Very old 3 x 3 nches by 2 inches. She was the sister of Marie Villard, the mistress of his brother, Pierre. years later! The American warship which captured him turned Lafitte over to the local authorities, who promptly released him. Most historians doubt the authenticity of these claims but have not been able to disprove them. 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. 2. Stories of the buried treasure of Jean Lafitte can be found all over the state of Louisiana. 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. Was it buried underground or lost under water? By 1810, the island had become a booming port. 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 . a legend in his own time, after his patriotic actions in the Battle of New Orleans. [38] Following the reward offer, Lafitte wrote Claiborne a note denying the charges of piracy. So, if you google Money Hill in Abita Springs ,La . [50], The US ordered an attack on Lafitte's colony. [41] The legislature appointed a committee to study the matter but, as most of their constituents benefitted by the smuggling, they never authorized the militia. The Laffite Society, which promotes historical research and education about Lafitte's life and times, meets the second Tuesday of each month. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte . His treasure Jean Lafitte (ca. [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. Exactly where he was from remains a bit clouded, Most of Jean Lafitte's life remains shrouded in mystery, including his name. The family thinks this could be a clue as to where the actual treasure is. For the first time, it was made available for research. [43] Lafitte's ship grounded in shallow water where the larger British ship could not follow. 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. [92] By the end of 1822, Cuba had banned all forms of sea raiding. The couple had six children, including at least three daughters. His exact whereabouts after that are unknown. 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. Merchants in New Orleans began to run out of goods to sell. Luckily, there is more info from Sotto himself about this project that can be found here. [2] Some sources say that his father was French and his mother's family had come from Spain. He is best known for his role in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. The fortune is said to have been stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte. The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. Title Smuggler. In 1966, Louisiana authorized a state park to be established at the present site of the Barataria Preserve. With the threat of imprisonment Even the date and place of his birth and death are unknown. [116] Many researchers noticed a similarity between John Laflin's handwriting and the writing in the journal. The fleet anchored off Grande Terre and the gunboats attacked. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. [123][124], There were also plans to connect the Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion attraction and Tom Sawyer's island using Laffite. One of the men was found living in east Texas where he had bought a farm. He was evidently able to speak English reasonably well and most likely had a working knowledge of Spanish. Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. [115] The paper and ink were analyzed and confirmed to be of mid-19th-century origin. They had his only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte (d. 1832). 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. Could it be ships as a last-ditch effort to gain an advantage in the pivotal Battle of New Rumors abounded that he had changed his name after leaving Galveston and disappeared, that he was killed by his own men shortly after leaving Galveston, or that he had rescued Napoleon and that both had died in Louisiana. They might have been businessmen in New Orleans or independent privateers before becoming associated with the smugglers of Barataria. THE LEGACY OF JEAN LAFITTE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By W. T. Block Reprinted from TRUE WEST, Dec., 1979, p. 26ff; . [77], At its peak the colony had more than two thousand inhabitants and 120 separate structures. Lafitte was later Although General Andrew Jackson, commander of the American troops, originally described Lafitte as a hellish banditti, he finally accepted Lafittes help because of the ammunition, cannoneers, and knowledge of the area Lafi tte could supply. 5, 7. The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. 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. Before we dive Registration for Pierre Lafitte's ship Goelette la Dilidente,a 136 ton schooner, captained by . From Pirates to shipwrecks along its coastline to its history of explorers it's no wonder that Florida has lost treasure to be found. Lafittes final resting place is unknown. My grandfathers mother lived next to his mother and we were told of the storys on where some was at. he was in his early twenties. There were no chests. Lafitte's fate has remained a mystery for 183 years. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in Jackson agreed to do so. However, reports suggest that the anglers had been fishing for . knowledge (or educated guess) of Lafitte being the best privateer around, United 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. This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him.[1]. 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. But why? Many of the smugglers wanted to lynch the British men, but Lafitte intervened and placed guards outside his home to ensure their protection. 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). 