[58] On December 19, the state legislature passed a resolution recommending a full pardon for all of the former residents at Barataria. [60], On December 23, advance units of the British fleet reached the Mississippi River. In later years, he was described as having "a more accurate knowledge of every inlet from the Gulf than any other man". He was evidently able to speak English reasonably well and most likely had a working knowledge of Spanish. 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. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Jean Lafitte (c. 1780 - c. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. So next time you're walking past the . Lafitte's men identified slave ships and captured them. 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. His maternal grandmother and mother, both Conversos, fled Spain for France in 1765. 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. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821, departed on The Pride. [62], Patterson praised the Barataria men who served on one of the US Navy ships, and whose skill with artillery was greater than their British counterparts. . Subscribe to the Pelican State of Mind blog by providing your email below! You'll need to arrive by 5:30pm and bring your ID plus there is a $3.00 USD boarding fee. Catiche became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Jean Pierre, on November 4, 1815. For the first time, it was made available for research. They had two children together. He heads off to a plantation (as a legend says that . [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. [18] Seamen flocked to the island, working on the docks or at the warehouses until they were chosen as crew for one of the privateers.[19]. [21] In January 1813, they took their first prize, a Spanish hermaphrodite brig loaded with 77slaves. Louisiana State University alumnus (Geaux Tigers), fanatic of all things sports, pugs, and Star Wars, and teller of the occasional dad joke. Jean Lafitte's fabeled ship, The Pride, sunk well over a hundred years ago. Because of his track record and reputation, Jean Lafitte was still seen as a criminal in the eyes of the United States. [118][Note 4], Lafitte is paid tribute at Disneyland by a ship anchor monument with an accompanying plaque found in New Orleans Square. national hero. locations along the Gulf Coast. 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. [71] Texas was lightly populated at this time, and the base had no significant populations nearby. He brought all captured goods to Barataria. [23], The brothers soon acquired a third ship, La Diligente. During the battle Lafitte fought well. consisted of the currency he would receive in exchange for his foreign goods as Here, there would be lots of different activities for the kids. [77], At its peak the colony had more than two thousand inhabitants and 120 separate structures. are why the mystery is still such an interesting topic todaymore than 200 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. By midmorning, 10 armed pirate ships formed a battle line in the bay. In 1812, several Baratarians including both Pierre and Jean Lafitte were captured but jumped bail. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. Lafitte conducted most of his business aboard his ship, The Pride, where he also lived. The park was named after Lafitte because of his smuggling operations in the area. He fled New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. 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. He suggested that the line be extended to a nearby swamp, and Jackson ordered it done. In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. [87] The congressional delegation in Louisiana began to demand that the federal government do something to halt the smuggling, and more US Navy ships were sent to the Gulf. The brothers adapted the captured ship for use in piracy and named it Dorada. a legend in his own time, after his patriotic actions in the Battle of New Orleans. The smuggling operations of the well-known privateer eventually came to a screeching halt, though, when the United States began enforcing the embargo in New Orleans city limits some time after the act passed. Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". Merchants and planters came to Barataria for auctions, which Lafitte held outside New Orleans to avoid the law. 5 , Mexican outpost further south along the Gulf Coast, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States, "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: GENERAL QUESTIONS", "Jean Laffite as a Father | Historia Obscura", "The Legend of Jean LaFoote Advertising Week 360 AW360", "Cinnamon Crunch (Cap'n Crunch) Cereal | MrBreakfast.com", "Then and Now: Lafitte's Anchor at Disneyland Park", "20 Things You May Not Know About Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean Ride", "History and a Behind the Scenes Look at the Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction in Disneyland", "Why is the Name Jean Lafitte Everywhere at Disneyland", History of the second war between the United States of America and Great Britain: declared by act of Congress, the 18th of June, 1812, and concluded by peace, the 15th of February, 1815, Jean Lafitte: Gentleman Pirate of New Orleans, "Jean LaFitte's piratical topsail schooner", History, photos and movies about Jean Lafitte, Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law, Jim Hawkins and the Curse of Treasure Island, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jean_Lafitte&oldid=1142807831, Recipients of American presidential pardons, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, pirate, privateer, spy, naval artillery officer, slave trader. These goods were at a high demand and otherwise illegal due to the Embargo Act of 1807. 