I have no doubt that the Historians will decry what Ive said here, and Im cool with that, I know what I saw and found, and I know what others saw and found. Most of Jean Lafitte's life remains shrouded in mystery, including his name. In 1812, the United States and the United Kingdom went to war. [60] Lafitte realized that the American line of defense was so short as to potentially allow the British to encircle the American troops. Theres Although the plans were scrapped, a bricked up entrance close to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride pays homage to this idea.[125]. New Orleans issued six such letters, primarily to smugglers who worked with Lafitte at Barataria. . Registration for Pierre Lafitte's ship Goelette la Dilidente,a 136 ton schooner, captained by . Claiborne took a leave of absence in September 1810, leaving Thomas B. Robertson as acting governor. When Patterson's men went ashore, they met no resistance. 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. 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. The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. 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. mystery afoot! LA [67] By early 1817, other revolutionaries had begun to congregate at Galveston, hoping to make it their base to wrest Mexico from Spanish control. Our exclusive brands & quality merchandise are created to inspire a unique & recognizable Joie de vivre~Pirate Lifestyle with worldwide appeal! and its inlets. The city of Cartagena in present-day Colombia had rebelled against Spain and gave permission through letters of marque for privateers, including Lafittes men, to capture Spanish ships and the goods and slaves on board. [10], Sources indicate that Lafitte was sharp and resourceful, but also handsome and friendly, enjoying drinking, gambling, and women. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in Quick Facts. Title Smuggler. 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. The United States made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Jean Lafitte's ship was named "The General Jackson". 1512. Retired Avenger, current NFL free agent. Long-lost pirate ship may lie in Texas lake / Historical treasure could be wreck of Jean Lafitte. April 23, 2022. that the treasure is in a different location now than where it was buried? [5][12] He was known to adopt more aristocratic mannerisms and dress than most of his fellow privateers. He achieved notoriety through his daring exploits, but also for having "the coolest name ever.". "I think he realized very quickly in Galveston that it was not going to work, as evidenced by how short lived that . You'll need to arrive by 5:30pm and bring your ID plus there is a $3.00 USD boarding fee. He is best known for his role in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. He was said to use it as a base for arranging the transfer of smuggled goods. He sold those at his location The Temple. The money that he sold them for was Spanish Coin, Reales usually in 2,4,8 denominations, minted in Mexico. One story even On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. [9], Acknowledging that details of Lafitte's first twenty years are sparse, Davis speculates that Lafitte spent much time at sea as a child, probably aboard ships owned by his father, a known trader. In a personal note, Lafitte reminded Blanque that his brother Pierre was still in jail and deserved an early release. 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. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. because Lafittes treasure was thought to be underwater there. I always wondered why the searchers were only local, and that an organized big search never happened but it never did. Jean Laffite, Laffite also spelled Lafitte, (born 1780?, Francedied 1825? national hero. Jean Lafitte was the youngest of eight children (five boys and three girls). 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?. Is his last name spelled Lafi tte or Laffi te? Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. . pardoned by General Andrew Jackson in praise of his efforts and accomplishments An archivist for Bexar County, Texas, declared the papers to be authentic. The park was given the mission of preserving the natural and cultural resources of Louisianas Mississippi River delta region. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. After Lafitte's men abducted a Karankawa woman, warriors of her tribe attacked and killed five men of the colony. [81]. 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. [75] Lafitte interviewed all newcomers and required them to take an oath of loyalty to him. Little is known of Laffite's early life, but by 1809 he and his brother Pierre apparently had established in New Orleans a blacksmith shop that reportedly served as . Jean Pierre, her son with Jean Lafitte, died at 17 during a cholera epidemic in New Orleans in October 1832. Despite the Treaty of Ghent having been signed, and peace ensuing, it would take months for the news to reach New Orleans. Lost Gold Of Jean Lafitte is the 4th episode in Season 5 of Expedition Unknown. Most of his men had believed that Lafitte had a valid privateering commission although there was confusion as to which country had issued it. Families with the surname Lafitte have been found in Louisiana documents dating as early as 1765. "[55], When General Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, he discovered the city had not created any defenses. It is quite certain that Napoleon is buried in Paris and that Jones, who died in 1792, is buried at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The expert cannon fire of Jacksons troops, including Lafi ttes Baratarians, contributed to the American victories during the New Orleans campaign that culminated with the Battle of New Orleans on January 8,1815. "It started for us with this family story," Cody Hix said. Instead, Lafitte told Governor Claiborne of the planned attack and offered his help. Like Barataria, Galveston was a seaward island that protected a large inland bay. Lafittes final resting place is unknown. 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. 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. A privateer has permission from a government at war to capture any enemy ships. War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. [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. [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. I'm proud of them for digging into it," Tony Hix said. 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. 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. most well-known buried treasure mystery still to this day is the unfound This area had been famous for smuggling even before privateers arrived in 1810 to use the deep water harbor of Barataria Bay. However, due to a combination of the enhantments that were cast on the ship, the fanatical loyalty of her crew, the ledgentary will of Jean Lafitte, and decades of personification by powerful beings, a spirit was bornkniting together the souls of the . Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". [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]. 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). From there, he raided foreign ships in the Gulf of Mexico. 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. Jean Lafitte was born September 25, 1781. Very old 3 x 3 nches by 2 inches. From Pirates to shipwrecks along its coastline to its history of explorers it's no wonder that Florida has lost treasure to be found. The Barataria chief then had 1100 men under his . even tales that the treasure was not intentionally buried. The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. Lafitte's fate has remained a mystery for 183 years. The ship's kitchen stove was found intact. in south Louisianas bayous for so long, Lafitte had also become an expert with The Laffites moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. This would later be used to his great advantage. Louisiana is not exclusive to rumors of the treasures whereabouts too, as . 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. 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". They might have been businessmen in New Orleans or independent privateers before becoming associated with the smugglers of Barataria. [118][Note 4], Lafitte is paid tribute at Disneyland by a ship anchor monument with an accompanying plaque found in New Orleans Square. By 1805 he is believed to have been running a warehouse in New Orleans and possibly a store on Royal Street. Back in 1915, a city worker in New Orleans found a chest that was filled with over 1,500 . The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. [38], Given the success of his auctions at the Temple, in January 1814 Lafitte set up a similar auction at a site just outside New Orleans. Lafitte possibly took an assumed name, John Lafflin, and may have given that surname to his younger two sons. [13] He was educated with his brother at a military academy on Saint Kitts. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte . They believe now they've found his sunken ship. [72] Ships operating from Galveston flew the flag of Mexico, but they did not participate in the revolution. [3], Lafitte and his brother Pierre also claimed to have been born in Bayonne. years later! A grand jury indicted Pierre Lafitte after hearing testimony against him by one of the city's leading merchants. [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. Although the handbills were made in Lafitte's name, Ramsay believes "it is unlikely [the handbills] originated with him". 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. [84][Note 1], The remainder of the crew rejoined Lafitte, who finally acknowledged that he did not have a valid commission. The other went north later over seas where he was killed during WW2. both men served under Governor Bernardo de Galvez during the American Revolution and can be found listed on the New Orleans Militia Roster. [19] When Claiborne returned to office, he was relatively quiet on the subject. . [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. He was given a burial at sea in the Gulf Of Honduras and speculation about the whereabouts of his treasure hoard has . Stories of In the popular Japanese manga/anime series, Jean Laffite is a character in the historical fiction novels, Jean Lafitte is a character in the (2014) science-fiction, mystery novel, Tom Cooper uses Lafitte's and treasure in his novel. In the 1938 and 1958 films The Buccaneer, Lafitte claims he never attacked an American ship. [44], McWilliam brought two letters in his packet for Lafitte: one, under the seal of King George III, offered Lafitte and his forces British citizenship and land grants in the British colonies in the Americas (by then, these consisted of islands in the Caribbean and territory in Upper and Lower Canada). William Bartlett explored a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck. He suggested that the line be extended to a nearby swamp, and Jackson ordered it done. In 1807 the United States outlawed trade with Great Britain and France because of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. 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. Suzanne Johnson features a living Lafitte in her urban fantasy series, Jean Laffite is a character in the historical fiction novel Ashes & Ecstasy by Catherine Hart, Published March 1st 2000 by Leisure Books (first published November 1st 1985), In the 1960s and 70s a barefoot cartoon pirate named, Lafitte: the pirate of the Gulf a book from 1836, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 13:45. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him.[1]. The family thinks this could be a clue as to where the actual treasure is. He and another treasure hunter named Dan Beckingham found 4.5 million dollars worth of gold in the shallow waters of Florida. There are many stories about what happened to Lafitte and where he died. [56] It had approximately 1,000 unseasoned troops and two ships for its use. His maternal grandfather had been executed by the Inquisition for "Judaizing". . The captured schooner was not considered useful for piracy and so after they had unloaded its cargo, the Lafittes returned the ship to its former captain and crew. Founded in 1805 by the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, the legendary Lafitte Trading Company is dedicated to preserving New Orleans' rich pirate history, culture & traditions. Lafitte also always insisted that he was a privateer, not a pirate. She was the sister of Marie Villard, the mistress of his brother, Pierre. In January 1808, the government began to enforce the Embargo Act of 1807, which barred American ships from docking at any foreign port and imposed an embargo on goods imported into the US. Most historians doubt the authenticity of these claims but have not been able to disprove them. Before we dive 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. wrong move on Lafittes mason rouge. They had 3 children together: Jean Antoine Lafitte, Lucien Jean Lafitte, and Denise Jeanette Lafitte. Lafitte wanted to avoid a Spanish invasion. Thus, on August 13, 1814, Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the British ship Sophie sailed on that mission. According to Ramsay, Lafitte, his elder brother Pierre, and his widowed mother migrated from Saint-Domingue to New Orleans in the 1780s. the naval operations and common routes of port ships in the Mississippi River They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. In 1953 several fishermen in the area landed about $625,000 of the treasure using their fishing nets. During his life he acted as a soldier, sailor, diplomat, merchant, and much more, demonstrating natural gifts for leadership.