José Gaspar
José Gaspar was born near Seville in 1756. In 1768
he was arrested for kidnapping a young girl and given the choice of joining the
Naval Academy or going to prison. Unsurprisingly Gaspar chose the Navy. By the
age of 27 Gapsar was an Admiral and naval attaché to King Charles III's court.
Gaspar's romantic intrigues at the court were worthy of Don Juan himself until
he spurned the advances of a member of the Royal family. Charges of theft were
invented against him and his arrest was authorised, so Gaspar commandeered a
ship, the Floridablanco and sailed for the Americas and a life of
piracy.
Between 1783 and 1821 Gaspar captured over 400
ships, making him one of the most succcessful pirates of all time. He showed no
mercy in battle, killed all his victims except for beautiful women whom he
forced into his harem. Wealthy people he sometimes took prisoner for ransom,
holding them at Captiva Island. From time to time Gaspar could be found
pirating in the company of other pirates including the famous Jean Lafitte and
Black Caesar.
By 1821 Gaspar was 65 years old and ready to
retire. That year saw an increase in US Navy operations in the Gulf of Mexico
so it seemed like a good time for Gaspar to hang up his cutlass. In October
1821 the USS Enterprise captured 4 pirate ships in the Gulf and in
December Gaspar announced his retirement to his crew. On the very day they were
to begin dividing up the treasure amassed during 38 years of pirating together
a rich merchantman was seen, and the opportunity for one last prize just seemed
too good to miss. Gaspar and his crew put to sea in pursuit of the prize, but
coming within range were shocked when she hoisted the flag of the US Navy and
ran out her guns. The helpless merchantman was no other than the USS
Enterprise!
A fierce battle followed, and realising he could
not win it Gaspar wrapped himself in his anchor chain and leapt to his death in
the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. The rest of his crew were either killed in
the battle or were captured and tried as pirates, later to be executed.
Watching from the shore were a handful of men who, seeing the end of their
comrades packed up the treasure and buried it somewhere up the Peace River - a
treasure reputed to be worth $30 million.
Today the life of José Gaspar is celebrated
annually at Tampa Bay's Gasparilla festival, people have been in search of the
huge treasure and there is even a statue of Gaspar himself at the Regency Cove
Retirement Community.
For a fuller history of Gaspar's life click here.
For more information about the Gasparilla Festival click here.
The Truth
Historians and pirate enthusiasts have argued
extensively over the existence of José Gaspar. Like so many Mythtorical pirates
no evidence from his own time has yet been found. No records seem to exist of
an 18th century Admiral Gaspar in the Spanish Navy. The records do not show a
ship called Floridablanco. US Navy records do not seem to mention him,
despite the fact that with 400 captured ships to his credit he was the most
prolific pirate of his time. The US Navy took a very strong interest in other
pirates of the same time and place, to the extent of sending Commodore Porter
and the famous Mosquito Fleet to the Gulf of Mexico, but no mention is made of
Gaspar.
Gaspar's detractors would have us believe that the
whole story was invented and is perpetuated by the Florida tourism people in
1904, to give a reason for their pirate themed festival which began that year.
The Tampa Bay government even go so far as to say on their website:
"Gasparilla, an annual Tampa tradition
since 1904, was inspired by the fictional pirate José Gaspar who
terrorized Florida's coastal waters in the early 19th century." (my bold underline - EF)
But according to The
History of St. Petersburg Beach:
"One of the beaches most incredible
characters was John Gomez, described in Frank Hurley's, "Surf, Sand and
Post Card Sunsets," as "the mildest man to ever scuttle a ship or cut
a throat*." He was the last of the pirates who returned to Long Key in
1897 to retrieve what is believed to be a buried treasure.
Gomez proceeded to put up tables and benches and
hosted fishing trips and picnics. He quickly learned how to amuse visitors for
profit. Telling outlandish stories of how he put to sea as a boy of ten, turning
pirate, smuggler and scout for General Zacharry Taylors at the Battle of
Okeechobee. He had a rampant imagination and one fateful evening treated his
guest to a story he invented about a notorious pirate named José Gaspar. Today
the invention of José Gaspar is celebrated as a daylong event with pirates
invading the city of Tampa. Gomez died in 1900 but he and his adventures live
on each February during Tampa's Gasparilla Festival and is enjoyed by 100's of
thousands annually."
*(this phrase was first used to describe the 17th
century English buccaneer William Dampier - EF)
Whether the story of Gomez is true it seems that
the legend of José Gaspar was invented in the late 19th century or early 20th,
and would probably have been forgotten were it not for the annual festival in
his name. Later storytellers have embellished Gaspar's tale, but however many
details are added it is and has always been a fiction. A good fiction, and a
good excuse for a party, but nonetheless a fiction.