Authors to address a pirate mystery in library talk

ASHEBORO – Did the colorful New Orleans pirate Jean Laffitte fake his death in battle and live out his life in Lincolnton, North Carolina? 

Mother/daughter author duo Beth Yarborough and Dr. Ashley Oliphant will present their evidence as they discuss their book Jean Laffitte Revealed: Unraveling One of America’s Longest-Running Mysteries at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Asheboro Public Library. The talk is free.

Laffitte and his brother Pierre, smugglers and pirates, roamed the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1800s.  During the War of 1812, Laffitte famously accepted a pardon in return for supporting U.S. Gen. Andrew Jackson against the British in the battle of New Orleans.

Laffitte was believed to have died of wounds in 1823 following a battle with Spanish ships off Honduras. But rumor said that he survived, and owing to his connection with a Lincolnton family, resided there under the name Lorenzo Ferrer until his death in 1875.

In their book, published in 2015 by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, Oliphant and Yarborough trace Laffitte through his rise to power as a privateer, his involvement in the war, his flight to Texas, and his eventual disappearance in the waters of the Caribbean.

With stunning revelations, the book picks up a trail to Lincolnton that no one knew existed.

The authors will take the audience on their journey to discover Laffitte’s fate, and talk about how researchers use genealogical methods to solve mysteries.

Oliphant is a retired English professor whose academic work focused on Ernest Hemingway. A Lincoln County resident, she is author of six books, including Shark Tooth Hunting on the North Carolina Coast. 

Yarborough is an author, artist and photographer whose depictions of historic homes across the South are featured on her website, Southern Voices, and in an extensive collection of published calendars and fine art prints. Her licensed artwork has reached millions of consumers worldwide through major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot and Hobby Lobby.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.