Charles Gibbs | |
|---|---|
| Born | James D. Jeffers (1798-11-05)November 5, 1798 Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 1831(1831-04-25) (aged 32) Ellis Island, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Occupation | Pirate |
Charles Gibbs (November 5, 1798 – April 25, 1831) was the pseudonym of an American pirate, bornJames D. Jeffers. Jeffers was one of the last active pirates in the Caribbean during the early 19th century of theWest Indies piracy conflict, and was among the last persons to beexecuted for piracy by the United States.
His career, like many others during this time, was marked by violence and brutality. Shortly before his execution, Jeffers admitted to have been involved in the killing of as many as 400 victims. His confessions during his imprisonment and trial, detailing his career, were recorded and published following his death and remained popular reading throughout the mid-19th century.[1] However, given the sensationalistic nature of these accounts, historians have questioned the veracity of Jeffers's confessions.[2]
Born inNewport, Rhode Island, on November 5, 1798, he was the son of a Newportsea captain who had served as an Americanprivateer during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Jeffers would later claim to have enlisted in theUnited States Navy during theWar of 1812 and to have served underJames Lawrence onUSS Hornet andChesapeake before being captured following a battle withHMS Shannon inBoston Harbor in 1813. Later investigations into these claims proved this to be untrue. (Before his hanging, he admitted to having first gone to sea aboard a Newport-basedbrig calledBrutus in 1816, aged 17).By his own account, he was involved in privateering starting in 1816 aboard aMargarita Island-basedschooner calledMaria. During a cruise Jeffers took part in amutiny after which the crew abandoned theirletter of marque fromCartagena, Colombia, and began engaging inpiracy. Jeffers told his biographers that he was named navigator ofMaria, and claimed to have eventually assumed the captain's role. Stories later circulated as to how, during his time in theCaribbean Sea and theGulf of Mexico, he became known for his cruel treatment of prisoners. He was said to have once had the arms and legs chopped off of a captured captain and, in another incident, ordered an entiremerchantman's crew to be burned alive after setting fire to the ship. (No contemporary accounts mention these episodes, which appear to have been invented by later writers.)
On October 21, 1821, Jeffers encountered the brigUSS Enterprise under Lieutenant CommanderLawrence Kearny while his fleet of four ships were attacking three merchantmen offCape San Antonio, Cuba. Despite outnumbering USSEnterprise, Jeffers's fleet was destroyed after a short battle and he was forced to flee into the jungle with his men.[3]
Little is known about his life immediately following his escape. He claimed to have resided in the United States by 1825, and to have served Argentina in theCisplatine War as both a regular naval officer and as commander of a privateer. Following a reputed voyage toNorth Africa to join theBarbary Corsairs, Jeffers was eventually forced to find work as a sailor again. After signing with the brigVineyard (using the Charles Gibbs alias), he and an accomplice, Thomas J. Wansley (bornMilford, Delaware, December 8, 1807[4]), led a mutiny with several others, killing the captain and hisfirst mate on the night of November 23, 1830 in an attempt to seize its cargo of silver.
The mutineers headed forLong Island where theyscuttled the vessel and came ashore, several mutineers losing their lives in rough waters which also claimed much of their loot. After only a few days ashore, Jeffers, Wansley, and two others were captured and taken to prison inNew York City.[5]
In New York, Jeffers and Wansley were convicted of mutiny and murder in 1831. The prosecutingUnited States attorneys who tried the case,James Alexander Hamilton and his assistantPhilip Hamilton, were both sons of statesmanAlexander Hamilton.[6][7][8]
Incarcerated atBridewell Prison and then moved toBellevue Prison, Jeffers was ultimately hanged with Wansley atEllis Island on April 22, 1831.[9]
His skull was placed on display in the museum of theGeneral Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in New York City.
some accounts incorrectly claim he was executed in New Orleans
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