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. 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. Orleanshe did not disappoint. Some accounts say In his disputed memoir work, Journal de Jean Lafitte, Lafitte claims to have been born in Bordeaux, France, in 1780, the child of Sephardic Jewish parents whose converso grandmother and mother . 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. [7] Lafitte likely helped his brother to sell or trade the captured merchandise. 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. [43] Lafitte's ship grounded in shallow water where the larger British ship could not follow. On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. goal to once again evade U.S. seizure and to come back to it later. They believe now they've found his sunken ship. [101] Lafitte is rumored to have buried treasure at many locations, including Galveston and sites along coastal Louisiana, such as Contraband Bayou in Lake Charles. In the 1938 and 1958 films The Buccaneer, Lafitte claims he never attacked an American ship. [94] For the first time, Lafitte was legally authorized to take Spanish ships. Within two days of Lafitte's notes, Pierre "escaped" from jail. LINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - In the 1820s, pirate Jean Laffite, a smuggler from the Gulf Coast area in Louisiana, allegedly faked his death. His maternal grandfather had been executed by the Inquisition for "Judaizing". and brother in the early 1800s. The story may have begun because Pierre Lafittes mistress owned a building on St. Phillip Street across from todays Blacksmith Shop. [116] Many researchers noticed a similarity between John Laflin's handwriting and the writing in the journal. [36], In October, a revenue officer prepared an ambush of a band of Lafitte's smugglers. Lafitte's ship is called "The Pride," but that's something they've already found. This article is about the privateer. Widely publicized, the raid was hailed by the Niles' Weekly Register as "a major conquest for the United States". An archivist for Bexar County, Texas, declared the papers to be authentic. He was probably born in the early 1780s in either France or the French colony of St. Domingue (now Haiti) in the Caribbean. Quick Facts. floor after a shipwreck. 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 Laffite, Laffite also spelled Lafitte, (born 1780?, Francedied 1825? 1512. The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. that the treasure was on board one of Lafittes vessels and sank to the ocean It is still hidden treasures have been told time and time again in childrens books, video 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). The information I found about the Don Felipe treasure was research I did online not sure if it . [82] Maison Rouge is believed to have stood at 1417 Harborside Drive near the Galveston wharf, but the foundations there have been dated to the 1870s. Get monthly email updates and the chance to win a prize. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! during the Battle of New Orleans. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. In a personal note, Lafitte reminded Blanque that his brother Pierre was still in jail and deserved an early release. and its inlets. What was the name of Lafitte's pirate ship? From there, he raided foreign ships in the Gulf of Mexico. The ones found their range from the late 1770;s to 1814 or so. Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? Lafitte named his colony Campeche, after a Mexican outpost further south along the Gulf Coast. Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. Jean Lafitte: A trial for piracy. treasure of Jean Lafitte. chagrin of the locals that helped drain the swamp, there was no trace of the The name Jean Lafitte is almost legendary around the upper areas of the Texas coastline. Dissatisfied with their role as brokers, in October 1812 the Lafitte brothers purchased a schooner and hired Captain Trey Cook to sail it. [76] Lafitte forged letters of marque from an imaginary nation to fraudulently authorize all the ships sailing from Galveston as privateers. 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. But the treasure is in my best belief to be in Galveston. [117] Most historians now believe the Lafitte journal to be a forgery. [68] Two weeks into his stay, the two leaders of the revolutionaries left the island. Jean Lafitte became labeled by some as a Lafitte's fate has remained a mystery for 183 years. Lafitte attempted to take what appeared to be two Spanish merchant vessels on the night of February 4. [99] In 1843, Mirabeau B. Lamar investigated many of the Lafitte stories and concluded that, while there were no authentic records of death, Lafitte was likely dead. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821 departed on The Pride. Most of these battles took place at or near Chalmette Plantation, now Chalmette Battlefield and part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Workers would reload goods into smaller batches onto pirogues or barges, for transport through the many bayous to New Orleans. Christina died after the birth of their daughter. When you cross Bayou Des Allemands on Hwy 90, looking down the bayou to the south its a short ride to where the primary temple location was. