quittal of my conscience.

"I have the honor to be
"Your Excellency's, etc.
"J. LAFITTE."

This highly commendable document so favorably impressed Governor
Claiborne that he offered Lafitte safe conduct to come to New Orleans
and meet General Andrew Jackson. After a conference of this trio, the
following order was issued:

"The Governor of Louisiana, being informed that many individuals
implicated in the offenses heretofore committed against the United
States at Barrataria, express a willingness at the present crisis to
enroll themselves and march against the enemy:

"He does hereby invite them to join the standard of the United States
and is authorized to say, should their conduct in the field meet the
approbation of the Major General, that that officer will unite with the
Governor in a request to the President of the United States, to extend
to each and every individual so marching and acting, a free and full
pardon."

At the battle of New Orleans, on January 8th, 1815, Lafitte and his
lieutenant, Dominique, commanded a large force of what Jackson called
the "Corsairs of Barrataria," and defended their breastworks and served
their batteries with such desperate gallantry that they nobly earned
the promised pardons. These were granted by President James Madison on
February 6th, and he took occasion to say:

"But it has since been represented that the offenders have manifested a
sincere repentance; that they have abandoned the prosecution of the
worst cause for the support of the best, and particularly, that they
have exhibited in the defense of New Orleans, unequivocal traits of
courage and fidelity. Offenders, who have refused to become the
associates of the enemy in the war, upon the most seductive terms of
invitation; and who have aided to repel his hostile invasion of the
territory of the United States, can no longer be considered as objects
of punishment, but as objects of a generous forgiveness."

The foregoing evidence is ample to prove that Lafitte had no occasion
to bury any of his treasure, but like Kidd along the New England coast,
legend has been busy with his name and is blind to the facts of record.
He later made a settlement on the island of Galveston and his history
becomes obscured. One version is that the love of the old trade was in
his blood, and he fitted out a large privateer to have a farewell fling
with fortune. A British sloop-of-war overhauled him in the Gulf of
Mex