The Ghost In Pirates Alley (revised)

 The tradition of being married in Pirates Alley in the French Quarter is steeped in secrecy and told differently depending on who you ask. No one can say for certain who truly had the first wedding there—but the version I grew up hearing is as enchanting as any tale of pirates, ghosts, and love.

During the era of the Barataria pirates—often derogatorily called “smugglers” by Spain, embraced by France, and admired by many Americans as defenders of the downtrodden—there was a young cabin boy named Reginald Hicks. Captured and raised by pirates, he rose through the ranks to become first mate of their ship during the War of 1812. Trusted by all, even by Jean Lafitte himself, Hicks fought alongside the Americans at the Battle of New Orleans as a skilled cannoneer.

Though admired by many, Hicks had eyes for only one—Marie Angel Beauchamp, a beautiful Creole woman. Their love was secret and forbidden Marie, a French Creole Catholic, could not be seen with a pirate of English birth.

When Marie revealed she was expecting, Hicks refused to leave without marrying her. Yet finding a priest willing to marry them proved nearly impossible—many required them both to be Catholic; others balked at the request’s urgency. Their only options were to jump a broom in Barataria (which Hicks refused, fearing Marie might never return to the city) or seek a priest jailed nearby.

Before dawn one morning, they made their way to the Cabildo and asked the warden to speak with a German-speaking Protestant minister detained there. Only allowed to meet through an iron gate facing Orleans Alley, they were united in marriage right at that spot. Early workers and curious passersby bore witness, and a notary—passing through—recorded it, making their union both civil and religious.

From there, the story diverges: some say Hicks was killed in the Battle of New Orleans and now wanders Pirates Alley, eternally searching for Marie; others claim he and his beloved fled with Lafitte to Galveston after Louisiana was sold. But on the right morning—if you’re there early enough—you might hear wedding bells, soft laughter, and feel a sudden chill. Could it be Master Hicks’s ghost, still seeking his bride?

Believe it as you will.

Copyright JK Schwehm