Kidnapped by Pirates. Based on the True Story of a Fourteen Year-Old Boy, Charles Tilton, Who Was Kidnapped Alone from an American Whaler by 7+

📗 Although the exciting story of Evelyn's
great-great grandfather had been told in the family through
the years, no one had ever put it on paper, so Hilton
decided to write the entire story for her
grandchildren. Kidnapped by Pirates is based on
the true story of fourteen year-old Charles Tilton, who was
kidnapped alone in 1814 from a New England whaler by some of
Jean Lafitte's rogue pirates. They brought the boy to their
Galveston Island base, just off the Texas coast and
presented him to Lafitte as a ransom prize. Enraged that the
men had attacked and American vessel and sailors, the French
buccaneer had the disobedient men hung. He then offered
Charles a job as cabin boy, which he accepted. Charles ended
up staying for 6 exciting years of adventure! In
1820, the U.S. Government sent naval ships to disband the
thousand-man base at Galveston but, before they arrived, the
French buccaneer split all the spoils with his men and they
all headed in different directions. Charles sailed up Texas'
Trinity River, to Old River, then into Lost Lake where he
and 3 friends buried his share of the gold and scuttled the
schooner Lafitte had given him to avoid detection. He
applied for a MX land grant, built a house on the bank, and
later married and had nine children. He never forgot his
exciting years with Lafitte, which are related in this
intriguing book...