Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
after the pirate vanished, a historian turned up an old Lafitte family Bible, in which the fol-
lowing note, seemingly written in the pirate's own hand, was found: “I owe all my ingenuity
to the influence of my grandmother, a Spanish Jewess, who bore witness at the time of the
Inquisition.”
The mystery of Lafitte's final years gave rise to legends. In some, he settled down to a quiet
life in New Orleans. In others, he changed sides and fought for Spain. Few believed he died,
or could be killed. In one story, he rescued Napoleon from exile on Saint Helena and spirited
himbacktoLouisiana,wherethetwomenlivedforyears,dyingintheirsleep,buriedsideby
side. A more likely version was reported by William Davis in
The Pirates Laffite
. According
to Davis, Jean headed south after getting the news of Pierre's death. He landed in Colombia,
where, in the way of the kid who joins the marines when a girl has broken his heart, he enlis-
ted in the navy. For months he followed the rules, patrolling the shores of Cartagena. But on
the morning of February 4, 1823, spotting what seemed to be a merchant ship, he felt the old
itch. Hegavechase andattacked, buthewaswrong.Itwasnotamerchant shipbutaSpanish
man-of-war. It's a familiar nightmare: you believe you're the hunter but soon realize you're
the prey. That afternoon, as Lafitte gave orders, a burst of gunfire swept across the deck and
cut him in half. He was 41, died instantly, and was buried at sea, 40 miles off Honduras.
The report of his death, as carried in the newspaper
Gaceta de Cartagena
, like so much
of New Orleans history, reads like a cover, the version given to the people so they'll never
learn the truth: “The loss of this brave naval official is moving. The boldness with which he
confronted the superior forces which hit him manifests well that, as an enthusiast of honor,
he wished to follow it down the road to death rather than abandon it in flight.”