packet, in which he found a proclamation addressed by Col. Edward
Nichalls, in the service of his Brittanic Majesty, and commander of the
land forces on the coast of Florida, to the inhabitants of Louisiana. A
letter from the same to Mr. Lafitte, the commander of Barrataria; an
official letter from the honorable W.H. Percy, captain of the sloop of
war Hermes, directed to Lafitte. When he had perused these letters,
Capt. Lockyer enlarged on the subject of them and proposed to him to
enter into the service of his Brittanic Majesty with the rank of post
captain and to receive the command of a 44 gun frigate. Also all those
under his command, or over whom he had sufficient influence. He was also
offered thirty thousand dollars, payable at Pensacola, and urged him not
to let slip this opportunity of acquiring fortune and consideration. On
Lafitte's requiring a few days to reflect upon these proposals, Capt.
Lockyer observed to him that no reflection could be necessary,
respecting proposals that obviously precluded hesitation, as he was a
Frenchman and proscribed by the American government. But to all his
splendid promises and daring insinuations, Lafitte replied that in a few
days he would give a final answer; his object in this procrastination
being to gain time to inform the officers of the state government of
this nefarious project. Having occasion to go to some distance for a
short time, the persons who had proposed to send the British officers
prisoners to New Orleans, went and seized them in his absence, and
confined both them and the crew of the pinnace, in a secure place,
leaving a guard at the door. The British officers sent for Lafitte; but
he, fearing an insurrection of the crews of the privateers, thought it
advisable not to see them until he had first persuaded their captains
and officers to desist from the measures on which they seemed bent. With
this view he represented to the latter that, besides the infamy that
would attach to them if they treated as prisoners people who had come
with a flag of truce, they would lose the opportunity of discovering the