Pirate Profile: Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans

[William the Drake]

Jean Lafitte was one of the last "true-blue" pirates sailing in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Lafitte was a French-American (there is speculation of his birth being in either Saint-Domingue or somewhere in France)  Lafitte and his brother had set up a small smuggling business operating out of Barataria, one of the many bayous (swamps) of southern Louisiana. Lafitte and his band of pirates (though Lafitte himself would claim himself to be a privateer) would plunder ships in the nearby area and return to the American city of New Orleans to re-sell their stolen goods. The close quartered and often dangerous bayous of southern Louisiana were difficult to navigate, lending to Lafitte and his fellow pirates to evade authorities for some time.

 

However, with the onset of the War of 1812 between England and the United States, the English were eager to acquire the valuable trade port of New Orleans, which was the key to almost all trade from the inland U.S. as well as control of the Mississippi River. The English first approached Lafitte with an offer of a rank of Captain in the Royal Navy if Lafitte would help the British attack New Orleans via the bayou. Lafitte refused, and instead offered his help to the U.S.

 

There is still speculation why Lafitte chose to side with the U.S. over the English. Some believe that the plight of freedom rung true with the French Lafitte and his 2nd in command, Dominique You, who was believed to have fought in the French Revolution and later as an cannoneer in Napoleon's Army (Much of this si speculation, as there is little information on him, and there are a number of contradictions between contemporary sources, one of which claiming that You was Lafitte's brother, according to Lafitte's personal journal.) Another possibility is that Lafitte felt allegiance with the many French Cajuns and Creoles of Louisiana, as well as the City of New Orleans being a heavy mixture of French and Spanish culture at the time. The most probable is that siding with the U.S. would have allowed for continued lax trading standards in the area and thus allow for Lafitte to continue his smuggling and pirating.

 

Though initially turned away, Lafitte eventually caught the eye of then General Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson. Jackson offered Lafitte and his band full pardons should they help defend New Orleans against the English. Lafitte agreed.

 

 

Lafitte and his band would prove themselves to Jackson in a number skirmishes with the English leading up to the actual Battle of New Orleans on January 8th, 1815. The Treaty of Ghent, officially ending the War of 1812 had in fact been signed the 24th of December, however the slow speed that news traveled meant that no parties knew of this. 

 

The battle took place on the the Banks of the Mississippi River near Chalmette, just downriver of New Orleans. Jackson, along with Lafitte's men, dug in at Chalmette Battlefield with around 4,700 troops. Jackson utilized Lafitte's heavier ship guns (compared to the land artillery that they had) and had them placed on land for the defense, the pirates being able to fire them with great speed and efficiency having been practiced with them at sea for some time. Over 10,000 British Troops under the command of General Edward Packenham landed at Chalmette. Packenham ordered two assaults, both to be repulsed by the U.S. forces. The final tally for the battle was ~50 Americans killed (Some estimates state as low as 10!) and ~200 Wounded or Missing, while the English had ~400 killed and ~2,000 missing or wounded. An amphibious attack by the British against New Orleans would be fought off by Fort St. Philip, which blocked the passage to New Orleans via the Mississippi. 

 

Per his word, Jackson pardoned Lafitte and his pirates. Later, Lafitte would set up a similar smuggling and pirate operation out of southern Texas. He would die from battle wounds on February 5th, 1823.

 

His legacy for his role in the Battle of New Orleans can still be seen in local lore, and a small bar in New Orleans named Lafitte's Landing.

Edited January 8, 2016 by William the Drake