Explore "Border Guard" by Don Whitehead on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
On November 24, 1813, most citizens of New Orleans were chuckling over a new proclamation, bearing the signature of Gov. W. C. C. Claiborne, which had been posted on bulletin boards throughout the city. They were not so much amused because the Governor had accused a pirate of attacking a U. S. Customs officer (although this was amusing enough to many), but because Claiborne actually expected someone to take seriously his offer of a $500 reward for the capture of the pirate Jean Laffite.
Invade the pirate hideout in the swamps and capture Jean Laffite -- or even his brother Pierre -- for a mere $500? And Claiborne was naive if he thought that most of Louisiana's politicians and merchants had any desire to halt the smuggling of pirated merchandise while a war was being fought against Great Britain. Any kind of merchandise was hard to obtain.