1776 - ca. Jean Lafitte in 1813. because Lafittes treasure was thought to be underwater there. Lafitte's men identified slave ships and captured them. In 1817, Jean founded a new colony on Galveston Island named Campeche. Stories of . Numerous novels and stories refer to Lafitte's exploits. Galveston after his adventures in Louisiana. Is the image on this article what the actual chest looked like? [36], In October, a revenue officer prepared an ambush of a band of Lafitte's smugglers. Jean Lafitte was the youngest of eight children (five boys and three girls). What if these stories are factual? Jean Lafitte was born September 25, 1781. On September 3, 1814, the British ship HMS Sophie fired on a pirate ship returning to Barataria. [20] As the schooner did not have an official commission from a national government, its captain was considered a pirate operating illegally. 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. [51], On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated from New Orleans, Louisiana. . Rogers started his own pirate fleet in 1818. . SS Jean Lafitte may refer to one of two Type C2-S-E1 ships built by Gulf Shipbuilding for the United States Maritime Commission: . Lots of glass also. In the 1938 and 1958 films The Buccaneer, Lafitte claims he never attacked an American ship. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a tender. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple Like Barataria, Galveston was a seaward island that protected a large inland bay. He heads off to a plantation (as a legend says that . The park was named after Lafitte because of his smuggling operations in the area. [17], Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. Josh Gates is on a mission to find the hidden treasure of Jean Lafitte, the French pirate and privateer, this week on Expedition Unknown. They sailed three ships, which Davis described as likely "one of the largest privately owned corsair fleets operating on the coast, and the most versatile. The Temple was located just North of what is today Little Lake, in Lafittes time it was Little Lake Barataria, where Bayou Perot and Bayou Rigolets meet. 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. After Jean's reported death in the mid-1820s, the widowed Catiche took up with Feliciano Ramos. [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. [7] In April 1818, the United States passed a law prohibiting the import of slaves into any port in the United States. Although not part of the original proposal from Percy, Lockyer added an extra $30,000 if Lafitte would not only assist in the battle against New Orleans but also against Mobile. April 23, 2022. He found his first Spanish gold coin in the year 2017. [36] The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register. 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.. Josh Gates investigates the legends swirling around the storied life and death of French pirate Jean Lafitte who is reputed to have buried treasure at sites in coastal Louisiana. There were also those who considered him a hero. Families with the surname Lafitte have been found in Louisiana documents dating as early as 1765. Get monthly email updates and the chance to win a prize. Lafitte conducted most of his business aboard his ship, The Pride, where he also lived. The story may have begun because Pierre Lafittes mistress owned a building on St. Phillip Street across from todays Blacksmith Shop. And where? Who was Jean Laffite? ", This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, A family in Baytown, Texas tell their story. games, shows, and moviesbut what if they werent made up just for the sake of 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. He had to take a pirogoe which is a wood boat that would have sank if all the treasure would have been on board. On this occasion Lafitte's ship had been in dire danger of attack as he prepared to enter the Calcasieu Pass, for he found that the New Orleans revenue cutter "Lynx" was engaged in antislaving patrols between him and the mouth of . "[64] Jackson named Jean and Pierre Lafitte for having "exhibited the same courage and fidelity". are why the mystery is still such an interesting topic todaymore than 200 Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in . [64] He formally requested clemency for the Lafittes and the men who had served under them. They feared that Lafitte and his men might side with the British. It's okay, because we're here to bust them! With his business carrying on and continuing to grow, so did his wealth. Lafitte essentially developed Galveston Island as another smuggling base. that the treasure was on board one of Lafittes vessels and sank to the ocean . "I think he realized very quickly in Galveston that it was not going to work, as evidenced by how short lived that . "[26] For several months, the Lafittes would send the ships directly to New Orleans with legal cargo and would take on outgoing provisions in the city. The brothers stripped down their original ship and used its guns to outfit the new one. Pierre was to inform about the situation in New Orleans. Lafittes image changed from pirate to patriot during the War of 1812. Those looking for Gold, Diamonds, Jewelry etc wont find it. The brothers adapted the captured ship for use in piracy and named it Dorada. From there, he raided foreign ships in the Gulf of Mexico. . A representative of the smuggler would purchase the slaves at the ensuing auction, and the smuggler would be given half of the purchase price. The United States made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. 