Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? [48] He had also been told in August that American officials were planning an assault on Barataria with forces under the command of Commodore Daniel Patterson. They created a base on the small and sparsely-populated island of Barataria, in Barataria Bay. Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated from New Orleans, Louisiana. Believing that the Americans would eventually prevail in the war against Britain, Lafitte thought he could more easily defeat the US revenue officers than he could the British Navy. Quick Facts. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along "Finding out who Lafitte really was," Cody Hix said. Before we dive He found his first Spanish gold coin in the year 2017. Jean Lafitte spent most of his time in Barataria managing the daily hands-on business of outfitting privateers and arranging the smuggling of stolen goods. Back in 1915, a city worker in New Orleans found a chest that was filled with over 1,500 . have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. From there, he raided foreign ships in the Gulf of Mexico. [41] He was arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed on charges of "having knowingly and wittingly aided and assisted, procured, commanded, counselled, and advised" persons to commit acts of piracy". He had been credited with much, and accused of plenty, yet there is doubt even. "[33] Three days later, 40 soldiers were sent to ambush the Baratarians and captured Lafitte, his brother Pierre, and 25 unarmed smugglers on November 16, and confiscated several thousand dollars of contraband. The ones found their range from the late 1770;s to 1814 or so. The Laffites subsequently became spies for the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence. You'll need to arrive by 5:30pm and bring your ID plus there is a $3.00 USD boarding fee. It was also the location that US Forces attacked, causing his band to make a hasty retreat. Could it be The American warship which captured him turned Lafitte over to the local authorities, who promptly released him. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. Despite this, no silver bars were found. States officials granted him legal authority to pirate and capture British Jean Lafitte became labeled by some as a My grandfathers mother lived next to his mother and we were told of the storys on where some was at. Jean Pierre, her son with Jean Lafitte, died at 17 during a cholera epidemic in New Orleans in October 1832. These Letters of Marque would give the Captains and Crew permission to capture and steal the ship and cargo of the issuing government's enemies. In 1807 the United States outlawed trade with Great Britain and France because of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a tender. The silver that Lafitte accumulated from selling captured slaves, cotton, and other goods was stored in wooden kegs or casks. 3. Later United States President James Madison pardoned him and his men for their acts of piracy. Smith believes he found a sunken ship on Google Earth in 2006 in Refugio, just north of Corpus Christi. . . An archivist for Bexar County, Texas, declared the papers to be authentic. Lafitte may have had as many as 1000 people working for him, including free men of color and runaway slaves. He was given a burial at sea in the Gulf Of Honduras and speculation about the whereabouts of his treasure hoard has . With his business carrying on and continuing to grow, so did his wealth. a legend in his own time, after his patriotic actions in the Battle of New Orleans. He vowed his intention to make indiscriminate war upon all God . War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. that will never end. Guides educate the public on wildlife, Cajun culture, and life on the bayou. [22] The Lafittes gained a reputation for treating captive crew members well and often returned captured ships to their original crew. This would later be used to his great advantage. [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. On September 13, 1814, Commodore Daniel Patterson set sail aboard the USSCarolina for Barataria. [15] The Lafitte brothers began to look for another port from which they could smuggle goods to local merchants. Several times customs officials and soldiers tried to capture Lafi tte in the swamps, but they were usually captured, wounded, or killed by the Baratarians. pardoned by General Andrew Jackson in praise of his efforts and accomplishments Enslaved Africans there gained their independence from France in 1804 and renamed this territory as Haiti. According to historian William C. Davis, Laffite began a public relationship with his mistress in 1815, Catherine (Catiche) Villard, a free woman of color. They were held in port under custody of the United States Marshal. and the fear of being captured, Lafitte allegedly buried his treasure with the that is. Rogers started his own pirate fleet in 1818. . 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. Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer known for his smuggling operations. years later! Do you have It also mentions reports of larger sums of the treasure being buried in the appropriately-named small town of Lafitte, Louisiana. Louisiana is not exclusive to rumors of the treasures whereabouts too, as There were also those who considered him a hero. He was so wealthy that he built his own secret smugglers colony on the islands south of New Orleans. [60] Lafitte realized that the American line of defense was so short as to potentially allow the British to encircle the American troops. . Pinkerton is a mysterious figure. He was born in Port-au-Prince on the Caribbean island now known as Haiti, where his father was a tanner who made a comfortable enough living to educate his sons well. Long-lost pirate ship may lie in Texas lake / Historical treasure could be wreck of Jean Lafitte. [101] In 1909, a man was given a six-year prison sentence for fraud after swindling thousands of dollars from people, by claiming that he knew where the Lafitte treasure was buried and taking their money for the promise to find it.[103]. Instead, Lafitte told Governor Claiborne of the planned attack and offered his help. An American ship was boarded near our coast, . By midmorning, 10 armed pirate ships formed a battle line in the bay. The treasure already found was Spanish Silver, not Gold. this mystery still has historians, researchers, and treasure hunters alike A treasured mystery, Catiche became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Jean Pierre, on November 4, 1815. 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. "[100] Given his legendary reputation, there was much speculation about whether, or how, Lafitte had died. The men working for Lafitte were called Baratarians because the waterways they used for smuggling were located in an area called Barataria (the Barataria Preserve of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is located in this area). He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte".This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him. They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. Though Lafitte's home is gone, this property across the street from the Port of Galveston contains the ruins of a later structure and a trove of ghost tales. Lafittes image changed from pirate to patriot during the War of 1812. [60], On December 23, advance units of the British fleet reached the Mississippi River. Lafitte was granted a commission and given a new ship, a 43-ton schooner named General Santander in honor to Vice-President General Francisco de Paula Santander. The Spanish ships appeared to be fleeing but at 10:00 pm turned back for a frontal counterattack against Lafitte's ship. [32] Because the US Navy did not have enough ships to act against the Baratarian smugglers, the government turned to the courts. In the Journal de Jean Lafitte, the authenticity of which is contested, Lafitte claims to have been born in Bordeaux, France, in 1780 to Sephardic Jewish parents. Lafitte was horribly excited by the result of this trial. Jean Lafitte's ship was named "The General Jackson". In 1948, John Andrechyne Laflin approached the Missouri Historical Society with a French-language manuscript he claimed was a journal Lafitte kept from 1845 until 1850. Date of Birth - Death c. 1780-unknown. Later, the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, and theWetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux were added to the park, and stories connect Lafitte with those areas too. [36] The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register. In 1958, Laflin self-published an English translation of the journal. But remember Lafittes black dogs are still around dont go a hunting unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences. Following Lafitte's departure from the Texas coast in 1821, James and Mary Campbell remained in the region, ultimately settling on a plot of about 1500 acres at Campbell's Bayou (Articles, 1998). 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. Jean Lafitte was likely born in 1782, although he was not baptized until 1786. [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. 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. Treasure hunter Christian Roper is searching for Jean Lafitte's buried treasure that could be worth over 50 million dollars today - he meets with Rick and Ma. He fled New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. He wrote Jean Laffitte: Gentleman Rover based on the journal. A privateer has permission from a government at war to capture any enemy ships. [64] He formally requested clemency for the Lafittes and the men who had served under them. In later years, he was described as having "a more accurate knowledge of every inlet from the Gulf than any other man". In late 1815 and early 1816, the Lafitte brothers agreed to act as spies for Spain, which was embroiled in the Mexican War of Independence. [4][5] In the late 18th century, adult children of the French planters in Saint-Domingue often resettled along the Mississippi River in La Louisiane, especially in its largest city of New Orleans. Lafitte was later He was nursed back to health by Emma Hortense Mortimer. The ship would sail to the mouth of Bayou Lafourche, load the contraband goods, and sail "legally" back to New Orleans, with goods listed on a certified manifest. (Davis (2005), p. 436). says that a swamp in the Natalbany River in Springfield, Louisiana, was drained [16] Barataria was far from the US naval base, and ships could easily smuggle in goods without being noticed by customs officials. In 1953 several fishermen in the area landed about $625,000 of the treasure using their fishing nets. Only six houses survived as habitable.[80]. floor after a shipwreck. Jean Laffite, Laffite also spelled Lafitte, (born 1780?, Francedied 1825? 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. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821, departed on The Pride. At this time an English captain offered Lafitte $30,000 and a commission to help the British attack New Orleans. that the treasure is in a different location now than where it was buried? The Temple was located just North of what is today Little Lake, in Lafittes time it was Little Lake Barataria, where Bayou Perot and Bayou Rigolets meet. The story claimed that American Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones was the uncle of Jean Lafitte and Napoleon Bonaparte and that the two were cousins. The name Jean Lafitte is almost legendary around the upper areas of the Texas coastline. Jean Lafitte was also offered a position in the British Royal Navy as a captain. [71] Texas was lightly populated at this time, and the base had no significant populations nearby. He landed ships at Grand Terre and Cheniere, and then brought the merchandise to The Temple to be auctioned. Throughout Barataria, Lafitte built warehouses to store goods and pens to hold slaves. Jean Lafitte, a one-time resident of Louisiana and privateer, is believed by some to have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. As JeanLafitte.net explains, in 1948, a man named John Andrechyne Laflin went to the Missouri Historical Society with a document called The Journal of Jean Lafitte, which he claimed was the authentic memoir and scrapbook of the famed pirate. We use cookies to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. Jean Lafitte (ca. Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. [37] The following month, the governor offered a $500 reward for Lafitte's capture. [33], Although under indictment, in March 1813 Lafitte registered as captain of Le Brig Goelette la Diligente for a supposed journey to New York. Catiche had given birth to a daughter named Marie on November 10, 1813. [30] The US built warships to operate on the Great Lakes but in other areas supplemented its navy by offering letters of marque to privately-owned armed vessels. The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. Charles Gayarre wrote the first serious biography of Lafitte. Where: 1859 Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway Ave. J, Galveston. An attorney representing Lafitte argued that the captured ships had flown the flag of Cartagena, an area at peace with the United States. He was probably born in the early 1780s in either France or the French colony of St. Domingue (now Haiti) in the Caribbean. Its off 435 about 12 miles from where he fled imprisonment to the Pearl River. . Lafitte knew that his new business outfit was hidden well enough that U.S. officials wouldnt be able to find him. Wounded in the battle, Lafitte is believed to have died just after dawn on February 5. 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. Official Blog of Pelican State Credit Union. Check out our jean lafitte selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our prints shops. [53], Likely inspired by Lafitte's offer to help defend Louisiana, Governor Claiborne wrote the US Attorney General, Richard Rush requesting a pardon for the Baratarians, saying that for generations, smugglers were "esteemed honest [and] sympathy for these offenders is certainly more or less felt by many of the Louisianans". The judge ruled that Patterson should get the customary share of profits from the goods that had already been sold, but he did not settle the ownership of the ships. Mention the name "Jean Lafitte" to people of a certain age and they will immediately think of Cap'n Crunch cereal and its mascot and namesake, whose ship, the SS Guppy, was often attacked in commercials by Jean Lafoote, the Barefoot Pirate.Unlike in real life, Lafoote's punishment was to get his own breakfast cereal -- Jean LaFoote's Cinnamon Crunch. 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 . You will see it gets its name from the treasure being buried there. [63] On land and sea, the former pirate gunners earned praise as the battle continued. That was more of his commerce center, again where he exchanged merchandise for coin. You can see a small door that was covered. Like a little wooden barrel. After securing victory, Jackson paid tribute in despatches to the Laffite brothers' efforts, as well as those of their fellow privateers. [6] According to Ramsay, Lafitte's widowed mother migrated with her two sons, the elder Pierre and Jean, from Saint-Domingue to New Orleans in the 1780s. They submitted booty from captured British ships to the American authorities at New Orleans, and booty from all other ships was often channeled for sale on the markets through Lafitte's operation. Workers would reload goods into smaller batches onto pirogues or barges, for transport through the many bayous to New Orleans. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. When Patterson's men went ashore, they met no resistance. This story first appeared in a local newspaper in the 1920s from an unnamed source and has no basis in fact. unclear why Lafitte had to bury his treasure or even where he was last seen. However, the United States did not recognize the government of Cartagena as a legal one and U.S. offi cials suspected Lafittes men of attacking any ships they saw, and so the U.S. government charged Lafitte and his crew with piracy. 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. On November 10, 1812, United States District Attorney John R. Grymes charged Lafitte with "violation of the revenue law. [56] It had approximately 1,000 unseasoned troops and two ships for its use. The second item was a personal note to Lafitte from McWilliam's superior, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls, urging him to accept the offer.