Already one of Lafitte's brothers was in prison in New Orleans, and indictments were pending against all Barataria. Indeed, the authorities had determined to break up the "Pirates' Retreat."

The letters and papers from the British officers, and the whole case presented by Lafitte was generally believed to be a scheme of his own to preserve his vast ill-gotten gains, and restore himself to the favor of his State. But Governor Claiborne believed Jean was telling the exact truth, and accordingly placed the matter before General Jackson, who took the same view, but failed to see the virtues of the patriot privateer. The feeling against the pirates was too great to be easily set aside. The expedition against Barataria was sent under command of Commodore Patterson, who found his task an easy one. These bold, fearless adventurers refused to fight against the flag of their country. Some of them sought safety in flight, others gave themselves up. The booty was immense, but by no means such as had been set forth in the many lying tales of the "Pirates' Retreat."

It has been held, unfortunately with no little show of truth, that this expedition for the destruction of Barataria was instigated more by cupidity than by patriotism or any of the moral virtues; more from the desire to get possession of the fabulous wealth, however it may have been obtained, than from detestation of the skill that evaded the law, or the sophistry which attempted to reconcile the crime to the common notion of citizenship, correct and well enough when untried. Edward Livingston and others, who had full confidence in the representations of Lafitte, finally succeeded in arousing the people of New Orleans to take

steps for their defense. But Lafitte's good service in this case brought him little benefit, although the trial of the pirates left no certain evidence of the crime of piracy. One thing, at least, may be said of Lafitte, that however unfortunate the result of his case, and however great his disappointments, with the destruction of all his cherished hope of restoration to honorable citizenship, he never ceased to be patriotically devoted to his adopted country. Poor Jean was not destitute of good qualities among his many bad ones. In 1817, with all his earthly possessions, he left the United States to seek a home where his name might not be a source of terror to those around him; but in a great storm on the Gulf of Mexico, he lost his life. Lafitte was not wicked from choice, nor did he exert his ability to injure the world. The great evil the race flood of infernal poison

received from him was in the

in the shape of piratical romances to which his real, supposed, and imaginary career gave rise.

CHAPTER XIII.

GENERAL JACKSON VISITS PENSACOLA WITH THREE THOU-
SAND MEN-DRIVES THE BRITISH OUT OF FLORIDA-
THE ONE MAN AT NEW ORLEANS-THE BRITISH

ON THE MISSISSIPPI-PREPARATIONS FOR
THE CONFLICT.

SOON

OON after the battle of Fort Bowyer, General Jackson received Governor Claiborne's report of the disclosures of Lafitte; and on the 21st of September he issued a characteristic proclamation, in which he says:

"Louisianians! The Government of your choice is engaged in a just and honorable contest for the security of your individual and her national rights-on you, a part of America, the only country on earth where every man enjoys freedom-where its blessings are alike extended to the poor and the rich-she calls to protect these rights from the invading usurpation of Britain; and she calls not in vain. I well know that every man whose soul beats high at the proud title of freeman; that every Louisianian, either by birth or adoption, will promptly obey the voice of his country, will rally round the eagle of Columbia, secure it from the pending danger, or nobly die in the last ditch in its defense."

This intense outburst of patriotism was not without influence. The fiery soldier had not long to wait for the gathering of troops. His appeals to Tennesseeans were everywhere heeded, but somehow the men from the General's own State were greatly prone to be mutinous. At this time while waiting for the collection of an army occurred the notorious mutiny

of the Tennessee militia by which some of them lost their lives, an event which many years afterwards became the foundation of serious charges against the conduct and character of Jackson.

On the 25th of October General John Coffee arrived at Fort St. Stephen, on the Mobile River, with 2.800 men. On the following day Jackson himself took command of this force. No word of instruction had yet come from the War Department. He had now seen enough to convince him as to the step he should take; and accordingly determined to enter Florida and rout the British and Indians, and bring the pompous Spanish Governor to a sense of his duty as the agent of an ostensibly neutral nation. He concluded, very patriotically, that the worst that could come of his assuming this responsibility would be to suffer for it himself. That the Government could be seriously involved by it with Spain, he did not believe. In a spasm of wild enthusiasm one of General Jackson's biographers said of him in relation to this matter:

"Having been educated as a jurist, he was versed in principles of the law of nations. He had a knowledge of the obligations which one government owes to another; he was aware of the acts which this code would justify in a belligerent power, and the duty it enjoined upon a power that was professed a neutral one."

Andrew Jackson educated as a jurist, and skilled in the principles of the laws of nations!! The simple state of the case was that General Jackson believed the work he was about to undertake was right in itself, and hoped the country would carry him out in it. His knowledge of the laws of nations did not go further than this, nor did he care to clog his steps with theories

and principles. Then, too, the people at the South were clamoring for the execution of the purpose he had in view.

On the 3d of November, with three thousand men, General Jackson set out on a three days' march to Pensacola, where he arrived on the evening of the 6th. But the Spanish Governor and his British friends had heard of the approach of the Americans, and were prepared to receive them, as they supposed. General Jackson without delay sent Major Pierre with a flag of truce, but the bearer was fired upon and not allowed to deliver his message. Later in the night a Spaniard who had fallen into the army the day before was sent to the Governor whom he found in excitement and doubt, and ready to save himself by any proper course. It was also ascertained that the British had fired on the flag of truce, although the Spanish flag alone was displayed over Fort St. George. Major Pierre was now sent again, and this time succeeded in reaching the Spanish Governor to inform him that the American General had appeared before Pensacola, not as an enemy to Spain, but for the purpose of ridding the country of a treacherous foe, and to take charge of the fort then in possession of the British with all munitions of war, and that the fort and its arms would be held to his advantage in preserving the neutrality to which he pretended. The Governor was allowed an hour in which to make his decision, and in order to help him to a proper conclusion, he was reminded that the blood shed would be upon his head, if the Americans were compelled to resort to force. Late in the night Pierre returned to General Jackson with the answer that his terms were not acceptable.