When the young Dutch girl was captured by pirate Charles Gibbs in the Caribbean in 1818, he defended her against his crew, but later allowed her to be poisoned. Charles Gibbs (1798-1831) was an American pirate (real name James D. Jeffers) who was one of the last active in the Caribbean during the early-19th century and was among the last executed for piracy by the United States. His career, like many others during this time, was marked by violence and brutality. Jeffers admitted to have been involved in the killing of as many as 400 victims. His confessions detailing his career were recorded and published following his death and remained popular reading, though historians have questioned the accuracy of Jeffers's confessions.