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. . Galveston after his adventures in Louisiana. One story even Workers would reload goods into smaller batches onto pirogues or barges, for transport through the many bayous to New Orleans. In later years, he was described as having "a more accurate knowledge of every inlet from the Gulf than any other man". When a giant storm hit the region, the raft was washed away and destroyed. both men served under Governor Bernardo de Galvez during the American Revolution and can be found listed on the New Orleans Militia Roster. that the treasure is in a different location now than where it was buried? He was nursed back to health by Emma Hortense Mortimer. Subscribe to the Pelican State of Mind blog by providing your email below! Located on Bourbon Street, it is associated with Lafitte, who may have spent time there in his earlier years. The Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour, held in the eponymous Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, is also named after the pirate/privateer. Its off 435 about 12 miles from where he fled imprisonment to the Pearl River. Mention the name "Jean Lafitte" to people of a certain age and they will immediately think of Cap'n Crunch cereal and its mascot and namesake, whose ship, the SS Guppy, was often attacked in commercials by Jean Lafoote, the Barefoot Pirate.Unlike in real life, Lafoote's punishment was to get his own breakfast cereal -- Jean LaFoote's Cinnamon Crunch. Key to remember is that Lafitte was a business man, who turned merchandise that he acquired into money. The Treasure of Jean Lafitte - National Park Service locations along the Gulf Coast. Lafitte also always insisted that he was a privateer, not a pirate. 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. Claiborne took a leave of absence in September 1810, leaving Thomas B. Robertson as acting governor. storytelling? [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). Small but made like a brick. [16] Barataria was far from the US naval base, and ships could easily smuggle in goods without being noticed by customs officials. [116], In 1980, the manuscript was donated to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Texas. He wrote Jean Laffitte: Gentleman Rover based on the journal. [99], Ramsay compares the numerous legends related to the life and death of Jean Lafitte to those about King Arthur and Robin Hood. 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. The letters gave the ships permission to attack ships from all nations. 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. He is considered something of a historic anti-hero in Louisiana and around the Gulf of Mexico, having engaged in smuggling and piracy for a number of years yet - during the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 - helped defend the city from the . If they refused the offer, the letters informed Lafitte that the British had orders to capture Barataria to put an end to their smuggling. They had his only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte (d. 1832). 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. My grandfathers mother lived next to his mother and we were told of the storys on where some was at. this mystery still has historians, researchers, and treasure hunters alike Having lived Collectively they were known as "Number thirteen". Their patrols and interventions reduced the number of active pirates in the region. Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. 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. Get monthly email updates and the chance to win a prize. Jean Lafitte (c.1780 - c.1823) - Genealogy - geni family tree [5][12] He was known to adopt more aristocratic mannerisms and dress than most of his fellow privateers. The ship's kitchen stove was found intact. Jean Lafitte - Krewe of Lafitte, Inc. The ones found their range from the late 1770;s to 1814 or so. After first escaping with some crew, he and his men were captured and jailed. Jean Lafitte (ca. [7] Lafitte, Campbell & Pirates | Texas City, TX 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. [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. [35] Lafitte soon acquired a letter of marque from Cartagena, but never sent any booty there. End of Campeche[edit] In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. This article provides images of newspapers from 1921, and one column in particular that talks about Lafittes treasure. When he attacked some United States ships, the government sent in troops to capture him. He brought all captured goods to Barataria. Laflin said he himself was a descendant of Jean Lafitte and had found the book in a trunk he had inherited. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is named after him. The Laffites moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Jean Henri Laffite's father, Jean Louis Laffite, was a ship captain who died on August 1, 1782, aboard the privateer ship "EL POSTILION" during a hurricane in route . The smugglers often held letters of marque from multiple countries, authorizing them to capture booty from differing nations. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Lafitte's ship is called "The Pride," but that's something they've already found. He was so wealthy that he built his own secret smugglers colony on the islands south of New Orleans. On September 13, 1814, Commodore Daniel Patterson set sail aboard the USSCarolina for Barataria. 70130, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Could it be that there were multiple burial locations Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. His exact whereabouts after that are unknown. because Lafittes treasure was thought to be underwater there. 