[73] Aury returned to Galveston several months later, but he left in July when he realized that the men were unwilling to revolt. These questions For the first time, it was made available for research. When a giant storm hit the region, the raft was washed away and destroyed. 70130, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. [83] Two weeks after setting sail, they captured a Spanish ship, which they sent to Galveston, hoping the Longs would smuggle the goods to New Orleans. It also mentions reports of larger sums of the treasure being buried in the appropriately-named small town of Lafitte, Louisiana. [59] With Lafitte's encouragement, many of his men joined the New Orleans militia or as sailors to man the ships. Forced to leave the city, Lafitte decided to set up shop on a small island in Barataria Bay, about 40 miles south of New Orleans, to continue his smuggling ways. The benefits of Jean Lafitte agreement to the British were numerous and well calculated. It's not known who her father was. During the battle Lafitte fought well. The corsairs aimed the artillery at the Karankawa, killing most of the men in the tribe. At this time an English captain offered Lafitte $30,000 and a commission to help the British attack New Orleans. Their patrols and interventions reduced the number of active pirates in the region. He and another treasure hunter named Dan Beckingham found 4.5 million dollars worth of gold in the shallow waters of Florida. LINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - In the 1820s, pirate Jean Laffite, a smuggler from the Gulf Coast area in Louisiana, allegedly faked his death. . What was the name of Lafitte's pirate ship? He resurfaced in North Carolina under a different name, an alias. mystery afoot! . SS Jean Lafitte (1942) (MC hull number 475), transferred to the United States Navy as Sumter-class attack transport USS Warren (APA-53); sold for commercial use in 1947; converted to container ship in 1965; scrapped in 1977 SS Jean Lafitte (1943) (MC hull number . The Baratarians invited the British officers to row to their island. The Pride. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. But the gold and diamond jewl was the confirmation I needed. My Grandpa told me often when I was very young that everyone thought that Lafittes fort was on Grand Isle, but it never was. Jean Lafitte was the youngest of eight children (five boys and three girls). (The United States and the United Kingdom had prohibited the Atlantic slave trade after 1808, but Spain continued to import slaves to the Caribbean.) Louisiana is not exclusive to rumors of the treasures whereabouts too, as hidden treasures have been told time and time again in childrens books, video Jean Lafitte became labeled by some as a Another site near Niblett's Bluff, 40 Gums, had previously been searched. Many from the area have taken artifacts from there, including coin. 1776 - ca. In-between Matagorda Bay and the mouth of the Sabine River, there are dozens of lost treasure tales associated with the infamous 19th Century buccaneer, and over the years there have been countless attempts undergone to recover some of the lost loot that Lafitte supposedly hid. They married and had two sons together, Jules Jean and Glenn Henri. A mysterious shipwreck is capturing imaginations as a team of researchers sift through the remnants of an early 19th-century vessel located 150 miles off the Galveston Island coast.. Many of the smugglers wanted to lynch the British men, but Lafitte intervened and placed guards outside his home to ensure their protection. [54] According to Ramsay, Claiborne next wrote to General Andrew Jackson, "implying Patterson had destroyed a potential first line of defense for Louisiana" by his capture of Lafitte and his ships. It was also the location that US Forces attacked, causing his band to make a hasty retreat. He withdrew his battered troops and ended French involvement in North America, selling the US what became known as the Louisiana Purchase in 1803: French-claimed lands west of the Mississippi River. Numerous novels and stories refer to Lafitte's exploits. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. "[55], When General Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, he discovered the city had not created any defenses. The brothers adapted the captured ship for use in piracy and named it Dorada. 3. [7], According to Ramsay, as a young man, Lafitte likely spent much time exploring the wetlands and bayou country south of New Orleans. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places named for him. [3], Lafitte and his brother Pierre also claimed to have been born in Bayonne. Jean Lafitte was a Franco-American privateer captain and pirate of the Caribbean sea who operated off of Baratia Bay, Louisiana in the early 19th century. A grand jury indicted Pierre Lafitte after hearing testimony against him by one of the city's leading merchants. The fleet anchored off Grande Terre and the gunboats attacked. [15] The Lafitte brothers began to look for another port from which they could smuggle goods to local merchants. Baratarias swamps and bayous stretched south of New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. In 1817, Jean founded a new colony on Galveston Island named Campeche. Like Barataria, Galveston was a seaward island that protected a large inland bay. Found a mamouth tooth a a tiny brick made of shell it has letters P on it and the other I cant make out. Luckily, there is more info from Sotto himself about this project that can be found here. . the Texas Gulf Coast. I also. If they refused the offer, the letters informed Lafitte that the British had orders to capture Barataria to put an end to their smuggling. Sale of the slaves and additional cargo generated $18,000 in profits. Lafittes men did resist arrest by American federal agents and soldiers, wounding, murdering, and capturing several. floor after a shipwreck. (In English documents, his last name was often spelled Lafitte, but Laffite was the spelling used by Jean and his brother Pierre.) I was living in high island Texas .mostly driving the beach further east to sea rim. Very little is known about Laffite, and speculation about his life and death continues among historians. In 1814, the U.S. sent a naval force to invade Lafittes fleet and was mostly successful, seizing many of Lafittes comrades and ships. [36] The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register. These men were pardoned after testifying that they had deserted from Lafitte's ship in Galveston when they discovered that it did not have a valid privateering commission. His brother Pierre Lafitte was a blacksmith. Christina died after the birth of their daughter. Jean Laffite was a French pirate and privateer born circa 1780. