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WERE THE L1FITTESPIRATES IUnearthed Records Of 1813-14.Grand Isle Sixty Years Ago.The wild and reckless life of a buccaneer has always had something about it so hazardous that their histories have always been read with more or less interest. The lives of the Lsfitte brothers of Louisiana has never been correctly written, one reason, perhaps, being that those who knew them best were implicated with them in their ventures.His headquarters were at Grand Isle, now a popular place of resort, and it was through Bayou Barataria that he brought his prize goods to the city. It has often been denied that he was more than a smuggler, but we leave to the reader the right of judging from the evidence we publish below. The circumstances of its taking were these: The GrandJury of the United States, composed as follows—Paul Lanuue, Foreman, Sami. Packwood,Jan. H. Shepherd, James Johnson,Benjamin Morgan, Stephen Henderson,David Urquhart, James Sterrett,Hichard ltelf, • Joseph McNeil,George M. Ogden, Charles Patton,William Nott, Rowland Craig,F. Duplessis, Sr., Zeuon Cavelier,W. Montgomery, Henry McCall,Benjamin btorv, Judah Touro,were assembled and in the July termbrought in the following indiotment:United States of America, ) District Court, Louisiana District. \ July Term.The grand jurors for the United States impanelled and sworn for the Louisiana District upon oath present that a certain Johannes of the city of New Orleans, mariner, on the —day of month, in the year of our Lord,1812, with force of arms upon the high seas, in a certain place distant about ten leagues trom the Island of Trinidad, in the West Indies, and within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court, did piratically and feloniously set upon, board, break and enter a certain merchaat ship belonging to persons unknown to the jurors aforesaid, and did then and there take upon the high seas, in the place aforesaid, aud within the jurisdiction afoiesaid, the said merchant ship and the tackle and apparel thereof of the value o' five thousand dollars money of the United States and seventy-seven negro slaves, being the cargo of said vessel of a value of thirty thousaud dollars money of the United S ates, the whole being the goods and chattels of a certain person uu-known, aud did rob, steal, Uke and carry away against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the United S.ates of America.And the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath aforesaid, further present and say that a certain Pierre Lifitte, of the city of New Orleans, mariner, on the — day of — month in the year of our Lor 1 eighteen hundred and —, in the city of New Orleans, and within the Louisiana District of the United S ates, before the robbery, piracy and felony by the said Johannes, in manner and form aforesaid done and perpetrated, did upon the land, to wit: the city of New Orleans, knowingly assist, proctm, command, counsel and advise the said Johaunes, the said robbery, piracy and felony, to do aud commit, contrary to the forui of tuo statutes in such case made und provided, and against the peace aud dignity of the United States of America.Paul Lanusse, Foreman.Then follows another indictment charging LaffiUe as being principal in the capture of the schooner Saita, commanded by Julien Hirra, at a point in a northwest coarse from Grand. Isle. The same foreman signs it. Process was accordingly issued to the Marshal, and Commodore Patterson with Lieut. Ross advanced with their forces down Bayou Barataria and captured P.erre, the voungor Laffitte, and all the men and vessels, breaking up the depot at Grand Lsle. A motion was made by the attorneys for the Litlittes, and the following testimony was taken to show that they ought not to be admitted to bail :Andrew Whitemin, being duly sworu, de-poseth and hayetb, that aboat twelve months ago he was employed in New Orleans by an Italian to go on a French privateer; that he was taken to the house of this Italian by a person called Antonio, and the name of the Italian was Johannes; that deponent received ten dollars lrom the Italian and agreed to go on board the privateer, and uith several other Italians ami French went some distance up the river, and from thence down to Grand Isle, where he went on board a small privateer mounting two gun3 and having about forty men onboard, commanded by C-tpt Johannes, belonging, as deponent believes, to the LnlPtes, who arrived there about the time the privateer sailed; deponent states that ou the first cruize they weut to Trinidad, where they captured an berimphrodite Spanish brig off the town of Trinidad with 77 si ives, which they brought to Grand Lie and sold to Mr. Sauvinet at $170 6ach. who wis there and brought said slaves away; that he has seen two of them lately in this city, one at a house on Orleans street, and that the whole of the slaves were sold ia this State by the said Sauvinet. That the privateer remained some time at Grmd Isle after her first cruize, when she went out on a second, along the coast towards Veri Ciuz, where she captured a Spanish schooner; that said schooner was brought to Cat Island, where her cargo, consisting of dry goods, wines, etc , were sold out to different persons who came there to purchase; that a Mr. Morin was there, and he thinks purchased a barge load of said goods; that when the goods taken in this way are sold.out, Pierre Lafitte take? a half of the profits. Tno deponent farther states that the brig that was taken on the first cru ze was afterwards used as a privateer, and the first vessel bnrnt; that the crev consisted of Spaniards, Americans and French. That after the third cruise, deponent was taken by Jean Lafitte to assist in bringing off goods; that they brought them by way of the lake 8 until they came some short distance above Lafourche, near ihe Mississippi River; that they were met by a young man of the name of Morin, portly and aboat 25 years of age, who resides at Lafourche; that Morin conducted them to the river, which they descended to Lafourche, where the goods were concealed on the bank ou the opposite side from the town; that they from thence came down the river on the boat, and the next night a small boat they had with them was attacked and taken, by whom he does not know; thit they then landed the goods on the levee before the home of a rich lady on the coas% and after wards removed them back into the bashes; that the goods when laud d on tee levee were covered over with wood; ttiv
Newspaper Details
The New Orleans Bulletin
New Orleans, Louisiana, US
Tue, Aug 31, 1875
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Rosenberg L.
TX, USA 28 Oct 2022
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