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I grew up back there, in those waterways, in that area and found many interesting things. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. A representative of the smuggler would purchase the slaves at the ensuing auction, and the smuggler would be given half of the purchase price. In 1958, Laflin self-published an English translation of the journal. [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. There were no chests. He found his first Spanish gold coin in the year 2017. On September 13, 1814, Commodore Daniel Patterson set sail aboard the USSCarolina for Barataria. treasure to speak of. 419 Decatur St "[98] No American newspaper published an obituary of him. Lafitte named his colony Campeche, after a Mexican outpost further south along the Gulf Coast. He achieved notoriety through his daring exploits, but also for having "the coolest name ever.". Merchants and planters were eager to buy the goods and slaves Lafitte smuggled into south Louisiana. A statue dedicated to the pirate Jean Lafitte can be found next to the water by the fishing boats In February 1823, the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, severely wounded from an encounter with Spanish warships, sailed his schooner General Santander westward from the coast of Cuba into oblivion. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. They will haunt you in your dreams for making a 1417 Harborside Drive. Jean Lafitte in 1813. because Lafittes treasure was thought to be underwater there. [7] His elder brother Pierre became a privateer; he may have operated from Saint-Domingue, which frequently issued letters of marque. [69] With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston, promising to make weekly reports of his activities.[70]. in south Louisianas bayous for so long, Lafitte had also become an expert with I was living in high island Texas .mostly driving the beach further east to sea rim. Thousands of miles away, and two centuries later, from where Laffite made his name, in Lincolnton, North Carolina, people continue to visit . His life and death remain as mysterious as the swamps and bayous of Barataria. 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. The Pride. knowledge (or educated guess) of Lafitte being the best privateer around, United These goods were at a high demand and otherwise illegal due to the Embargo Act of 1807. 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. Instead, Lafitte told Governor Claiborne of the planned attack and offered his help. pardoned by General Andrew Jackson in praise of his efforts and accomplishments Here, there would be lots of different activities for the kids. [21] In January 1813, they took their first prize, a Spanish hermaphrodite brig loaded with 77slaves. He was nursed back to health by Emma Hortense Mortimer. [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. The smuggler became the lawful owner of the slaves and could resell them in New Orleans, or transport them for sale in other parts of the Deep South, which was the major slave market of the time. They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. 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.. When he attacked some United States ships, the government sent in troops to capture him. 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. Ramsay believes that Lafitte died of a fever in 1826 or 1827 on, Ramsay believes the documents were written by Laflin's ancestor, Matthew Laflin (18031854), who may have convinced his descendants that he was Jean Lafitte. The ones found their range from the late 1770;s to 1814 or so. The brothers stripped down their original ship and used its guns to outfit the new one. The stairs run beside it. . [5] No samples of his writing survive, except his signature; his surviving letters were always written by a secretary. Rosenberg Library, Galveston (Public Domain) Jean Lafitte (galement orthographi Laffite, c. 1780 - c. 1820) tait un meneur franco-amricain de pirates et de corsaires qui captura des navires marchands de diffrents tats dans le golfe du Mexique de 1810 1820. I studied it very well and found a hidden marking on a wall beside the stairs and a solid wall pit with a hole in the top. His reading and writing abilities, therefore, remain unclear. Because of his track record and reputation, Jean Lafitte was still seen as a criminal in the eyes of the United States. The headquarters consisted of a two-storey building facing the inland harbor, where landings were made. that the treasure is in a different location now than where it was buried? [7], According to Ramsay, as a young man, Lafitte likely spent much time exploring the wetlands and bayou country south of New Orleans. His exact whereabouts after that are unknown. I always heard that an area Boat Company Owner started his business with a 5 gallon bucket of silver taken from that area. have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. Small but made like a brick. Laffite is believed to have been born either in Basque-France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean. In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. Lafitte wanted to avoid a Spanish invasion. [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? 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. [51], On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. [52], a man who, for about two years past, has been famous for crimes that the civilized world wars against. He is best known for his role in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. While his fleet took a hit, Lafitte himself managed to evade capture. Its well known about the boat company started with silver found near Lake Salvador. 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. War & Affiliation War of 1812 / American. It was, at least initially, relatively free of scrutiny from any of the governments in the region. Rogers started his own pirate fleet in 1818. . Our exclusive brands & quality merchandise are created to inspire a unique & recognizable Joie de vivre~Pirate Lifestyle with worldwide appeal! [116] Handwriting analysis experts affirmed that conclusion. According to HendricksLake.com, created by author and independent researcher Gary L. Pinkerton, this is where six wagons of silver stolen by Jean Lafitte from a ship called the Santa Rosa were allegedly washed up. [91] When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials. [10], Sources indicate that Lafitte was sharp and resourceful, but also handsome and friendly, enjoying drinking, gambling, and women. Found bones of mamouth and Indian tools. In September 1814, British military officials sought Lafittes help in their campaign to attack the U.S. from the Gulf of Mexico. 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. locations along the Gulf Coast. 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. This article is about the privateer. The Baratarians. His men tore down the existing houses and built 200 new, sturdier structures. [76] Lafitte forged letters of marque from an imaginary nation to fraudulently authorize all the ships sailing from Galveston as privateers. This article provides images of newspapers from 1921, and one column in particular that talks about Lafittes treasure. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along 2. It was also the location that US Forces attacked, causing his band to make a hasty retreat. 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). His game was spread far and wide and there were those who feared and hated him. They had 3 children together: Jean Antoine Lafitte, Lucien Jean Lafitte, and Denise Jeanette Lafitte. 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 is said to have cached over 100 treasures on Galveston Island. Galveston after his adventures in Louisiana. and brother in the early 1800s. Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. . Throughout Lafittes Experts with . Britain maintained a powerful navy, but the United States had little naval power. [92] By the end of 1822, Cuba had banned all forms of sea raiding. Researchers say the vessels sit in 25 feet water depth at the north of Big Bradford Island. April 23, 2022. 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. 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. By 1810, the island had become a booming port. 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. . 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. Back in 1915, a city worker in New Orleans found a chest that was filled with over 1,500 . 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. He vowed his intention to make indiscriminate war upon all God . The following day, Lafitte took command of the island and appointed his own officers. [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. 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. After his three children were grown, Lafitte fell sick in his 50s. Catiche had given birth to a daughter named Marie on November 10, 1813. [81]. In 1814, the U.S. sent a naval force to invade Lafittes fleet and was mostly successful, seizing many of Lafittes comrades and ships. both men served under Governor Bernardo de Galvez during the American Revolution and can be found listed on the New Orleans Militia Roster. Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. [88] In October or November 1821, Lafitte's ship was ambushed as he attempted to ransom a recent prize.