[47]. These questions [93], In June 1822, Lafitte approached the officials in the Great Colombia, whose government under General Simn Bolvar had begun commissioning former privateers as officers in its new navy. Jean Lafitte: A trial for piracy. But the treasure is in my best belief to be in Galveston. "Very few shipwrecks have been found that still have the stove intact," Irion said. The buccaneer Jean Lafitte and other pirates sailed the Gulf to . Lafitte escaped. [79] It was being developed for cotton culture, as invention of the cotton gin had made short-staple cotton profitable. There's Lafitte's Treasure Casino right off the Grand Coteau exit on I-49; Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Acadian-Cultural Center and the Lafitte Oaks on Jefferson Island, where the pirate is said to have buried some of his treasure. Josh Gates is on a mission to find the hidden treasure of Jean Lafitte, the French pirate and privateer, this week on Expedition Unknown. The family thinks this could be a clue as to where the actual treasure is. For the Hix boys, the legend of Jean Lafitte was always their family's little secret. Inside a tunnel stylized as pirate's cattacombs would've led to Laffite's old hideout, a capsized ship in Sawyer's island. [44], Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the commander of the Sophie, had been ordered to contact the "Commandant at Barataria". When they had disembarked and were surrounded by his men, Lafitte identified himself to them. 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. There are many stories about what happened to Lafitte and where he died. Jean's brother Pierre Lafitte died on the way to Dzilam and he was buried in Dzilam in an old cemetery, which later eroded into the sea. 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. Throughout Lafittes Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. In 1966, Louisiana authorized a state park to be established at the present site of the Barataria Preserve. [88] In October or November 1821, Lafitte's ship was ambushed as he attempted to ransom a recent prize. Historical Marker. The state of But why? 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. If you were thoroughly acquainted with the nature of my offenses, I should appear to you much less guilty, and still worthy to discharge the duties of a good citizen. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. Jean was sent to Galveston Island, a part of Spanish Texas that served as the home base of Louis-Michel Aury, a French privateer who claimed to be a Mexican revolutionary. Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in . Families with the surname Lafitte have been found in Louisiana documents from 1765. Lafitte also always insisted that he was a privateer, not a pirate. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! After Napoleons exile to St. Helena by the English in 1815, the story says Lafitte put a double in his place and smuggled him into the United States, but that Napoleon died on the trip. Lafitte for a time lived a lavish lifestyle, complete with servants and the finest housewares and other accoutrements.[78]. His treasure "[98] No American newspaper published an obituary of him. [17], Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. [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. Louisianas Theres On April 18, he sailed for New Orleans to report his activities. If they refused the offer, the letters informed Lafitte that the British had orders to capture Barataria to put an end to their smuggling. They married and had two sons together, Jules Jean and Glenn Henri. This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him.[1]. the Texas Gulf Coast. "[64] Jackson named Jean and Pierre Lafitte for having "exhibited the same courage and fidelity". Jean Lafitte in 1813. North of Tatum, in the middle of the woods, lies . Jan 25, 2007. Jean lists his age as 32 and his birthplace as . I also. After Jean Lafitte and his Baratarian crew finished fighting in New Orleans, and received their promised pardon, Lafitte could not maintain a simple private life for long, so he returned to life on the high seas. [74], In less than a year, Lafitte's colony grew to 100200 men and several women. Pierre Lafitte had another son, his namesake Pierre, born from his first marriage to Marie LaGrange, who died in childbirth. [81]. It was stuck in the crack of the stairs. 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. Is his last name spelled Lafi tte or Laffi te? Merchants in New Orleans began to run out of goods to sell. The stairs run beside it. His knowledge of the swamps helped him to make quick getaways. Jean Lafitte (also spelt Laffite, c. 1780 to c. 1820 CE) was a Franco-American leader of pirates and privateers who captured merchant vessels of various states in the Gulf of Mexico from 1810 to 1820. Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. Much to the The Laffite Society, which promotes historical research and education about Lafitte's life and times, meets the second Tuesday of each month. 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. Other documents of the period place his birthplace as St. Malo or Brest. End of Campeche[edit] In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf.
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