Jean Lafitte, sometimes spelled Laffite, was born in approximately 1780 in either France or Saint Domingue (modern day Haiti) and according historian H.W . He achieved notoriety through his daring exploits, but also for having "the coolest name ever.". Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. . [27], Governor William C.C. What if these stories are factual? Jean LaFitte - Legendary gulf pirate, Is some of his gold still buried I grew up back there, in those waterways, in that area and found many interesting things. The Ghost of Jean Lafitte in Galveston - Ghost City Tours Modern Day Depiction of the Baratarian Pirate and Brother of Jean Lafitte . Jean Lafitte- Pirates, Catacombs, and a Legend - Just Disney Rogers was a member of Jean Lafitte's pirate crew in 1812. Annual income reached more than $2 million ($35.4million in today's terms) in stolen currency and goods. The buccaneer Jean Lafitte and other pirates sailed the Gulf to . [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. He fled New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. . It was stuck in the crack of the stairs. Within two days of Lafitte's notes, Pierre "escaped" from jail. They believe now they've found his sunken ship. The bay was located beyond a narrow passage between the barrier islands of Grand Terre and Grande Isle. 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. Merchants and planters came to Barataria for auctions, which Lafitte held outside New Orleans to avoid the law. He seemed to think the whole world was against him, and he determined to be against the world. 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. Jean Lafitte - Krewe of Lafitte, Inc. From there, he raided foreign ships in the Gulf of Mexico. unclear why Lafitte had to bury his treasure or even where he was last seen. Jean Lafitte was likely born in 1782, although he was not baptized until 1786. Thus, on August 13, 1814, Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the British ship Sophie sailed on that mission. Found bones of mamouth and Indian tools. The most notorious New Orleans smuggler and gentleman pirate was Jean Lafitte. They created a base on the small and sparsely-populated island of Barataria, in Barataria Bay. Jean Lafitte: The Smuggler, The Villain, The Hero (He was actually more of a land based businessman than a privateer or pirate at sea.) [34] Biographer Jack Ramsay speculates that the voyage was intended to "establish [Lafitte] as a privateering captain". His treasure Many of the city's merchants were unhappy with this auction, because it allowed their customers to buy goods directly from Lafitte at a lower price than the merchants could charge in the city. In November 1822, he made news in the American press after escorting an American schooner through the pirate-infested area and providing them with extra cannon balls and food.[96]. games, shows, and moviesbut what if they werent made up just for the sake of [73] Aury returned to Galveston several months later, but he left in July when he realized that the men were unwilling to revolt. When: 2 p.m. May 22. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a tender. The Barataria chief then had 1100 men under his . He was said to use it as a base for arranging the transfer of smuggled goods. It reads that a cache of ancient gold coins was found near Jefferson island. [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. Lafitte, Campbell & Pirates | Texas City, TX His men tore down the existing houses and built 200 new, sturdier structures. The state of The headquarters consisted of a two-storey building facing the inland harbor, where landings were made. Jean Lafitte was the youngest of eight children (five boys and three girls). Found a mamouth tooth a a tiny brick made of shell it has letters P on it and the other I cant make out. An archivist for Bexar County, Texas, declared the papers to be authentic. 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?. instead of just one? 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. Jean Laffite's treasure in the Sabine River - Lone star treasure [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. War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. [7] [4], Some sources speculate that Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). times as a smuggler and privateer, he became very wealthy. [8], Biographer William C. Davis suggests a different childhood for Lafitte. I have a metal detector. [10], Sources indicate that Lafitte was sharp and resourceful, but also handsome and friendly, enjoying drinking, gambling, and women. 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 . Guides educate the public on wildlife, Cajun culture, and life on the bayou. Lafitte may have had as many as 1000 people working for him, including free men of color and runaway slaves. He was buried at sea in the Gulf of Honduras. He was nursed back to health by Emma Hortense Mortimer. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. That was more of his commerce center, again where he exchanged merchandise for coin. The smugglers wounded one of the officers and safely escaped with the contraband. 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. In 1978, Congress created Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, combining Chalmette National Historical Park (established in 1938) with the Louisiana state park and authorizing a visitor center in the French Quarter. The Laffites moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. [59] With Lafitte's encouragement, many of his men joined the New Orleans militia or as sailors to man the ships. Jean Laffite, Laffite also spelled Lafitte, (born 1780?, Francedied 1825? Lafittes final resting place is unknown. They had 3 children together: Jean Antoine Lafitte, Lucien Jean Lafitte, and Denise Jeanette Lafitte. Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. To this day, With the threat of imprisonment We use cookies to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. The smugglers often held letters of marque from multiple countries, authorizing them to capture booty from differing nations. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. The Laffites subsequently became spies for the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. You can see a small door that was covered. Laffite is believed to have been born either in Basque-France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean. End of Campeche[edit] In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. According to one account, published in 1885, The Historical Guide to New Orleans, Jean Lafitte died of sickness on the island of Mugeres, off the Yucatan, in 1826. Was it buried underground or lost under water? "[100] Given his legendary reputation, there was much speculation about whether, or how, Lafitte had died. and the fear of being captured, Lafitte allegedly buried his treasure with the Jean Lafitte - World History Encyclopedia [57], In mid-December, Jackson met with Lafitte, who offered to serve if the US would pardon those of his men who agreed to defend the city. [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]. What was the name of Lafitte's pirate ship? Lafitte was later 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. Let us know in the comments The Americans took custody of six schooners, one felucca, and a brig, as well as 20cannon and goods worth $500,000. most well-known buried treasure mystery still to this day is the unfound Inside a tunnel stylized as pirate's cattacombs would've led to Laffite's old hideout, a capsized ship in Sawyer's island. [52], Following the custom of the times, Patterson filed a legal claim for the profits from the confiscated ships and merchandise. [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. . I a month there. Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". Instead, Lafitte told Governor Claiborne of the planned attack and offered his help. Jean Lafitte - Wikipedia The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. Lafitte always insisted that if he committed any crime, it was smuggling, and he blamed American laws for forcing him into illegal activities. Where: 1859 Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway Ave. J, Galveston. Jean Laffite | Haunted Mansion Wiki | Fandom Shipwrecks Near Fort Livingston Hold Treasures: Gold and silver coins that date from 1802 to 1809: Grand Terre Isle: The Parlange Plantation Treasure: $100,000 to $500,000 worth of gold and silver coins and jewelry: [94] For the first time, Lafitte was legally authorized to take Spanish ships. [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. Enslaved Africans there gained their independence from France in 1804 and renamed this territory as Haiti. Within weeks, Dorada captured a schooner loaded with goods valued at more than $9,000. However, reports suggest that the anglers had been fishing for . 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]. Louisiana planters had a hard time buying enough American-born slaves to work on their everexpanding sugar and cotton plantations. 1417 Harborside Drive, Galveston, TX ( Directions) One of over 200 historical markers on the island, this marker is located at the former house Maison Rouge of notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. [4] He notes that still other contemporary accounts claim that Lafitte was born in Ordua, Spain, or in Westchester County, New York, north of Manhattan. If they refused the offer, the letters informed Lafitte that the British had orders to capture Barataria to put an end to their smuggling. In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. Experts with . The other went north later over seas where he was killed during WW2. . 5, 7. During this time in New Orleans, Lafitte became a very rich man, acquiring extraordinary amounts of money, ships, and weapons. Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? He brought all captured goods to Barataria. On the Trail of East Texas Treasures - Hinterland Gazette ), privateer and smuggler who interrupted his illicit adventures to fight heroically for the United States in defense of New Orleans in the War of 1812. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte Lafitte's Treasure Links (The United States and the United Kingdom had prohibited the Atlantic slave trade after 1808, but Spain continued to import slaves to the Caribbean.) "I'm proud of them. [122] He is also referred to in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in which the boat dock is labeled LaFitte's Landing. [36] The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is named after him. A pirate gets his due - The Current Widely publicized, the raid was hailed by the Niles' Weekly Register as "a major conquest for the United States". Jean Lafitte's fabeled ship, The Pride, sunk well over a hundred years ago. 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.. , 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. The Pride | Baghdad on the Bayou | Obsidian Portal [76] Lafitte forged letters of marque from an imaginary nation to fraudulently authorize all the ships sailing from Galveston as privateers. Mysterious Sunken Pirate Ship at the Mouth of the Swanee River Numerous novels and stories refer to Lafitte's exploits. [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. One story even According to historian William C. Davis, Laffite began a public relationship with his mistress in 1815, Catherine (Catiche) Villard, a free woman of color. Catiche had given birth to a daughter named Marie on November 10, 1813. 