Capture of the Bravo

Part of West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations, Piracy in the Caribbean

A model of USRC Alabama.

Date	August 31, 1819
Location	off Florida, United States, Gulf of Mexico
Result	United States victory

Belligerents

United States

Jean Lafitte's Pirates

Commanders and leaders

Jairus

Jean La Farges

Strength

2 schooners

1 schooner

Casualties and losses

unknown

1 schooner captured

West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations

Patterson's Town Raid
Capture of the Bravo
Action of 24 October 1819
Action of 10 July 1820
Matanzas Massacre
Action of 16 December 1821
Action of 6 March 1822
Action of 15 August 1822
Battle of Funda Bay
Action of 2 November 1822
Action of 9 November 1822
Action of 8 April 1823
Action of 5 July 1823
Action of 30 March 1823
Fajardo Incident
Battle of Sagua la Grande
Capture of the El Mosquito

The Capture of the Bravo was a naval battle between United States Revenue Cutter Service cutters and one of Jean Lafitte's pirate ships.

In early 1819 the two ships USRC Alabama and USRC Louisiana were finished being built in New York and fitted with one pivot gun each. The sister ships cost $4,500 apiece and were sent to the Gulf of Mexico to conduct counter piracy patrols. Alabama was assigned to the Mobile Squadron and Louisiana assigned to the New Orleans Squadron.

Sometime in August 1819, Alabama was temporarily assigned to New Orleans to help thwart the pirate incidents in those waters with the Louisiana. On August 31, the two ships were sailing the Gulf off southern Florida when they sighted the schooner Bravo. The Americans gave chase and eventually came within range. Bravo resisted and a brief gunnery duel occurred, then the Americans boarded the enemy. The pirates were captured. Jean La Farges commanded the suspected privateer, he was a lieutenant of Jean Lafitte. Apparently no letter of marque was presented to the Americans which explained why the pirates fled at the sight of the Revenue Cutter schooners. The pirates were taken into United States custody and probably hanged later on. Casualties are unknown.

More battles between United States naval forces and pirates in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean would occur. On April 19, 1819, the Alabama and Louisiana destroyed a pirate base at the Patterson's Town Raid on Breton Island, Louisiana. Another action was fought on July 10, 1820 when Captain Jairus of Louisiana captured four pirate ships off Belize. On November 2, 1822, Louisiana along with USS Peacock and the Royal Navy schooner HMS Speedwell captured five pirate vessels off Havana, Cuba. Louisiana‍ 's career was soon over, in March 1824 the vessel was put up for public auction. Alabama eventually went on to fight the slave trade in the Atlantic until being sold in Florida on August 6, 1833.

References

Official U.S. Coast Guard history page

Donald Canney. U.S. Coast Guard and Revenue Cutters, 1790-1935. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1995.

U.S. Coast Guard. Record of Movements: Vessels of the United States Coast Guard: 1790 - December 31, 1933. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1934–1989

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Capture of the Bravo

See also

References