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. (He was actually more of a land based businessman than a privateer or pirate at sea.) Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? My grandfather never got to look for the treasure s. Ive heard he would sometimes slip into Mobile Bay. Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated from New Orleans, Louisiana. . A hurricane in September resulted in flooding of most of the island, and several people died. The Sabin, a ship belonging to Robert Kleberg and Van Roeder, is said to have sunk with valuables off Galveston Island. You can see a small door that was covered. . [67] By early 1817, other revolutionaries had begun to congregate at Galveston, hoping to make it their base to wrest Mexico from Spanish control. A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure and often sources contradict each other. He brought all captured goods to Barataria. When Patterson's men went ashore, they met no resistance. You would eventually merge onto the hold of a buried ship on Tom Sawyers Island. [22] The Lafittes gained a reputation for treating captive crew members well and often returned captured ships to their original crew. [79] It was being developed for cotton culture, as invention of the cotton gin had made short-staple cotton profitable. Exactly where he was from remains a bit clouded, 1823) was a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. Pierre Lafitte had another son, his namesake Pierre, born from his first marriage to Marie LaGrange, who died in childbirth. That was problematic for New Orleans merchants, who had relied heavily on trade with Caribbean colonies of other nations. Collectively they were known as "Number thirteen". He found his first Spanish gold coin in the year 2017. Most of the people were locals, from Lafourche Parish, the southern part, mainly Cut Off and Larose and the Gheens area, and also from the Des Allemands location. There were a number of gum trees growing in the shape of a ship and it was thought this could be the site of one of Lafitte's ships. In 1818, the Campeche colony suffered hardships. Jean Lafitte (c. 1780 - c. 1823) . [116] Handwriting analysis experts affirmed that conclusion. Jean Henri Laffite's father, Jean Louis Laffite, was a ship captain who died on August 1, 1782, aboard the privateer ship "EL POSTILION" during a hurricane in route . The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte . Later United States President James Madison pardoned him and his men for their acts of piracy. Catiche died July 2, 1858, around the age of 65. She was the sister of Marie Villard, the mistress of his brother, Pierre. [4], Some sources speculate that Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). The name Jean Lafitte is almost legendary around the upper areas of the Texas coastline. [40], Claiborne appealed to the new state legislature, citing the lost revenues due to the smuggling. Registration for Pierre Lafitte's ship Goelette la Dilidente,a 136 ton schooner, captained by . Although the handbills were made in Lafitte's name, Ramsay believes "it is unlikely [the handbills] originated with him". 3 and 4. It reads that a cache of ancient gold coins was found near Jefferson island. By 1810 he was in Louisiana with his older brother Pierre. Jean Lafitte: A trial for piracy. So, where could Rumors abounded that he had changed his name after leaving Galveston and disappeared, that he was killed by his own men shortly after leaving Galveston, or that he had rescued Napoleon and that both had died in Louisiana. [91] When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials. [77], At its peak the colony had more than two thousand inhabitants and 120 separate structures. Within two days of his offer, handbills were posted all over New Orleans offering a similar award for the arrest of the governor. [71] Texas was lightly populated at this time, and the base had no significant populations nearby. With the [99], Ramsay compares the numerous legends related to the life and death of Jean Lafitte to those about King Arthur and Robin Hood. Lafitte always insisted that if he committed any crime, it was smuggling, and he blamed American laws for forcing him into illegal activities. instead of just one? jean lafitte shipwreck found. Jean Lafitte. below! He was nursed back to health by Emma Hortense Mortimer. During his life he acted as a soldier, sailor, diplomat, merchant, and much more, demonstrating natural gifts for leadership.