Editing Jean Lafitte (section)

===American invasion===
[[Image:Daniel Patterson.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Black and white painting of side-burned 30-something man in naval uniform|US Commodore Daniel Patterson commanded an offensive force against Lafitte and his men at Barataria, 1814.]]
The US ordered an attack on Lafitte's colony. On September 13, 1814, Commodore [[Daniel Patterson (naval officer)|Daniel Patterson]] set sail aboard the {{USS|Carolina|1812|6}} for Barataria. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a [[Ship's tender|tender]]. The fleet anchored off Grande Terre and the gunboats attacked. By midmorning, 10 armed pirate ships formed a battle line in the bay. Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. When Patterson's men went ashore, they met no resistance. They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. The Americans took custody of six [[schooner]]s, one [[felucca]], and a [[brig]], as well as 20&nbsp;cannon and goods worth $500,000.<ref name=ramsay54>Ramsay (1996), p. 54.</ref>

On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. Widely publicized, the raid was hailed by the ''Niles' Weekly Register'' as "a major conquest for the United States".<ref name=ramsay55>Ramsay (1996), p. 55.</ref>

Lafitte was described as
<blockquote>a man who, for about two years past, has been famous for crimes that the civilized world wars against. ... [He] is supposed to have captured one hundred vessels of all nations, and certainly murdered the crews of all that he took, for no one has ever escaped him.<ref name=ramsay55/></blockquote>

Following the custom of the times, Patterson filed a legal claim for the profits from the confiscated ships and merchandise. An attorney representing Lafitte argued that the captured ships had flown the flag of [[Cartagena Province|Cartagena]], an area at peace with the United States. One of Lafitte's men testified that the Baratarians had never intended to fight the US but had prepared their vessels to flee. The judge ruled that Patterson should get the customary share of profits from the goods that had already been sold, but he did not settle the ownership of the ships. They were held in port under custody of the United States Marshal.<ref name=ramsay56>Ramsay (1996), p. 56.</ref>

Likely inspired by Lafitte's offer to help defend Louisiana, Governor Claiborne wrote the US Attorney General, [[Richard Rush]] requesting a pardon for the Baratarians, saying that for generations, smugglers were "esteemed honest ... [and] sympathy for these offenders is certainly more or less felt by many of the Louisianans".<ref name=ramsay58>Ramsay (1996), p. 58.</ref> According to Ramsay, Claiborne next wrote to General [[Andrew Jackson]], "implying Patterson had destroyed a potential first line of defense for Louisiana" by his capture of Lafitte and his ships.<ref name=ramsay59>Ramsay (1996), p. 59.</ref> Jackson responded, "I ask you, Louisianans, can we place any confidence in the honor of men who have courted an alliance with pirates and robbers?"<ref name=ramsay59/>