The Pirates' Who's Who: Giving Particulars Of The Lives and Deaths Of The Pirates And BuccaneersGosse, Philip
History
The Pirates' Who's Who: Giving Particulars Of The Lives and Deaths Of The Pirates And Buccaneers
Gosse, Philip
Pirates
In June, 1680, de Grammont, with an obsolete commission and a small party
of men, made a brilliant night assault on La Guayra, the seaport of
Caracas. Only forty-seven men took part in the actual attack on the town,
which was guarded by two forts and by cannon upon the walls. The pirates
were attacked next day by 2,000 Spaniards from Caracas, but with the
greatest skill and bravery de Grammont got almost all his party away,
though wounded himself in the throat. He carried away with him amongst his
prisoners the Governor of the town.
He retired to the Isle d'Aves to nurse his wound, and later went to Petit
Goave.
In 1683 took part in the successful English and French attack on Vera
Cruz, and afterwards, when Vanhorn died of gangrene, de Grammont, his
lieutenant, carried his ship back to Petit Goave. In 1685 he received a
fresh commission from de Cossey, the Governor of Dominica, and joined
forces with the famous buccaneer Laurens de Graff at the Isle of Vache,
and sailed with 11,000 men for Campeachy. Taking the town, he reduced it
to ashes and blew up the fortress, returning with the plunder to
Hispaniola. Before leaving, however, to celebrate the Festival of St.
Louis, they burnt a huge bonfire, using 200,000 crowns worth of logwood.
Grammont at this time commanded a fine ship, _Le Hardy_ (fifty guns and a
crew of 300 men).
In 1686 de Grammont was granted a commission of "Lieutenant du Roi," in
order to keep him from harassing the Spaniards, and yet not to lose his
valuable services to his country.
In order to have one last fling at the old free buccaneering life before
settling down to the more sedate and respectable calling of an officer in
the French King's navy, de Grammont sailed off with a party of 180
desperadoes, but was never heard of again.
GRAND, PIERRE LE.
A native of Dieppe in Normandy.
Le Grand was the man who, having made one great and successful exploit,
had the good sense to retire. He was the first pirate to take up his
quarters at Tortuga Island, and was known amongst the English as "Peter
the Great." His name will go down to posterity for his "bold and insolent"
action when in a small open boat with a handful of men he seized a great
Spanish galleon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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