The Life of Andrew Jackson

by Robert V. Remini

Lafitte was a shrewd operator. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, he was an energetic and efficient businessman who calculated his advantages before committing himself or undertaking a financial venture. Formerly a New Orleans blacksmith, Haitian born, and a man of great courage, he was adventurous, cunning, totally unnautical, but highly successful as a practicing pirate. Since he was so practical and skillful as a man of business, he first offered his services to the British, who laid down two conditions for an alliance: the pirates must cease their attacks on Spanish shipping and they must return English booty already seized.16 That ended that. Lafitte next turned to the Americans, and after some hesitation Jackson yielded to the appeals of Livingston and a committee of the city’s leading citizens to accept the services of these “hellish banditti,” as the General called them.17 The pirates later proved very useful in manning two batteries during the British main attack against New Orleans.