Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....A Trip to Grand Isle (part 2) September 16, 1882
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Savanna King savanna18king@gmail.com August 12, 2023, 7:15 pm

The Thibodaux Sentinel September 16, 1882
A lugger was employed to transport a squad of us over to Fort Livingston on 
Grand Terre Island. A pleasant sail of a couple of hours brought us to our 
destination. 

Fort Livingston is situated upon a high point on the west side of the Grand 
Pass, fronting upon the Ocean’s beach.

It encloses about an acre of ground within the walls. Outside of the walls on 
two sides are deep canals separating the fort from the main land. Outside of the 
canals are heavy brick structures in which are port holes, intended for the use 
of riflemen to repulse any force that might attempt to enter within. The 
entrance to the port is by a bridge that can be lowered from within in case of a 
siege. 

About 20 immense guns are on the upper walls, but dismounted. Nothing of much 
value is within the fort, which is guarded by a sergeant as the sole defendant 
of the place. The walls are of brick and about 4 feet in thickness.

The Fort is practically of no earthly importance as a defense against the 
implements of modern warfare. A good vessel of war would batter it into atoms 
before church time on any morning.

It might be rendered serviceable in case of war to keep out smugglers and 
privateers who might wish to enter Grand Pass for pillage and plunder.

About a half mile up the beach stands the Government headquarters a large two 
story brick building, used as the quarters of the officers commanding the Fort. 
The sun sent down his scorching rays too hot for me to attempt to walk over to 
that building, upon the sandy beach.

This Fort has been built some 40 or 50 years. 

Near the Fort stands the Government light house 100 feet in height. An old 
gentleman resides near by, who for many years, has been attending to this beacon 
of warning and of safety to the sailor, passing through the Gulf. 

Grand Terre forms the Eastern isle of that chain along the Louisiana coast, that 
ends in Last Island about 100 miles to the West. This chain of Isles was once 
the favorite resort of the bold smugglers headed by Lafitte, who made their head 
quarters on them 60 to 75 years ago, and peddled their smuggled merchandise into 
the interior, through Grand Pass and Barataria Bayou, through the Atchafalaya 
River, Lake Verret, and the Attackapas canal into the Lafourche at 
Napoleonville, and by all other inlets that would bring them to any settlers to 
whom they could dispose of their merchandise, at fair prices, whilst laughing at 
the excise laws of Uncle Sam.

On the point, upon which the Light house stands at Grand Terre is said to have 
been one of Lafitte’s favorite rendez vous; on Caillou Island the stump of one 
his flag poles was pointed out in the sand on the Western end. 

Writers, often describe Lafitte and his bold companions, as Pirates, but such a 
title was unjust. Facts do not sustain such a charge. They were smugglers, and 
doubtless, in pursuit of their illicit work, when they come in contact with the 
agents of the Government, or any other power that attempted to interfere with 
their occupation they gave blows as hard as those they received, and did not 
hesitate to sacrifice life if necessary to insure their own safety, and plunder. 

In my younger days I have met and conversed with many old residents who 
remembered to have trafficked with Lafitte or his men as they passed up the 
Lafourche. And I have known and conversed with two or three persons who were 
Lafitte’s companions in their youthful days. These men all denounced with 
indignation, the charge that Lafitte was a Pirate, but admitted candidly that he 
was a smuggler. They all spoke of him with veneration, and if the bold outlaw 
inspired the same feeling for all his men as these old companions felt for their 
departed chief, it is no wonder that he and his comrades inspired so great an 
awe among their contemporaries.

His men were said to have always acted fairly and honorably with the residents 
of the Lafourche in their transactions. No violence or bravade was ever 
exhibited.

Tradition tells that in the early part of this century when Lafitte was in his 
glory, that he passed via the Atchafalaya river and the Attakapas canal into 
Bayou Lafourche with a boat of smuggled goods, on his way to New Orleans. Mr. 
Foley who was the Grand Father of Mr. H.B. Foley, now residing at Napoleonville 
was United States Marshal. He arrested Lafitte and started down the Mississippi 
river towards New Orleans with his noted prisoner. 

As they neared Bonnet Carre bend, a squad of armed men rose up on the bank and 
called out to them to land the boat. The Marshal ordered the rowers to pull for 
the opposite side of the stream, but as they approached another squad of armed 
men appeared, who hailed them with an order to land. This time the command was 
respected, and a landing effected. The Marshal was put on shore and informed, 
that by following the banks of the river, he would at some future time arrive at 
Donaldsonville. A hint was considered sufficient by the Marshal and Foley lost 
no time in footing it back to his home. 

Lafitte and his men offered their services to Gen. Jackson in the war of 1815. 
Whether they were engaged in the great battle of January 8, 1815 is involved in 
doubt, but from that date little is known of these bold rovers who were once 
feared and respected by the settlers in this Southern portion of Louisiana.

Grand Isle was, 40 or 50 years ago a sugar plantation. The wood by which the 
sugar was boiled was picked up on the beach. It may have floated from the Rocky 
Mountains, and passing out of the Mississippi river drifted under the influence 
of East winds to this island; it may have floated out of Amazon and been brought 
by the South breezes. Tradition says that the yield of sugar was good until 
ditches were cut from Gulf to bay across the island when the salt water so 
filtered into the soil that the cane would not make sugar. It also says, that 
the land was ruined by attempting to increase the yield by deep ploughing, by 
which the crust of the earth was broken and the salt water oozing through the 
sands caused the sugar to be so salty as to render it unfit for use, and the 
island, as a sugar plantation, was abandoned.

Still, another tradition says that the sugar made on the island was principally 
made in Cuba, was brought to Grand Isle and a crop of 50 hogsheads by the time 
it reached the New Orleans market, become one of 500 hogsheads, without 
increasing the Tariff revenues of the Government.

And yet another says that Grand Isle was a safe landing place for slave runners 
from Africa who would land their cargoes, thereon, where they would be retained 
long enough to recover from the fatigues of their voyage, learn a little English 
or French, become somewhat acclimated, whence they would be run through the 
various Bayous to the plantations along the coast and sold. 

Since those days changes that occurred have put a stop to all such traffic and 
the last two traditions probably tell the true story and explain how the salt 
got into the sugar. 


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