[14]. Later United States President James Madison pardoned him and his men for their acts of piracy. An attorney representing Lafitte argued that the captured ships had flown the flag of Cartagena, an area at peace with the United States. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at 1815's Battle of New Orleans. Look it up. When they had disembarked and were surrounded by his men, Lafitte identified himself to them. 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. 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. Was it buried underground or lost under water? In 1818, the Campeche colony suffered hardships. [68] Two weeks into his stay, the two leaders of the revolutionaries left the island. The Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour, held in the eponymous Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, is also named after the pirate/privateer. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along Radford, Victor and the Pirate: A Story of New Orleans During the War of 1812, Childcraft (Vol. Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. In September 1814, British military officials sought Lafittes help in their campaign to attack the U.S. from the Gulf of Mexico. He was buried at sea in the Gulf of Honduras. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. Metal detector companies may be the only satisfied [69] With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston, promising to make weekly reports of his activities.[70]. On April 18, he sailed for New Orleans to report his activities. Baratarias swamps and bayous stretched south of New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. Some speculate it was Jean. His warnings were not believed at fi rst and the U.S. Army and Navy went ahead with a planned attack on Lafittes base at Grand Terre. The Baratarians invited the British officers to row to their island. During this time in New Orleans, Lafitte became a very rich man, acquiring extraordinary amounts of money, ships, and weapons. [33], Although under indictment, in March 1813 Lafitte registered as captain of Le Brig Goelette la Diligente for a supposed journey to New York. The bay was located beyond a narrow passage between the barrier islands of Grand Terre and Grande Isle. THE LEGACY OF JEAN LAFITTE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By W. T. Block Reprinted from TRUE WEST, Dec., 1979, p. 26ff; . In 1812, several Baratarians including both Pierre and Jean Lafitte were captured but jumped bail. [91] When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials. The business was so profitable because Lafitte was selling smuggled, foreign goods to the people of New Orleans. Its off 435 about 12 miles from where he fled imprisonment to the Pearl River. 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. The American warship which captured him turned Lafitte over to the local authorities, who promptly released him. unclear why Lafitte had to bury his treasure or even where he was last seen. and an infant son[who?]. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in . Collectively they were known as "Number thirteen". says that a swamp in the Natalbany River in Springfield, Louisiana, was drained [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? Legends of the Gulf Coast museum on the Strand. 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. [27], Governor William C.C. The story may have begun because Pierre Lafittes mistress owned a building on St. Phillip Street across from todays Blacksmith Shop. They created a base on the small and sparsely-populated island of Barataria, in Barataria Bay. Jean Lafitte, a famous pirate, buried his treasures along the coasts of Florida. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple At its height, the colonists and privateers earned millions of dollars annually from stolen or smuggled coin and goods. In the 1950s, a man claiming to be a descendant of Lafitte published The Journal of Jean Laffite. The journal was republished in the 1990s as The Memoirs of Jean Laffite. A major theme in the memoir/journal is Lafittes change of heart from slave trader to anti-slavery activist. Was he a pirate, a patriot, or both? LINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - In the 1820s, pirate Jean Laffite, a smuggler from the Gulf Coast area in Louisiana, allegedly faked his death. chagrin of the locals that helped drain the swamp, there was no trace of the 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. A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure and often sources contradict each other. By 1805, Laffite was operating a warehouse in New Orleans to help distribute the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre Lafitte. . [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. but what is clear is that he settled in the New Orleans area with his mother Lafitte was horribly excited by the result of this trial. An American ship was boarded near our coast, . Its well known about the boat company started with silver found near Lake Salvador. [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. By 1810, their new port had become very successful; the Laffites had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Jean Lafitte was a Privateer Captain in the early 19th century. In 1966, Louisiana authorized a state park to be established at the present site of the Barataria Preserve. [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. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". The benefits of Jean Lafitte agreement to the British were numerous and well calculated. 5, 7. storytelling? 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. British forces sought access to the Mississippi River to gain control of the interior of the US. 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 Spanish ships appeared to be fleeing but at 10:00 pm turned back for a frontal counterattack against Lafitte's ship. Jean Lafitte proves to be an aberration as he acted as patriot to the United States during the War of 1812. "[98] No American newspaper published an obituary of him. On January 21, Jackson issued a statement praising his troops, especially the cannoneers and "Captains Dominique and Beluche, lately commanding privateers of Barataria, with part of their former crews and many brave citizens of New Orleans, were stationed at Nos. Laffite is believed to have been born either in Basque-France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean. Enslaved Africans there gained their independence from France in 1804 and renamed this territory as Haiti. Uninterested in exports from New Orleans, customs agents rarely checked the accuracy of the manifests. Located 25 minutes from downtown New Orleans, Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours has been operating daily bayou tours since the 1980s. Because of his track record and reputation, Jean Lafitte was still seen as a criminal in the eyes of the United States.

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