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. Lafitte knew that his new business outfit was hidden well enough that U.S. officials wouldnt be able to find him. The other went north later over seas where he was killed during WW2. After his three children were grown, Lafitte fell sick in his 50s. They created a base on the small and sparsely-populated island of Barataria, in Barataria Bay. Registration for Pierre Lafitte's ship Goelette la Dilidente,a 136 ton schooner, captained by . There are many stories about what happened to Lafitte and where he died. You can see a small door that was covered. [38] Officials tried to break up this auction by force. Slaves captured in such actions who were turned over to the customs office would be sold within the United States, with half the profits going to the people who turned them in. She placed Pierre to be raised by extended family elsewhere in Louisiana. 70130, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Back in 1915, a city worker in New Orleans found a chest that was filled with over 1,500 . 1776 - ca. Another site near Niblett's Bluff, 40 Gums, had previously been searched. , Resentful of the raid on Barataria, Lafitte's men refused to serve on their former ships. For the Hix boys, the legend of Jean Lafitte was always their family's little secret. [102] Ramsay believes that over time, almost "every foot of Grande Isle has been spaded for pirate gold". Due to escalating violence from the Haitian Revolution, in early 1803 Pierre boarded a refugee ship for New Orleans. [42], Following the charges of November 10, 1812, and subsequent arrest and jailing of his brother Pierre, Jean Lafitte operated the piracy and smuggling business. If you study your info you will be lost. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. [44], Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the commander of the Sophie, had been ordered to contact the "Commandant at Barataria". 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. below! Modern Day Depiction of the Baratarian Pirate and Brother of Jean Lafitte . They feared that Lafitte and his men might side with the British. Lafittes final resting place is unknown. Pierre Lafitte had another son, his namesake Pierre, born from his first marriage to Marie LaGrange, who died in childbirth. [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. 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. It was cloudy with low visibility. Guests could've been able to enter Laffite's crypt near the Haunted Mansion. [51], On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. [91] When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. 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. His knowledge of the swamps helped him to make quick getaways. Lafitte for a time lived a lavish lifestyle, complete with servants and the finest housewares and other accoutrements.[78]. Smugglers would purchase the slaves for a discounted price, march them to Louisiana, and turn them in to customs officials. 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. [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". Officials released the smugglers after they posted bail, and they disappeared and refused to return for a trial. I grew up back there, in those waterways, in that area and found many interesting things. Switching gears back to Louisiana, this Jean Lafitte tale quotes a former student of Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans stating that the treasure is buried near an oak tree on the schools campus. Yes I visited his home the Mason rouge in Campeche Galveston tx. There were no chests. Josh Gates is on a mission to find the hidden treasure of Jean Lafitte, the French pirate and privateer, this week on Expedition Unknown. [72] Ships operating from Galveston flew the flag of Mexico, but they did not participate in the revolution. A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure and often sources contradict each other. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is named after him. 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. "It started for us with this family story," Cody Hix said. He died about Feb 5, 1823. William Bartlett explored a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck. he found that there had already been a small colony established, founded by Spaniard . 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. Smith believes he found a sunken ship on Google Earth in 2006 in Refugio, just north of Corpus Christi. Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer known for his smuggling operations. jean lafitte shipwreck found. 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. Thousands of miles away, and two centuries later, from where Laffite made his name, in Lincolnton, North Carolina, people continue to visit . In the early 1800s, Lafitte makes a fortune in treasure by raiding ships in the Gulf of Mexico . The Laffites moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. This area had been famous for smuggling even before privateers arrived in 1810 to use the deep water harbor of Barataria Bay. He and another treasure hunter named Dan Beckingham found 4.5 million dollars worth of gold in the shallow waters of Florida. One of the men was found living in east Texas where he had bought a farm. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. This information begs the question, though, How did Jean Lafitte have treasure in the first place, and if he did, why would he leave it behind?. . [2] Some sources say that his father was French and his mother's family had come from Spain. Its in the concrete shell stairs. Legend holds that the Pirate Jean LaFitte, or in some other versions Santa Anna, left treasure at Hendrick's Lake near Tatum. He was accompanied by a Royal Marine infantry captain, John McWilliam,[45][46] who had been given a package to deliver to Lafitte. In 1953 several fishermen in the area landed about $625,000 of the treasure using their fishing nets. 