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. [5], Lafitte's native language was clearly French, though the specific dialect is a matter of some debate. and an infant son[who?]. Located on Bourbon Street, it is associated with Lafitte, who may have spent time there in his earlier years. The park was named after Lafitte because of his smuggling operations in the area. By 1805 he is believed to have been running a warehouse in New Orleans and possibly a store on Royal Street. It was specifically intended to prohibit trade with the United Kingdom, as tensions were increasing between the two countries. That night his remaining men reboarded the General Victoria and destroyed its masts and spars, crippling the ship, but they left the crew unharmed. Most historians doubt the authenticity of these claims but have not been able to disprove them. Merchants in New Orleans began to run out of goods to sell. Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated from New Orleans, Louisiana. His maternal grandfather had been executed by the Inquisition for "Judaizing". The Laffite Society, which promotes historical research and education about Lafitte's life and times, meets the second Tuesday of each month. [40], Claiborne appealed to the new state legislature, citing the lost revenues due to the smuggling. His life and death remain as mysterious as the swamps and bayous of Barataria. and brother in the early 1800s. The ship's kitchen stove was found intact. 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 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). 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). She was the sister of Marie Villard, the mistress of his brother, Pierre. The Spanish ships were heavily armed privateers or warships and returned heavy fire. Those looking for Gold, Diamonds, Jewelry etc wont find it. The law left several loopholes, giving permission to any ship to capture a slave ship, regardless of the country of origin. When Patterson's men went ashore, they met no resistance. "[64] Jackson named Jean and Pierre Lafitte for having "exhibited the same courage and fidelity". For the Hix boys, the legend of Jean Lafitte was always their family's little secret. LINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - In the 1820s, pirate Jean Laffite, a smuggler from the Gulf Coast area in Louisiana, allegedly faked his death. At its height, the colonists and privateers earned millions of dollars annually from stolen or smuggled coin and goods. [37] The following month, the governor offered a $500 reward for Lafitte's capture. So next time you're walking past the . It also mentions reports of larger sums of the treasure being buried in the appropriately-named small town of Lafitte, Louisiana. . 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. The Galveston Legend of the Infamous Pirate Jean Lafitte He was so wealthy that he built his own secret smugglers colony on the islands south of New Orleans. Searching for Jean Lafitte's Gold in the Sabine River "And now you [44], Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the commander of the Sophie, had been ordered to contact the "Commandant at Barataria". They married and had two sons together, Jules Jean and Glenn Henri. Jean LaFitte, that colorful character who roamed the Gulf Coast in the early 1800s was said to be many things - smuggler, pirate and patriot. Many of the Baratarians settled in New Orleans or in the Barataria area and some of their descendants still live there today. [33], Although under indictment, in March 1813 Lafitte registered as captain of Le Brig Goelette la Diligente for a supposed journey to New York. [67] By early 1817, other revolutionaries had begun to congregate at Galveston, hoping to make it their base to wrest Mexico from Spanish control. The Treasure of Jean Lafitte - National Park Service "I think he realized very quickly in Galveston that it was not going to work, as evidenced by how short lived that . [5] No samples of his writing survive, except his signature; his surviving letters were always written by a secretary. 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. pardoned by General Andrew Jackson in praise of his efforts and accomplishments The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. The Dread Jewish Pirate Jean Lafitte - Tablet Magazine Jean Lafitte is said to have cached over 100 treasures on Galveston Island. Lafitte was associated with the three original sites of the park: he roamed the streets of New Orleans French Quarter, navigated the swamps of the Barataria Preserve, and helped the Americans win the Battle of New Orleans at Chalmette Battlefield. Lafitte was horribly excited by the result of this trial. treasure to speak of. 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. Jean Lafitte Facts for Kids [99], Davis writes that Lafitte's death prevented his becoming obsolete; by 1825 piracy had been essentially eradicated in the Gulf of Mexico, and "the new world of the Gulf simply had no room for [his] kind. 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 . There were no chests. He was chased all over the Gulf of Mexico by the U.S. Navy, all his ships burned except for his flagship, The Pride. The fleet anchored off Grande Terre and the gunboats attacked. British forces sought access to the Mississippi River to gain control of the interior of the US. Most who plied that area back then kept what they found close to the vest, and today that area is all open water, though many locals can still point out to you exactly where the Temple was. This article provides images of newspapers from 1921, and one column in particular that talks about Lafittes treasure. Legends of the Gulf Coast museum on the Strand.