Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
“Get in the canoe,” said Lafitte, “I'll take you to him.”
The captain and a few of his men climbed in. Lafitte talked as he ferried them across the
bay. He had a florid manner of speech that worked a kind of magic. He spoke of sea battles
and fog, of man's fate and treasures worth pursuing in this too-short life. The conversation
turned to the terrific battle then underway. Later called the War of 1812, it pitted the British
againsttheirformerAmericancolonists.FortheBritish,NewOrleanswouldbeagreatprize,
economically important and weakly defended, with a large French population whose loyalty
toAmerica wasquestionable. AsLafitte ranthecanoe aground,hereintroduced himself with
a flourish, saying,
“Lafitte c'est moi!”
TheBritishweresurroundedaspiratescamedowntotheshoretogreettheirleaderandhis
guests. Several men in the crowd wanted to kill the British, run 'em through, string 'em up.
The British navy was hated. No, said Lafitte, these men have come on parley, as our guests.
We don't hang guests.
The men sat on the veranda of Lafitte's house, eating lunch within sight of the sea.
Red snapper, oysters, wine. After much drinking, the British captain stated his business: he
wanted Lafitte and his men to join the British in an attack on New Orleans. If Lafitte agreed,
he would be rewarded with 30,000 pounds and a captaincy in the Royal Navy. If he refused,
the British would destroy Grand Terre. Carrot, stick. The specifics were explained in letters
that were left with Lafitte: the first included the promise (money, rank), the second included
the threat (cannonball, ruin). Lafitte said he needed time—he would have to explain the offer
to his followers. As a Frenchman in the age of Napoleon, Lafitte hated the British. He was,
in fact, something of an American patriot, had come to love his adopted country, though he
lived outside its laws. To him, the British offer was just an opportunity. He'd recently heard
the U.S. Navy would dispatch an armada to destroy Grand Terre. Here was a way to save his
island.
Thenextmorning,LafittesentamessagetoGovernorClaiborne,includingthelettersfrom
the British. These had great intelligence value, as they spelled out Britain's plans. This resul-
tedinacorrespondence betweenLafitte andClaiborne, inthecourseofwhichLafitte offered
the services of his men in the defense of New Orleans in return for a pardon, which Lafitte
described as “an act of oblivion for all that has been done hitherto.” “I may have evaded the
payment of duties to the custom house,” wrote Lafitte, “but I have never ceased to be a good
citizen; and all the offence I have committed I was forced to by certain vices in our laws.”
When Governor Claiborne discussed the proposal with city leaders, the response was
mixed.SomefearedtheBritishmorethantheyfearedthepirates.What'smore,asLafitteand
his followers were French, such a pardon would help unify a town that was an uneasy mix
of French and American. In making this case, Claiborne—he was married to a French native
of New Orleans—quoted a passage from Lafitte's letters: “I am the stray sheep, wishing to
return to the sheepfold. If you were thoroughly acquainted with the nature of my offences,
