Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
counted, and divvied up among the navy officers. The pirate capital was sunken in the way
of Atlantis, turned into a story.
Jean Lafitte continued to scheme. Every trap has a catch, every cell has a secret door. He
sent letters, via courier, to the leaders of the city.
Grand Terre is dead and gone. The loot has
been retrieved, the privateers killed or jailed. What matters now is the city, which will soon
be attacked by the British. And for that, you need the men of Grand Terre
. Lafitte made this
casetoClaiborne,andClaibornemadeittoAndrewJacksonwhenhearrivedinNewOrleans
in December 1814. By then, Lafitte had become a popular cause. French residents demanded
the inclusion of the pirates in the defense of the city. Jackson finally came around when he
got a look at the situation on the ground. New Orleans was vulnerable. The defenders were
inexperienced in combat, and there were not nearly enough of them. Few were native to the
region—they would be as lost in the bayous as the British. But the pirates had lived in the
swamps as a man lives in his mind. For every path, they knew a dozen shortcuts, caves, hid-
den coves. They could serve as scouts, helping General Jackson and his officers understand
themapsandtheconfusedwaysoftheland.Theycouldstandsentryattheheadsofthechan-
nels, block the British from slipping into the city. Since several of the pirates had served un-
der Napoleon, they could offer hardened battle experience to an army of raw recruits.
There was also the matter of the flints—probably the deciding factor. To fire, the rifles in
use at the time needed a flint. This was like the reed used in a wind instrument. No reed,
no music; no flint, no bang-bang. As he prepared for the city's defense, Jackson realized his
army was dangerously short on flints. Even if they could outmaneuver the British, the Amer-
icanswouldnothaveenoughworkingguns.ItjustsohappenedJeanLafittehadthousandsof
flints hidden in Barataria. It was his insurance policy, his 100k in an unmarked safe-deposit
box.
Lafitte traveled to the city to work out terms. He came by canoe, tied at the foot of the
parade ground, walked the streets. He met General Jackson in the French Quarter that night.
It's a famous scene. Old Hickory from backwoods Tennessee, the lover of the common man
and the wild-haired face on the $20 bill, sharing a brandy with this duded-up gangster in pir-
ate finery, the men chatting as casually as a capo and a Mafia don in folding chairs on Mul-
berryStreet.Thetermswentasfollows:AnypiratewhojoinedtheAmericanswouldbefreed
from jail or welcomed back from Barataria, then assigned a role in the defense of the city.
At the end of the war, if the pirate's service had been honorable, Jackson would request an
official pardon from James Madison, the president of the United States.
Jean spent the Battle of New Orleans in the bayou. Though he did not see much action,
he played an important role. He was like the bouncer at the side door. His presence pushed
the British into the position desired by General Jackson. Pierre was more active. He was a
scout, advising the American commanders where to place their ships. Looking at the charts,
he told the navy officers which islands were islands and which only looked like islands but
