The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-02

and became almost invincible. His success
was surprising for several years, and
then, having amassed immence wealth, he
abandoned the sea and returned to his
native France. But excessive gambling
and unstinted prohigacy soon depleted his
purse, and he finally fitted out a vessel
and sailed for the West Indies. Napier ac-
companied him, and, having captured sew
eral small vessels with rich cargOes, the
pirate made for Barataria, where a ready
market existed for the sale of plumber.
Barataria comprised part of the coast of
Louisiana, to the west of the mouths of
the Mississippi, and included a large
basin which extended the whole length of
the cyprus swamps, from the Gulf of
Mexico to three miles above New Or
leans
From all parts of lower Louisiana peo-
pie resOrted to Barataria, where the pf
rates were wont to congregate for the sale
of their struggled and stolen goods. La
fitte made this point his headquarters, and
the British sloops of war lowered about
and repeatedly attempted to cap
ture the pirates armed vessels and re-
cover their prizes, but every conflict re-
suited in favor of the Baratarians.
This was the condition of affairs when
the English invaded Louisiana and sought
to take New Orleans. LATTE was in the
harbor at Grand Terre when a British
man-of-war. bearing a flag of truce. sa-
luted his vessel. Two British naval officers
met the pirate by arrangement and, with
letters of authority from their superiors
in command, LATTE was offered the cap
taincy of forty-four-gun vessel, $50, 900 in
gold, and a high commission in the
English naval service if he would fight
against the United States. LATTE secured
time to consider the hattering PROPOSE
tions, and, as soon as his tempters had de-
parted, proceeded as rapidly as possible
in person to New Orleans, consulted with
Gen. Jackson, made known the over
lures of the British, and, disclosing all the
information he had obtained as to their
plans and intentions, he volunteered the
services of himself and men to Jackson.
His offer was at once accepted, and he
was assigned to a responsible position
where, with his trained artillerymen, he
kept up a most destructive fire, and moved
down the advancing columns of British
soldiers like grass before the scythe.
Near to him was another battery
manned by amateur gunners, that a col
umn of British troops had determined on
taking, and had almost succeeded, when
LATTE, seeing the danger, summoned a
number of his best men to his side, and
leaping over the breastworSs dashed with
cutlass in hand amid the startled enemy
and began cutting right and left with his
ready weapon. Scores of his men, who
had fought in such fierce hand-to-hand
struggles before on the bloody deck of
numerous vessels, followed their intrepid
leader, and the skill and agility with
which they handled sword and pistol
as well as the surprising recklessness of
men in abandoning the protection of
breastworks to assail an approaching en-
envy, astonished the red coats, and when
two of their officers fell before the flash
ing sword of the pirate chief the soldiers
were appalled, and precipitately fed.
Napier lost his eye and received the
wound that rendered his arm crippled for
life in that famous conflict and asserted
in his writings that it was Lafttes dar-
ing and decisive action at that all m
portant moment that turned tic tide of
battle and gave Jackson the victory.
Whether that was correct or not, the
fearless pirate captain was most
certainly deserving of the presidential
pardon which was granted for all pre-
vious offenses, because of his intrepid
gallantry in defense of the United States,
and sad regrets must ever arise that he
so soon afterward returned to his evil
ways.
After the death of LATTE Napier wrote
that his best friend was gone and he
sought to hide himself as far as possible
from the sight of the sea and in solitude
grieve for his lost captain. He stated that
he knew where immense treasures were
buried and could obtain at any time all
the wealth he wanted. The finding of