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. Campbell's Legacy. [19] When Claiborne returned to office, he was relatively quiet on the subject. With the threat of imprisonment Louisiana historians know Jean Lafitte as the pirate who, shortly before Christmas in 1814, surrendered his plunder to fight alongside Colonel Andrew Jackson to save the City of New Orleans. New Orleans issued six such letters, primarily to smugglers who worked with Lafitte at Barataria. "I'm proud of them. Pierre Lafitte had another son, his namesake Pierre, born from his first marriage to Marie LaGrange, who died in childbirth. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. 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. Jean Laffite, Laffite also spelled Lafitte, (born 1780?, Francedied 1825? On September 3, 1814, the British ship HMS Sophie fired on a pirate ship returning to Barataria. Rogers was a member of Jean Lafitte's pirate crew in 1812. Who was Jean Laffite? You can see a small door that was covered. After his three children were grown, Lafitte fell sick in his 50s. 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. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. 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. The ship would sail to the mouth of Bayou Lafourche, load the contraband goods, and sail "legally" back to New Orleans, with goods listed on a certified manifest. 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. On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. THE LEGACY OF JEAN LAFITTE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By W. T. Block Reprinted from TRUE WEST, Dec., 1979, p. 26ff; . What if these stories are factual? After Jean's reported death in the mid-1820s, the widowed Catiche took up with Feliciano Ramos. [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. Its well known about the boat company started with silver found near Lake Salvador. mystery afoot! I a month there. . Jean Lafitte was born September 25, 1781. This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him.[1]. [20] As the schooner did not have an official commission from a national government, its captain was considered a pirate operating illegally. Lafitte, a one-time resident of Louisiana and privateer, is believed by some to The business was so profitable because Lafitte was selling smuggled, foreign goods to the people of New Orleans. [87] The congressional delegation in Louisiana began to demand that the federal government do something to halt the smuggling, and more US Navy ships were sent to the Gulf. [29], On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Britain. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte Lafitte's Treasure Links Other documents of the period place his birthplace as St. Malo or Brest. William Bartlett explored a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck. Lafittes Shipwreck | TreasureNet The Original Treasure Hunting Website For the Hix boys, the legend of Jean Lafitte was always their family's little secret. The Spanish ships were heavily armed privateers or warships and returned heavy fire. These Letters of Marque would give the Captains and Crew permission to capture and steal the ship and cargo of the issuing government's enemies. Metal detector companies may be the only satisfied (He was actually more of a land based businessman than a privateer or pirate at sea.) [43] Lafitte's ship grounded in shallow water where the larger British ship could not follow. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. Although the city kept control of the eight ships taken from Lafitte, it did not have enough sailors to man them for defense. [81]. Louisianas In September 1814, British military officials sought Lafittes help in their campaign to attack the U.S. from the Gulf of Mexico. consisted of the currency he would receive in exchange for his foreign goods as Andrew Jackson asked Lafitte to help defend New Orleans in the Battle of 1815. Searching for Jean Lafitte's Gold in the Sabine River "And now you SS Jean Lafitte - Wikipedia States officials granted him legal authority to pirate and capture British These goods were at a high demand and otherwise illegal due to the Embargo Act of 1807. 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. Only six houses survived as habitable.[80]. He resurfaced in North Carolina under a different name, an alias. 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. times as a smuggler and privateer, he became very wealthy. Title Smuggler. [60], On December 23, advance units of the British fleet reached the Mississippi River. [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. Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. Beyond Oak Island: 50 MILLION DOLLAR PIRATE TREASURE *Jean Lafitte's . A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure and often sources contradict each other. Some accounts say Jean Lafitte (1780-1823) was a legendary French privateer and pirate who resided in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the early 19th century and was widely believed to have been born in either the French colony of Saint-Domingue or in Basque-France. In 1821, the schooner USSEnterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. According to his 2005 book, Lafitte was born in or near Pauillac, France, the son of Pierre Lafitte and his second wife, Marguerite Desteil. North of Tatum, in the middle of the woods, lies . In the early 1800s, Lafitte makes a fortune in treasure by raiding ships in the Gulf of Mexico . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Untold Truth Of Jean Lafitte, The Pirate Of New Orleans - Grunge.com [48] Lafitte had copies of the letters sent to Jean Blanque, a member of the state legislature who had invested in the Barataria operation. Thus, on August 13, 1814, Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the British ship Sophie sailed on that mission. Jean Lafitte - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help Due to escalating violence from the Haitian Revolution, in early 1803 Pierre boarded a refugee ship for New Orleans.Davis (2005), pp. Jean Lafitte was likely born in 1782, although he was not baptized until 1786. [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. [17], Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. [93], In June 1822, Lafitte approached the officials in the Great Colombia, whose government under General Simn Bolvar had begun commissioning former privateers as officers in its new navy. 