[14]. After his three children were grown, Lafitte fell sick in his 50s. . . Josh Gates investigates the legends swirling around the storied life and death of French pirate Jean Lafitte who is reputed to have buried treasure at sites in coastal Louisiana. [43] Lafitte's ship grounded in shallow water where the larger British ship could not follow. [32] Because the US Navy did not have enough ships to act against the Baratarian smugglers, the government turned to the courts. Another account says Lafitte married Christina Levine at the age of seventeen. Louisianas He was so wealthy that he built his own secret smugglers colony on the islands south of New Orleans. Jean Lafitte is thought to have died in 1823, whilst attacking a Spanish ship. End of Campeche[edit] In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. He heads off to a plantation (as a legend says that . On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. At its height, the colonists and privateers earned millions of dollars annually from stolen or smuggled coin and goods. In exchange, the king asked for Lafitte and his forces to promise to assist in the naval fight against the United States and to return any recent property that had been captured from Spanish ships. The letters gave the ships permission to attack ships from all nations. He is considered something of a historic anti-hero in Louisiana and around the Gulf of Mexico, having engaged in smuggling and piracy for a number of years yet - during the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 - helped defend the city from the . Who was Jean Laffite? Wounded in the battle, Lafitte is believed to have died just after dawn on February 5. He landed ships at Grand Terre and Cheniere, and then brought the merchandise to The Temple to be auctioned. (Davis (2005), p. 436). Many of the Baratarians settled in New Orleans or in the Barataria area and some of their descendants still live there today. While his fleet took a hit, Lafitte himself managed to evade capture. The prizes that Lafitte took were slaves, cotton, commodities, etc. Laffite is believed to have been born either in Basque-France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. He was buried at sea in the Gulf of Honduras. [21] In January 1813, they took their first prize, a Spanish hermaphrodite brig loaded with 77slaves. the treasure be today? The ones found their range from the late 1770;s to 1814 or so. Louisiana planters had a hard time buying enough American-born slaves to work on their everexpanding sugar and cotton plantations. [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. William Bartlett explored a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck. There are many stories about famed pirate Jean Lafitte, but one places his lost buried treasure at the bottom of a lake right here in East Texas. Most of these battles took place at or near Chalmette Plantation, now Chalmette Battlefield and part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The family thinks this could be a clue as to where the actual treasure is. Jean Pierre, her son with Jean Lafitte, died at 17 during a cholera epidemic in New Orleans in October 1832. Thankful for their help with the American victory, in February 1815 President James Madison offered pardons to the Baratarians for any crimes committed against the United States. [56] It had approximately 1,000 unseasoned troops and two ships for its use. [52], Following the custom of the times, Patterson filed a legal claim for the profits from the confiscated ships and merchandise. They will haunt you in your dreams for making a One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. There are The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. 1417 Harborside Drive. LA By 1806, several "Captain Lafitte"s operated in New Orleans; Jean Lafitte was likely one of them. he was in his early twenties. Legend holds that the Pirate Jean LaFitte, or in some other versions Santa Anna, left treasure at Hendrick's Lake near Tatum. But the treasure is in my best belief to be in Galveston. [35] Lafitte soon acquired a letter of marque from Cartagena, but never sent any booty there. What: Lecture and book signing. For the Hix boys, the legend of Jean Lafitte was always their family's little secret. [52], a man who, for about two years past, has been famous for crimes that the civilized world wars against. This would later be used to his great advantage. Lafitte essentially developed Galveston Island as another smuggling base. A privateer has permission from a government at war to capture any enemy ships. Radford, Victor and the Pirate: A Story of New Orleans During the War of 1812, Childcraft (Vol. Discover New Orleans' rich cultural mix. (Ramsay (1996), pp. that the treasure is in a different location now than where it was buried? Our exclusive brands & quality merchandise are created to inspire a unique & recognizable Joie de vivre~Pirate Lifestyle with worldwide appeal! His men burned the Maison Rouge, fortress, and settlement. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along They feared that Lafitte and his men might side with the British. Several of Lafitte's men were arrested and convicted of piracy. As part of Mexico, it was outside the authority of the United States, and was largely uninhabited, except by the Karankawa, a Native American people. Lafitte may have had as many as 1000 people working for him, including free men of color and runaway slaves. [82] Lafitte reportedly took immense amounts of treasure with him, and was accompanied by his mulatta mistress[who?] During this time in New Orleans, Lafitte became a very rich man, acquiring extraordinary amounts of money, ships, and weapons. [97][Note 3] The Gaceta de Cartagena and the Gaceta de Colombia carried obituaries that noted, "the loss of this brave naval officer is moving. The law left several loopholes, giving permission to any ship to capture a slave ship, regardless of the country of origin. To this day, War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. that will never end. The most notorious New Orleans smuggler and gentleman pirate was Jean Lafitte. [37] The following month, the governor offered a $500 reward for Lafitte's capture. [89], Over the next few months, Lafitte established a base along the coast of Cuba, where he bribed local officials with a share of the profits. In the 1938 and 1958 films The Buccaneer, Lafitte claims he never attacked an American ship. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple [116], In 1980, the manuscript was donated to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Texas. It's okay, because we're here to bust them! "[100] Given his legendary reputation, there was much speculation about whether, or how, Lafitte had died. The Americans took custody of six schooners, one felucca, and a brig, as well as 20cannon and goods worth $500,000. Over the next few months, the British Navy increased patrols in the Gulf of Mexico, and by August they had established a base at Pensacola. This article provides images of newspapers from 1921, and one column in particular that talks about Lafittes treasure. Though much of his life has been obscured by legend and time, the story of 19th-century French pirate Jean Lafitte is nonetheless one of intrigue, crime, and heroics. [34] Biographer Jack Ramsay speculates that the voyage was intended to "establish [Lafitte] as a privateering captain". It was stuck in the crack of the stairs. [11] This was the last year that Napoleon failed to regain control of Saint-Domingue. Lafitte's ship is called "The Pride," but that's something they've already found. Others formed three artillery companies. Jean Lafitte (c. 1780 - c. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He achieved notoriety through his daring exploits, but also for having "the coolest name ever.". The story may have begun because Pierre Lafittes mistress owned a building on St. Phillip Street across from todays Blacksmith Shop. [49] He sent a message to the Americans that few of his men favored helping the British but said he needed 15 days to review their offer. Due to escalating violence from the Haitian Revolution, in early 1803 Pierre boarded a refugee ship for New Orleans.Davis (2005), pp. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. April 23, 2022. Nice little interesting overview but the bit many accounts say lafitte settled in Galveston casts unnecessary doubt, The settlement in Galveston (Campeche) is firmly established in the history, theres even a museum there about it. Most historians doubt the authenticity of these claims but have not been able to disprove them. By midmorning, 10 armed pirate ships formed a battle line in the bay. Jean Lafitte, a famous pirate, buried his treasures along the coasts of Florida. times as a smuggler and privateer, he became very wealthy. Britain and the United States declared war in June 1812, but until 1814, most of the fighting took place on the east coast or northern border of the United States. Even the date and place of his birth and death are unknown. on Grand Terre. Around the same time it became illegal to bring slaves from Africa into Louisiana; it later became illegal to import slaves into the rest of the United States. The buccaneer Jean Lafitte and other pirates sailed the Gulf to . He requested approval to raise a militia company to "disperse those desperate men on Lake Barataria whose piracies have rendered our shores a terror to neutral flags". Merchants and planters came to Barataria for auctions, which Lafitte held outside New Orleans to avoid the law. A smuggler of epic proportions, Jean Lafitte had an army of privateers with as many as 1,000 men ultimately making him an invaluable asset for America in the War of 1812. By 1810, the island had become a booming port. Jean Lafitte (1780-1823) was a legendary French privateer and pirate who resided in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the early 19th century and was widely believed to have been born in either the French colony of Saint-Domingue or in Basque-France. The legend of Jean Lafitte survives in the history and mystery of south Louisiana, where Lafi ttes bayous and backwaters still meander toward the Gulf of Mexico. . wrong move on Lafittes mason rouge. Like a little wooden barrel. What if these stories are factual? Lafitte attempted to take what appeared to be two Spanish merchant vessels on the night of February 4. Smith believes he found a sunken ship on Google Earth in 2006 in Refugio, just north of Corpus Christi. [55] Jackson responded, "I ask you, Louisianans, can we place any confidence in the honor of men who have courted an alliance with pirates and robbers? The other went north later over seas where he was killed during WW2. "I think he realized very quickly in Galveston that it was not going to work, as evidenced by how short lived that . The boys were given a basic Catholic education. The headquarters consisted of a two-storey building facing the inland harbor, where landings were made. The building was surrounded by a moat and painted red; it became known as Maison Rouge. The old 1938 cross marked "Jean Lafitte, Re-exhumado, 1938" was made to mark the burial site of a bone that was found washed up on the beach where the old cemetery eroded into the sea. Pinkerton is a mysterious figure. $130,000 of Jean Lafitte's treasure is thought to be buried near Bolivar Point. The slave smuggling business expanded in 1809 when Jean joined his brother in the Crescent City and the two found a new source of enslaved people: French privateers commissioned to attack Britain . and the fear of being captured, Lafitte allegedly buried his treasure with the After first escaping with some crew, he and his men were captured and jailed. Claiborne took a leave of absence in September 1810, leaving Thomas B. Robertson as acting governor. was born in France around the year 1780 and traveled to the United States when The bay was located beyond a narrow passage between the barrier islands of Grand Terre and Grande Isle. Jean Lafitte (c. 1780 - c. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. The following day, Lafitte took command of the island and appointed his own officers. [29], On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Britain. [116] Many researchers noticed a similarity between John Laflin's handwriting and the writing in the journal. The ship's kitchen stove was found intact. Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. Could it be that there were multiple burial locations They had his only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte (d. 1832). In her children's story, Victor and the Pirate: A Story of New Orleans During the War of 1812 (1947), Ruby Lorraine Radford features a fictional child who encourages Lafitte to defend New Orleans.