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. But the treasure is in my best belief to be in Galveston. Much to the Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. The state of He landed ships at Grand Terre and Cheniere, and then brought the merchandise to The Temple to be auctioned. Workers would reload goods into smaller batches onto pirogues or barges, for transport through the many bayous to New Orleans. residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along [7] Lafitte likely helped his brother to sell or trade the captured merchandise. Lafitte decided to warn American authorities and offered to help defend New Orleans in exchange for a pardon for his men. He was so wealthy that he built his own secret smugglers colony on the islands south of New Orleans. #1. Lafitte's ship is called "The Pride," but that's something they've already found. Lafitte possibly took an assumed name, John Lafflin, and may have given that surname to his younger two sons. 1512. [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. The Laffites moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. These questions History suggests there is a possibility that hidden treasuresgold coins, doubloons, precious jewelryare somewhere beneath the surface just waiting to be found! In the summer of 1814, Pierre was arrested and jailed in New Orleans, but he escaped from jail under mysterious circumstances in September. [83] Lafitte's men buried some of the cargo on the island and ran the captured vessel aground, but an American patrol spotted the ship and, after investigating, discovered the buried cargo. The mysterious sunken pirate ship contained about $5 million in silver and gold coins. After securing victory, Jackson paid tribute in despatches to the Laffite brothers' efforts, as well as those of their fellow privateers. Louisianas Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". To this day, Although the city kept control of the eight ships taken from Lafitte, it did not have enough sailors to man them for defense. Lafittes men did resist arrest by American federal agents and soldiers, wounding, murdering, and capturing several. Lafitte proved an invaluable ally for the United States in the War of 1812 and the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, assisting General Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) to victory against the British. Jean lists his age as 32 and his birthplace as . The second item was a personal note to Lafitte from McWilliam's superior, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls, urging him to accept the offer.[47]. By 1812 Lafitte was the leader of the Baratarians with headquarters on Grand Terre, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico near Grand Isle. Theres He said his ships would sail as pirates. [91] When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials. But the gold and diamond jewl was the confirmation I needed. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. [102] Ramsay believes that over time, almost "every foot of Grande Isle has been spaded for pirate gold". By 1810, their new port had become very successful; the Laffites had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. Jean Lafitte: A trial for piracy. In September 1814, British military officials sought Lafittes help in their campaign to attack the U.S. from the Gulf of Mexico. 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. have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. They believe now they've found his sunken ship. He was probably born in the early 1780s in either France or the French colony of St. Domingue (now Haiti) in the Caribbean. Jean The information I found about the Don Felipe treasure was research I did online not sure if it . 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. below! . The stairs run beside it. Legends of the Gulf Coast museum on the Strand. Louisiana State University alumnus (Geaux Tigers), fanatic of all things sports, pugs, and Star Wars, and teller of the occasional dad joke. This would later be used to his great advantage. By 1805 he is believed to have been running a warehouse in New Orleans and possibly a store on Royal Street. His men burned the Maison Rouge, fortress, and settlement. 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. Jean Lafitte's ship was named "The General Jackson". As part of Mexico, it was outside the authority of the United States, and was largely uninhabited, except by the Karankawa, a Native American people. . Although the plans were scrapped, a bricked up entrance close to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride pays homage to this idea.[125]. says that a swamp in the Natalbany River in Springfield, Louisiana, was drained On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. Uninterested in exports from New Orleans, customs agents rarely checked the accuracy of the manifests. Jean Pierre, her son with Jean Lafitte, died at 17 during a cholera epidemic in New Orleans in October 1832. well as the fortunes left on the merchant ships that he captured. But remember Lafittes black dogs are still around dont go a hunting unless you are prepared to suffer the consequences. 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. [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". So next time you're walking past the . According to Ramsay, Lafitte, his elder brother Pierre, and his widowed mother migrated from Saint-Domingue to New Orleans in the 1780s. [52], Following the custom of the times, Patterson filed a legal claim for the profits from the confiscated ships and merchandise. Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. [69] With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston, promising to make weekly reports of his activities.[70]. Retired Avenger, current NFL free agent. That night his remaining men reboarded the General Victoria and destroyed its masts and spars, crippling the ship, but they left the crew unharmed. The other went north later over seas where he was killed during WW2. Enslaved Africans there gained their independence from France in 1804 and renamed this territory as Haiti. I think yall lying about the finding treasure, Plum bayou look for trees cut down and fake grave at the end. Campbell's Legacy. It was, at least initially, relatively free of scrutiny from any of the governments in the region. He fled New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. unclear why Lafitte had to bury his treasure or even where he was last seen.