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: Lafitte was later . 1512. [69] With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston, promising to make weekly reports of his activities.[70]. [5], Lafitte's native language was clearly French, though the specific dialect is a matter of some debate. Did they find Jean Lafitte ship? - KnowledgeBurrow.com The couple had six children, including at least three daughters. (Davis (2005), p. 436). Many from the area have taken artifacts from there, including coin. The following day, Lafitte took command of the island and appointed his own officers. They had 3 children together: Jean Antoine Lafitte, Lucien Jean Lafitte, and Denise Jeanette Lafitte. Radford, Victor and the Pirate: A Story of New Orleans During the War of 1812, Childcraft (Vol. "[100] Given his legendary reputation, there was much speculation about whether, or how, Lafitte had died. [38] Officials tried to break up this auction by force. . Historical Marker. Jean Lafitte - Etsy What books would you recommend about this pirate? 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. For the first time, it was made available for research. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821, departed on The Pride. Dissatisfied with their role as brokers, in October 1812 the Lafitte brothers purchased a schooner and hired Captain Trey Cook to sail it. Jean LaFitte, that colorful character who roamed the Gulf Coast in the early 1800s was said to be many things - smuggler, pirate and patriot. His treasure It is still In 1966, Louisiana authorized a state park to be established at the present site of the Barataria Preserve. You would eventually merge onto the hold of a buried ship on Tom Sawyers Island. What was the name of Lafitte's pirate ship? . chagrin of the locals that helped drain the swamp, there was no trace of the Officials released the smugglers after they posted bail, and they disappeared and refused to return for a trial. Lafitte possibly took an assumed name, John Lafflin, and may have given that surname to his younger two sons. The Dread Jewish Pirate Jean Lafitte - Tablet Magazine residents of Texas have claimed that the treasure was buried somewhere along Thousands of miles away, and two centuries later, from where Laffite made his name, in Lincolnton, North Carolina, people continue to visit . 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). At this time an English captain offered Lafitte $30,000 and a commission to help the British attack New Orleans. The silver that Lafitte accumulated from selling captured slaves, cotton, and other goods was stored in wooden kegs or casks. 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 . He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". Lafitte wanted to avoid a Spanish invasion. below! The Pride. The Baratarians. the treasure be today? It's okay, because we're here to bust them! Another site near Niblett's Bluff, 40 Gums, had previously been searched. Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. Charles Gayarre wrote the first serious biography of Lafitte. Despite the Treaty of Ghent having been signed, and peace ensuing, it would take months for the news to reach New Orleans. unclear why Lafitte had to bury his treasure or even where he was last seen. [10], Sources indicate that Lafitte was sharp and resourceful, but also handsome and friendly, enjoying drinking, gambling, and women. Most of the people were locals, from Lafourche Parish, the southern part, mainly Cut Off and Larose and the Gheens area, and also from the Des Allemands location. He could have stashed some treasure somewhere along the Eastern shore. Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the floor after a shipwreck. Within two days of his offer, handbills were posted all over New Orleans offering a similar award for the arrest of the governor. They feared that Lafitte and his men might side with the British. Lafitte's men identified slave ships and captured them. 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. [2] Some sources say that his father was French and his mother's family had come from Spain. Even the date and place of his birth and death are unknown. [4], Some sources speculate that Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). So next time you're walking past the . [75] Lafitte interviewed all newcomers and required them to take an oath of loyalty to him. 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]. The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. Lafitte escaped. Jean Lafitte - Buried Treasures of the Notorious Pirate of the Gulf that is. [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. Jean Lafitte (1776-1823) - Find a Grave Memorial 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]. and its inlets. 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. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. 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. Most of Jean Lafitte's life remains shrouded in mystery, including his name. Lost Gold of Jean Lafitte | Expedition Unknown Wiki | Fandom jean lafitte ship the pride [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. 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. [117] Most historians now believe the Lafitte journal to be a forgery. In Jean Lafitte's day, silver and gold filled a pirate's treasure chest, but today's treasures are people, places, and memories.
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