In the prose and justice of
law, told the ancient denizen of Barata-
ria that he should let him go this time,
but never to come back again"
While .'RenH figured about Calves
ton after the settlement of the city, per-
manent domicile had he none. He was
and often COOLED his
by swim in the bay during
the coolest northers. SOLITARY and
alone" during the bleakest weather he
wandered far and unshrinking over the
desolate grairies.
aMnttering his hayward fancies to the
wind
like old Lear, bidding them howl on,
and setting up no claim for better treat
ment, on the score of having furnished
them with kingdoms, or bestowed upon
them the appellations of daughters.
Once when 'sBen" seemed communica-