Editing Jean Lafitte (section)

==Later years==
Most of his men had believed that Lafitte had a valid privateering commission although there was confusion as to which country had issued it.<ref name=davis435>Davis (2005), p. 435.</ref> Two weeks after setting sail, they captured a Spanish ship, which they sent to Galveston, hoping the Longs <!-- who? -->would smuggle the goods to New Orleans.<ref name=davis435/> Lafitte's men buried some of the cargo on the island and ran the captured vessel aground, but an American patrol spotted the ship and, after investigating, discovered the buried cargo. Several of Lafitte's men were arrested and convicted of piracy.<ref name=davis436>Davis (2005), p. 436.</ref><ref group=Note>These men were pardoned after testifying that they had deserted from Lafitte's ship in Galveston when they discovered that it did not have a valid privateering commission. (Davis (2005), p. 436).</ref>

The remainder of the crew rejoined Lafitte, who finally acknowledged that he did not have a valid commission. He said his ships would sail as pirates.<ref name=davis437>Davis (2005), p. 437.</ref> Almost half of the combined crew refused to sail as pirates; Lafitte allowed them to leave aboard his largest ship, the brig ''General Victoria''. That night his remaining men reboarded the ''General Victoria'' and destroyed its masts and spars, crippling the ship, but they left the crew unharmed.<ref name=davis438>Davis (2005), p. 438.</ref><ref group=Note>After more than two weeks, the disabled ''General Victoria'' was rescued by an American ship. The starving crew members were given rewards for having taken it from a pirate. (Davis (2005), p. 439).</ref>

Lafitte and his men continued to take Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico and often returned to Galveston or the barrier islands near New Orleans to unload cargo or take on supplies arranged by Pierre.<ref name=davis440and450>Davis (2005), pp. 440, 450.</ref> The congressional delegation in Louisiana began to demand that the federal government do something to halt the smuggling, and more US Navy ships were sent to the Gulf. Their patrols and interventions reduced the number of active pirates in the region.<ref name=davis450and451>Davis (2005), pp. 450-451.</ref> In October or November 1821, Lafitte's ship was ambushed as he attempted to ransom a recent prize. After first escaping with some crew, he and his men were captured and jailed. On February 13, 1822 he escaped, likely with outside help.<ref name=davis455and6>Davis (2005), pp. 455-456.</ref>

Over the next few months, Lafitte established a base along the coast of [[Cuba]], where he bribed local officials with a share of the profits.<ref name=ramsay125>Ramsay (1996), p. 125.</ref> In late April 1822, Lafitte was captured again after taking his first American ship. The American warship that captured him turned Lafitte over to the local authorities, who promptly released him.<ref name=davis457and8>Davis (2005), pp. 457&ndash;8.</ref> When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials.<ref name=ramsay126>Ramsay (1996), p. 126.</ref> By the end of 1822, Cuba had banned all forms of sea raiding.<ref name=ramsay127>Ramsay (1996), p. 127.</ref>

In June 1822, Lafitte approached the officials in [[Great Colombia]], whose government under General [[Simón Bolívar]] had begun commissioning former privateers as officers in its new navy. Lafitte was granted a commission and given a new ship, a 43-ton schooner named ''General Santander'' in honor to Vice-president General [[Francisco de Paula Santander]].<ref name=davis459>Davis (2005), p. 459.</ref> For the first time, Lafitte was legally authorized to take Spanish ships.<ref name=davis462>Davis (2005), p. 462.</ref>

Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. In November 1822, he made news in the American press after escorting an American schooner through the pirate-infested area and providing them with extra cannonballs and food.<ref name=davis460and461>Davis (2005), pp. 460-461.</ref>

In February 1823, Lafitte was cruising off the town of [[Omoa]], [[Honduras]], on his schooner ''General Santander''. Omoa was the site of the largest Spanish fort in Central America, built to guard the Spanish silver shipments from the mines of [[Tegucigalpa]] to overseas destinations. Lafitte attempted to take what appeared to be two Spanish merchant vessels on the night of February 4. It was cloudy with low visibility. The Spanish ships appeared to be fleeing but at 10:00 pm turned back for a frontal counterattack against Lafitte's ship. The Spanish ships were heavily armed privateers or warships and returned heavy fire.

Wounded in the battle, Lafitte is believed to have died just after dawn on February 5, 1823. He was buried at sea in the [[Gulf of Honduras]].<ref name=davis462and3>Davis (2005), pp. 462-463.</ref><ref group=Note>This account of Lafitte's death is not accepted by all historians. Ramsay believes that Lafitte died of a fever in 1826 or 1827 on [[Isla Mujeres]] just northeast of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]]. (Ramsay (1996), pp. 129–133.) Davis recounts a similar story but maintains that the man who died on the island was Pierre Lafitte and that the death occurred in late 1821. (Davis (2005), pp. 453-455.)</ref> 

The ''Gaceta de Cartagena'' and the ''Gaceta de Colombia'' carried obituaries that noted, "the loss of this brave naval officer is moving."<ref name=davis463and4>Davis (2005), pp. 463-464.</ref> No American newspaper published an obituary of him.<ref name="davis468">Davis (2005), p. 468.</ref>

Two amateur historians from [[Lincolnton, North Carolina]] have written a book claiming that Lafitte actually faked his death in 1823 and eventually changed his name to Lorenzo Ferrer, moving first to Mississippi and then Lincolnton, where Ferrer died in 1875. This claim has not been endorsed by any mainstream historians.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wbtv.com/2021/05/03/lincolnton-nc-pirate-unraveling-mystery-jean-laffite/ | title=The Lincolnton, N.C. Pirate: Unraveling the mystery of Jean Laffite | date=3 May 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ulpress.org/products/jean-laffite-revealed-unraveling-one-of-americas-longest-running-mysteries | title=Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America's Longest-Running Mysteries }}</ref><ref name="oliphant">{{Cite book |last1=Oliphant |first1=Ashley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Vv0zQEACAAJ |title=Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America's Longest-running Mysteries |last2=Yarbrough |first2=Beth |date=March 15, 2021 |publisher=University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press |isbn=978-1-946160-72-0 |language=en}}</ref>