The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-29
The Pirates Of Barataria.

In George w. Cables paa5er. in the
Century, on ssPlotters and Pirates of
Louisiana occurs the following descrip-
ton of the chiefs of the Pirates of Bara-
taria:
Much ink has been spilled from that
day to this to- maintain that they sailed
under letters of marque But certainly
/ no commission could be worth the un-
rolling when carried by men who had
removed themselves beyond all the re-
| straints that even seem to distinguish
privateering from piracy. They were
often overstocked with vessels and
booty, but they seem never to have been
embarrassed with the care of prisoners.
There lived at this time, in New Or
| leans, John and Pierre Lafitte. John,
the younger, but more conspicuous of
| the two, was a handsome man, fair, with
/ black hair and eyes, wearing his beard,
| as the fashion was, shaven neatly back
! from the front of his face His manner
was generally courteous, though he was
| irasci1le and in graver moments some
what harsh He spoke ffuently English,
| Spanish, Italian and French, using them
| with much affability at the hotel where
he resided, and indicating, in the pecu-
liarities of his French, his nativity in the
city OF Bordeaux
"a
man and had served in the French navy.
He appears to have been every way less
snowy than the other; but beyond doubt
both men were above the occupation
with which they began life in louisiana
This was the trade of blacksmith, though
at their forge, on the corner of St Philip
and Bourbon streets. probably none but
slave hands swung the sledge or shaped
the horseshoe.
1t was during the embargo, enforced
by the United States Government in
1908, that John Lafitte began to be
merchant. His store was in Royal street,
where, behind show of legitimate trade,
he was busy running the embargo with
goods and Africans. He wore the dis
guise carelessly. He was cool and in
trepid and had only the courts to evade,
and his unlawful adventures did not lift
his name from the published lists of
managers of society balls or break his
acquaintance with prominent legislators.
John and PIERRE Lafitte became the
commercial agents of the ''privateers -
BY and by they were their actual chiefs
They won great prosperity for the band;
prizes were rich and frequent, and slave |
cargOes profitable. John Lafitte did not |
at this time go to sea. He equipped |
vessels, sent them on their cruises, sold |
their prizes and slaves, and moved hith- |
er and thither throughout the Delta, |
administering affairs with boldness and |
sagacity. The Mississippi coasts in |
the parishes of st. James and St John |
the Baptist were often astir with his |
known presence, and his smaller vessels
pierced the interior as far as
Lac DIES Allemands. He knew the value
IF popular admiration, and was often at
country balls, where he enjoyed the
lame of great riches and courage, and
'educed many of the simple Acadian
youth to sail in his cruises His two
captains were Beluche and
Dominique You. Captain Dominique"
vas small, graceful, fair, of pleasant,
wen attractive face, and skillful sail
~ There were also Gambi, hand
some Italian, who died only few years
lgo at the old pirate village of Cheniere
and Rigoult, a dark French
man, whose ancient house still stands on
6rande Isle, the island next to Grande
Ferre on the west. And yet again John
ness and Johannot, unless-which APP
bears ikely-these were only the real
names of Dominique and Beluche.