daring
exploit, the
eyes to water
at some touching
story or the fists to
clench in the good
American way at the brutal
butcheries that authentic
documents show were committed.
Gasparilla has gone, his pirate gold lies
hidden somewhere on the isles of
Charlotte Harbor, but the bleached bones
of his murdered victims, with the stories that
The Gasparilla Pirate Band of Boca Grande, circa 1920
have drifted down from past generations, give the
world a synopsis of the life and death of
Gasparilla, the terror of the Southern Seas.
His name was Jose Gaspar, “Gasparilla” meaning
“Gaspar the outlaw.” He stood high in the graces
of the Spanish court, so high indeed that he
filched the crown jewels. Jose was also an officer
of high standing in the naval affairs of the
Spaniards. Some records give him the honor of
being what we would call an admiral. His theft
discovered, he deserted his wife and children,
gathered together a nice lot of cutthroats, stole
the prize vessel of the Spanish Fleet and escaped.
This happened in the year 1782. A price was
declared upon his head, and, it is stated, when
Gasparilla heard this decree, he swore eternal
vengeance upon all Spaniards in general, and
commenced to destroy the commerce of Spain.
The Gulf of Mexico at that time being a
rendezvous for pirate fleets, Gaspar settled in
Charlotte Harbor and built upon the shores of
what is now called Turtle Bay 12 houses, where
under guard his female captives were placed, all
male prisoners being killed when captured. The
buildings were constructed of palmetto logs and
arranged in a semi-circle close to the water’s
edge.
About 100 yards further inland the burying
ground was discovered several years ago,
containing not only the bones of his men but the
skeletons of his murdered women captives. Many
a touching story has been unearthed when the
ghostly remains were uncovered – stories of
great, strong men who died in the fight, of
women who died to save their honor, and of
nobility we even find a trace, but these are only
traditions and the story of “The Little Spanish
Princess,” as told by old Panther Key John Gomez
we will relate later on.
Close to Turtle Bay lies the little Isle of
Cayopelean. Upon this island stood a burial
mound 50 feet high and 400 feet in circumference
at the base, built centuries earlier it is thought, by
the Mound Builders of a prehistoric race.
Excavations in this mound have produced
ornaments of gold and silver, together with
hundreds of human skeletons. On its summit
Gasparilla constructed an observation
tower, where always a grim sentinel was
stationed and looked across the
warm, smiling waters of the Gulf
for a victim.
The present Isle of
Gasparilla, the Pirate
named for himself.
Take the best of