Dominique You

Pirate, born either in Haiti or France. He may have served in the French navy. By 1810 he was prominent among a group of smugglers and pirates at Barataria Bay, just off the Louisiana coast, under Jean Laffite's leadership. He served with distinction in the American artillery at the Battle of New Orleans (1815), and for this he was pardoned by President Madison. He settled in New Orleans (1817), and by the time of his death had become a legend in Louisiana.

In 1802 he accompanied General Victor Leclerc to Santo Domingo to quell Toussaint l'Ouverture's slave revolt. Yellow fever took the lives of many of the French soldiers including General Leclerc. Afterwards You went to New Orleans where he joined his half brothers Jean Lafitte and Pierre Lafitte, where he became the pirates captain on the French Corsair Le Pandoure. He was nicknamed "Captain Dominique" by the French and "Johnness" by the Americans. During the next few years he and his brothers became quite successful pirates in the Louisiana bayous, and preyed on Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico, doing extensive damage to Spanish commerce in the gulf.

In July 1814 You was convicted for piracy in the gulf, but the Americans failed to capture him. His men fought with such courage and effectiveness in the battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, that they were mentioned in General Andrew Jackson's general order of January 21 as "having shown uncommon gallantry and skill in the field". Because of this, all charges against Dominique You were dropped, and he settled quietly in New Orleans where he became a politician and supporter of General Jackson. You died in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1830 .