Historia Obscura

Tag: Percy

The Case of the Spanish Prize Ship at Dauphin Island

Dec 8, 2014

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by

Pam Keyes

in American History, general history, Louisiana History

Capt. Nicholas Lockyer of HMS Sophie was furious when he gave the order to weigh anchor just off Grande Terre island on Sept. 4, 1814. He and his fellow British officers had been released a couple of hours earlier from a sleepless night in a crude, dirty cell where they had been subjected to threats…
Commemoration of a Hero: Jean Laffite and the Battle of New Orleans

Mar 6, 2014

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by

Pam Keyes

in American History, Caribbean History, general history, History, Louisiana History

Almost 200 years ago, privateer-smuggler Jean Laffite became a hero because he did something most people wouldn’t have done: in the face of extreme adversity, he had helped save New Orleans for the Americans, even though United States officers had destroyed his home base and seized his property a few months earlier. Sometimes incorrectly regarded…