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. Watch an alligator bask on a bayou's bank. [64] He formally requested clemency for the Lafittes and the men who had served under them. Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Lafitte's ship is called "The Pride," but that's something they've already found. the treasure be today? Although the handbills were made in Lafitte's name, Ramsay believes "it is unlikely [the handbills] originated with him". By 1805 he is believed to have been running a warehouse in New Orleans and possibly a store on Royal Street. Andrew Jackson asked Lafitte to help defend New Orleans in the Battle of 1815. 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. British forces sought access to the Mississippi River to gain control of the interior of the US. 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". Jean Lafitte was also offered a position in the British Royal Navy as a captain. [116], In 1980, the manuscript was donated to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Texas. His life and death remain as mysterious as the swamps and bayous of Barataria. This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him.[1]. When: 2 p.m. May 22. [117] Laflin had been previously accused of forging letters purportedly from Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Davy Crockett. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. this mystery still has historians, researchers, and treasure hunters alike She was the sister of Marie Villard, the mistress of his brother, Pierre. When he attacked some United States ships, the government sent in troops to capture him. "Jean Laffite Revealed". It reads that a cache of ancient gold coins was found near Jefferson island. [59] With Lafitte's encouragement, many of his men joined the New Orleans militia or as sailors to man the ships. Although the city kept control of the eight ships taken from Lafitte, it did not have enough sailors to man them for defense. The headquarters consisted of a two-storey building facing the inland harbor, where landings were made. . Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. both men served under Governor Bernardo de Galvez during the American Revolution and can be found listed on the New Orleans Militia Roster. THE LEGACY OF JEAN LAFITTE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By W. T. Block Reprinted from TRUE WEST, Dec., 1979, p. 26ff; . Could it be that there were multiple burial locations Merchants in New Orleans began to run out of goods to sell. That was more of his commerce center, again where he exchanged merchandise for coin. According to his 2005 book, Lafitte was born in or near Pauillac, France, the son of Pierre Lafitte and his second wife, Marguerite Desteil. He resurfaced in North Carolina under a different name, an alias. [50], The US ordered an attack on Lafitte's colony. [15] The Lafitte brothers began to look for another port from which they could smuggle goods to local merchants. That was problematic for New Orleans merchants, who had relied heavily on trade with Caribbean colonies of other nations. Later, in return for a legal pardon, Laffite and his fleet helped General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans to defend the city during the War of 1812. ", This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, A family in Baytown, Texas tell their story. That night his remaining men reboarded the General Victoria and destroyed its masts and spars, crippling the ship, but they left the crew unharmed. have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. 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. [33], Although under indictment, in March 1813 Lafitte registered as captain of Le Brig Goelette la Diligente for a supposed journey to New York. there were treasure legends, and the most common story is that Lafitte stranded a ship, a Spanish ship with gold, in Matagorda Bay in Corpus and was taking it to St. Louis on some wagon trains over roads that don . Some speculate it was Jean. Enslaved Africans there gained their independence from France in 1804 and renamed this territory as Haiti. [63] On land and sea, the former pirate gunners earned praise as the battle continued. Lafitte essentially developed Galveston Island as another smuggling base. 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. (Spain had become an ally of the British against the French.) He had to take a pirogoe which is a wood boat that would have sank if all the treasure would have been on board. Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. "[98] No American newspaper published an obituary of him. Constructed in the 1720s, the structure stands today as possibly the oldest building in the United States housing a bar (Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar).[105][106]. "[100] Given his legendary reputation, there was much speculation about whether, or how, Lafitte had died. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple His men burned the Maison Rouge, fortress, and settlement. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a tender. scrambling to find answers. 2. On September 13, 1814, Commodore Daniel Patterson set sail aboard the USSCarolina for Barataria. [17], Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. [He] is supposed to have captured one hundred vessels of all nations, and certainly murdered the crews of all that he took, for no one has ever escaped him.

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