In a personal note, Lafitte reminded Blanque that his brother Pierre was still in jail and deserved an early release. There were also those who considered him a hero. [10], Sources indicate that Lafitte was sharp and resourceful, but also handsome and friendly, enjoying drinking, gambling, and women. It was cloudy with low visibility. Here, there would be lots of different activities for the kids. "I'm proud of them. Stories of the buried treasure of Jean Lafitte can be found all over the state of Louisiana. Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. [116] Many researchers noticed a similarity between John Laflin's handwriting and the writing in the journal. 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. 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 . Most historians doubt the authenticity of these claims but have not been able to disprove them. THE LEGACY OF JEAN LAFITTE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By W. T. Block Reprinted from TRUE WEST, Dec., 1979, p. 26ff; . Jean Lafitte- Pirates, Catacombs, and a Legend - Just Disney In 1817, Jean founded a new colony on Galveston Island named Campeche. Pinkerton is a mysterious figure. They might have been businessmen in New Orleans or independent privateers before becoming associated with the smugglers of Barataria. Lafitte possibly took an assumed name, John Lafflin, and may have given that surname to his younger two sons. He had been credited with much, and accused of plenty, yet there is doubt even. A treasured mystery, . The Laffite Society, which promotes historical research and education about Lafitte's life and times, meets the second Tuesday of each month. Yet, Lafitte's strong connections to historical figures suggests that he was the culprit of this incident. I always wondered why the searchers were only local, and that an organized big search never happened but it never did. 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. 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. [74], In less than a year, Lafitte's colony grew to 100200 men and several women. 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. Lafitte was horribly excited by the result of this trial. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. [116] Handwriting analysis experts affirmed that conclusion. (Davis (2005), p. 436). [114][115] When the historical society could not authenticate the claim, Laflin approached Louisiana author Stanley Arthur. below! One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. He is best known for his role in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. [4], Some sources speculate that Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). His reading and writing abilities, therefore, remain unclear. Podcast: Jean Lafitte, The Texas Pirate in Galveston, Texas In 1807 the United States outlawed trade with Great Britain and France because of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along He was given a burial at sea in the Gulf Of Honduras and speculation about the whereabouts of his treasure hoard has . 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. He landed ships at Grand Terre and Cheniere, and then brought the merchandise to The Temple to be auctioned. [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? Lafitte worked with several smugglers, including Jim Bowie, to profit from the poorly written law. United States no choice but to pursue his arrest. Lafitte also always insisted that he was a privateer, not a pirate. 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. 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. Catiche had given birth to a daughter named Marie on November 10, 1813. Jean Lafitte - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help Lafitte wanted to avoid a Spanish invasion. Omoa was the site of the largest Spanish fort in Central America, built to guard the Spanish silver shipments from the mines of Tegucigalpa to overseas destinations. [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. Guests could've been able to enter Laffite's crypt near the Haunted Mansion. [2] Some sources say that his father was French and his mother's family had come from Spain. The Pride. 3. Who was Jean Laffite? 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". Louisianas Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". Many of the smugglers wanted to lynch the British men, but Lafitte intervened and placed guards outside his home to ensure their protection. Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. Thousands of miles away, and two centuries later, from where Laffite made his name, in Lincolnton, North Carolina, people continue to visit . Throughout Barataria, Lafitte built warehouses to store goods and pens to hold slaves. New Orleans On the Trail of East Texas Treasures - Hinterland Gazette Luckily, there is more info from Sotto himself about this project that can be found here. During his life he acted as a soldier, sailor, diplomat, merchant, and much more, demonstrating natural gifts for leadership.[14]. [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. They married and had two sons together, Jules Jean and Glenn Henri. times as a smuggler and privateer, he became very wealthy. [36], Lafitte's continued flouting of the laws angered Governor Claiborne, who, on March 15, issued a proclamation against the Baratarian "banditti who act in contravention of the laws of the United States to the evident prejudice of the revenue of the federal government". You can see a small door that was covered. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. His exact whereabouts after that are unknown. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte Lafitte's Treasure Links 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. He wrote Jean Laffitte: Gentleman Rover based on the journal. He said his ships would sail as pirates. They will haunt you in your dreams for making a The brothers adapted the captured ship for use in piracy and named it Dorada. Families with the surname Lafitte have been found in Louisiana documents dating as early as 1765. [85] Almost half of the combined crew refused to sail as pirates; Lafitte allowed them to leave aboard his largest ship, the brig General Victoria. JEAN LAFITTE (1778 DEC 27 - 1823 . are why the mystery is still such an interesting topic todaymore than 200 Lafitte visited in March 1817. Because of his track record and reputation, Jean Lafitte was still seen as a criminal in the eyes of the United States. Some speculate it was Jean. Laflin said he himself was a descendant of Jean Lafitte and had found the book in a trunk he had inherited. The Ghost of Jean Lafitte in Galveston - Ghost City Tours [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. My Grandpa told me often when I was very young that everyone thought that Lafittes fort was on Grand Isle, but it never was. treasure to speak of. This account of Lafitte's death is not accepted by all historians. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jean Lafitte. He was chased all over the Gulf of Mexico by the U.S. Navy, all his ships burned except for his flagship, The Pride. Others formed three artillery companies. He suggested that the line be extended to a nearby swamp, and Jackson ordered it done. And the ship berry bros found look for gold on land nearby. The prizes that Lafitte took were slaves, cotton, commodities, etc. [71] Texas was lightly populated at this time, and the base had no significant populations nearby. In the 1938 and 1958 films The Buccaneer, Lafitte claims he never attacked an American ship. Jean Laffite was a French pirate and privateer born circa 1780. 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. even tales that the treasure was not intentionally buried. 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. On April 18, he sailed for New Orleans to report his activities. Jean was a handsome man by all accounts, of great personal charm and became . 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. It also mentions reports of larger sums of the treasure being buried in the appropriately-named small town of Lafitte, Louisiana. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. An American ship was boarded near our coast, . [60] Lafitte realized that the American line of defense was so short as to potentially allow the British to encircle the American troops. [60], On December 23, advance units of the British fleet reached the Mississippi River. . Very old 3 x 3 nches by 2 inches. [25] Dorada captured a fourth ship, a schooner they renamed Petit Milan. Catiche became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Jean Pierre, on November 4, 1815. They were held in port under custody of the United States Marshal. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple The Untold Truth Of Jean Lafitte, The Pirate Of New Orleans - Grunge.com Only six houses survived as habitable.[80]. I'm proud of them for digging into it," Tony Hix said. The state of Jean Lafitte's fabeled ship, The Pride, sunk well over a hundred years ago. The information I found about the Don Felipe treasure was research I did online not sure if it . What books would you recommend about this pirate? The Dread Jewish Pirate Jean Lafitte - Tablet Magazine [7] His elder brother Pierre became a privateer; he may have operated from Saint-Domingue, which frequently issued letters of marque. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. [72] Ships operating from Galveston flew the flag of Mexico, but they did not participate in the revolution. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821 departed on The Pride. Jean Lafitte - Krewe of Lafitte, Inc. Learn Cajun traditions from people who live them. Jean or Pierre? Who is the Lafitte brother buried in Yucatan [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). Even the date and place of his birth and death are unknown. [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. Guest column: Jean Lafitte was a slave smuggler. Take him down, too Jean Lafitte Treasure Found - TreasureNet The Original Treasure Experts with . The corsairs aimed the artillery at the Karankawa, killing most of the men in the tribe. Louisiana is not exclusive to rumors of the treasures whereabouts too, as
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