Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....A Description of Lafitte September 9, 1871
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Savanna King savanna18king@gmail.com August 11, 2023, 5:26 pm

The Thibodaux Sentinel September 9, 1871
Some Account of his Career, and an Anecdote of Dominique, as Related by an 
Eminent and Venerable Late Citizen.

Lafitte was a native of Bordeaux. He kept for several years a store on Royal 
street. He boarded for some time at —-, where I took my meals and frequently met 
him. He was a handsome man, with black hair and eyes, fair complexion, and wore, 
as was then fashionable, narrow whiskers coming down each cheek and around his 
chin. He was an excellent linguist, and at table would converse fluently with 
individuals from every port in Europe–with the Bordelais in his native patois; 
with English, Spanish, Italians, each in their own language. But French was the 
language he commonly used, and this he spoke grammatically and like a man of 
education, but always with a patois accent.

Lafitte commenced his unlawful career by smuggling during the embargo. Among 
other things, he smuggled in negroes, which he sold chiefly in the Lafourche 
country; some of whom now (1863) still remain alive. He subsequently fitted out 
three vessels as privateers, under the flag of the Republic of Colombia, and 
attacked the commerce of Spain. In six months the Colombian Government was 
changed, Lafitte’s papers were no longer valid and his large outfit became 
probably a dead loss. He continued his cruises, and became a pirate. I believe 
he attacked none but Spanish vessels. I remember when three Spanish vessels were 
brought into Caillou Island, near Last Island; they were laden with a certain 
Spanish wine, and the citizens of the Attakapas went out to see them, and 
purchased a part of the cargo.

In 1814 when the English made their descent upon the coast of Louisiana, they 
made an offer to Lafitte to join them, which he refused. He sent their proposals 
to John R. Grimes and Abner Duncan, volunteer aids to Gen. Jackson–prominent 
citizens, who had known Lafitte in his reputable days, and he offered through 
them to lend his services to the American cause. These gentlemen cautiously 
introduced the subject to Jackson, and produced his papers, and induced him to 
consider his offer. Lafitte stipulated for a pardon for himself and his men, 
sixty in number. It was settled that they should surrender. He informed Jackson 
that he must be surrounded by a number three times larger than his own band. “My 
men,” said he, “will never give up if there are only two to one.”

All was done as was agreed upon. He was surrounded; he surrendered, was placed 
in prison, and his pardon granted. To him and his men was given the command of 
some guns at the fortifications. They were good gunners, and their pieces made 
great havoc among the enemy. They were placed near the swamp; the enemy 
advancing diagonally a little towards the centre, the pirates had full sweep of 
them.

After the battle of New Orleans, but little is known of Lafitte and his men. 
They determined to seek some land where the story of their crime had not 
penetrated. They quitted New Orleans and went to Galveston Island–some say for 
the purpose of colonizing it, others say to dig up treasures buried there. The 
last is improbable; men of their profession are notoriously reckless, and 
prodigal of their means; pirates and robbers never save. If they had treasures 
to bury it is safe to conjecture that they would select some spot more 
convenient to their usual haunts than Galveston Island, when in adverse weather 
it must have taken several days to make a trip, and which, from its very 
remoteness, must have been exposed to be plundered by faithless members of the 
band.

From Galveston Island it is uncertain whither they went. It is said that Lafitte 
sailed to South America. The absence of all intelligence is a proof that he was 
ashamed of his past career, and changed his name and profession as he intended 
and led a new life.

I have heard it stated that he has a daughter living now (1863) in New Orleans.

Lafitte was no sailor; he never commanded a vessel. He equipped them, paid their 
expenses, sold the cargoes of captured vessels, and was the financial manager. 
The vessels at sea were commanded by a captain employed by him, named Dominique, 
a rare and skillful sailor, small, fair, with a kind and pleasant face, a 
perfect picture of Cooper’s Red Rover. A citizen of St. Martin the late John F. 
Miller, related to me the following: That once he carried into Cuba from New 
Orleans a cargo of flour, which he sold for twenty thousand dollars; but bills 
of exchange were not in use between Havana and New Orleans; or at any rate he 
could procure none, and that he was forced to bring back the money in the 
schooner that had taken the flour; that he packed the dollars carefully in 
crates like oranges, taking a few filled with the latter for use at sea, and for 
his household at home. When near the coast of Florida, his vessel was boarded by 
pirates, and Dominique, whom Mr. Miller had known in New Orleans stepped aboard. 
He greeted Mr. Miller kindly, and this gentleman, as may be guessed was all 
courtesy. 

“Well Mr. Miller what have you on board today?”

“Nothing but a little rum and a few crates of oranges.”

“Why, didn’t you sell that flour?”

“Yes, Dominique; but you did not think I was going to bring the money back while 
you’ve got a vessel? And I sold the flour badly; it was a poor speculation. I 
wish I had let it alone. What I made I left in Cuba.”

“Well, let me see.”

Mr. Miller led him down and showed him the crates, and even opened one, 
containing oranges of course.

“Well, Mr. Miller, you have nothing that I want except a few oranges and a 
little rum for my men. Let me have those and I will let you go on.”

With the greatest alacrity Mr. Miller had the oranges and rum handed into the 
boat, which now departed with Dominique and those of his men which had 
accompanied him.

Years passed away; the war with England broke out. Dominique surrendered with 
the band, and being an excellent gunner, was placed in command of two important 
guns. It was some days ere the English advanced. Mr. Miller was stationed in 
another part of the lines. One afternoon he sauntered down to Dominique’s 
station. Seated there upon some timber, they conversed familiarly. Dominique 
made some allusion to Mr. Miller’s visit to Cuba; the other laughed.

“Dominique do you know I cheated you then? Those were crates of gold and silver, 
except those I gave you. I had twenty thousand dollars in the others.”

Dominique was silent for a moment or two; then, to Mr. Miller’s surprise, he 
seized his hand and shook it heartily. “I am glad of it, Mr. Miller!” he 
exclaimed; “I am delighted! Do you know,” in a low, impressive tone, “if my men 
had known that, you would have walked the plank? I could not have restrained 
them. They would have robbed you, killed you; and sunk your vessel.”

Dominique lived till a few years past in the parish of Iberville. He was not 
known and lived unmolested and to a great age. 


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