drawing too much
water to cross the bar.

"At half-past ten o'clock, perceived several smokes along the coasts as
signals, and at the same time a white flag hoisted on board a schooner
at the fort, an American flag at the mainmast head, and a Carthagenian
flag (under which the pirates cruise) at her topping-lift. I replied
with a white flag at my main. At eleven o'clock discovered that the
pirates had fired two of their best schooners; hauled down my white
flag and made the signal for battle; hoisting a large flag bearing the
words _Pardon for Deserters_, having heard there was a number on shore
from our army and navy. At a quarter past eleven o'clock, two
gun-boats grounded, and were passed, agreeably to my previous orders,
by the other four which entered the harbor, manned by my barge and the
boats belonging to the grounded vessels, and proceeded in. To my great
disappointment, I perceived that the pirates had abandoned their
vessels and were flying in all directions. I immediately sent the
launch and two barges with small boats in pursuit of them.

"At meridian, took possession of all their vessels in the harbor,
consisting of six schooners and one felucca, cruisers and prizes of the
pirates, one brig, a prize, and two armed schooners under the
Carthagenian flag, both in the line of battle with the armed vessels of
the pirates, and apparently with an intention to aid them in any
resistance they might make against me, as their crews were at quarters,
tompions out of their guns, and matches lighted. Colonel Ross (with
seventy-five infantry) at the same time landed and took possession of
their establishment on shore, consisting of about forty houses of
different sizes, badly constructed and thatched with palmetto leaves.

"When I perceived the enemy forming their vessels into a line of
battle, I felt confident from their number, and very advantageous
position, and their number of men, that they would have fought me.
Their not doing so I regret, for had they, I should have been able more
effectually to destroy or make prisoners of them and their leaders.
The enemy had mounted on their vessels twenty pieces of cannon of
different caliber, and as I have since learned, had from eight hundred
to one thousand men of all nations and colors."

Notwithstanding this unfriendly visit, Lafitte was a patriot after his
own fashion and during the War of 1812 his sympathies were with the
American forces. In September, 1814,