Keith Cockrell Family, Articles J

[32] Because the US Navy did not have enough ships to act against the Baratarian smugglers, the government turned to the courts. The Laffites subsequently became spies for the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence. Jean Pierre, her son with Jean Lafitte, died at 17 during a cholera epidemic in New Orleans in October 1832. 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. His men tore down the existing houses and built 200 new, sturdier structures. years later! even tales that the treasure was not intentionally buried. The following day, Lafitte took command of the island and appointed his own officers. Nice little interesting overview but the bit many accounts say lafitte settled in Galveston casts unnecessary doubt, The settlement in Galveston (Campeche) is firmly established in the history, theres even a museum there about it. Louisiana is not exclusive to rumors of the treasures whereabouts too, as Key to remember is that Lafitte was a business man, who turned merchandise that he acquired into money. Walk in the footsteps of the men who fought at 1815's Battle of New Orleans. 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. It was cloudy with low visibility. [101] Lafitte is rumored to have buried treasure at many locations, including Galveston and sites along coastal Louisiana, such as Contraband Bayou in Lake Charles. that the treasure is in a different location now than where it was buried? The letters gave the ships permission to attack ships from all nations. [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. Our exclusive brands & quality merchandise are created to inspire a unique & recognizable Joie de vivre~Pirate Lifestyle with worldwide appeal! [54] According to Ramsay, Claiborne next wrote to General Andrew Jackson, "implying Patterson had destroyed a potential first line of defense for Louisiana" by his capture of Lafitte and his ships. Located 25 minutes from downtown New Orleans, Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours has been operating daily bayou tours since the 1980s. [68] Two weeks into his stay, the two leaders of the revolutionaries left the island. Lafitte then was supposed to have buried Napoleon in the town of Lafittes Perrin Cemetery; later Jones and Lafitte himself supposedly were buried there. With the threat of imprisonment Lafitte became very familiar with, and eventually mastered, an illegal smuggling profession, which translated into an extremely lucrative career for him. Laflin said he himself was a descendant of Jean Lafitte and had found the book in a trunk he had inherited. . They were tried for piracy, and found guilty. [36] The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register. Mystery and legend surround the life of Jean Lafi tte. [73] Aury returned to Galveston several months later, but he left in July when he realized that the men were unwilling to revolt. Most of his men had believed that Lafitte had a valid privateering commission although there was confusion as to which country had issued it. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the This would later be used to his great advantage. The stairs run beside it. [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". Jean was a handsome man by all accounts, of great personal charm and became . A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure and often sources contradict each other. There were also those who considered him a hero. His knowledge of the swamps helped him to make quick getaways. Although the plans were scrapped, a bricked up entrance close to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride pays homage to this idea.[125]. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. Jean's brother Pierre Lafitte died on the way to Dzilam and he was buried in Dzilam in an old cemetery, which later eroded into the sea. he was in his early twenties. Lafitte decided to warn American authorities and offered to help defend New Orleans in exchange for a pardon for his men. Jean LaFitte, that colorful character who roamed the Gulf Coast in the early 1800s was said to be many things - smuggler, pirate and patriot. Jean Lafitte was a Privateer Captain in the early 19th century. . [10] Davis places Lafitte's brother Pierre in Saint-Domingue by the late 1790s and the early 19th century. Governor Claiborne of Louisiana once offered a $500 reward to anyone who captured Jean Laffite; Laffitte offered a counter reward of $5,000 to anyone who captured the governor. Many of the smugglers wanted to lynch the British men, but Lafitte intervened and placed guards outside his home to ensure their protection. 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. 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.. Tensions were high during this time between the United States and Great Britain, creating the War of 1812 and forcing the United States to be on edge about who they could and could not trust. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. Could it be that there were multiple burial locations They had his only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte (d. 1832). . [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. Modern Day Depiction of the Baratarian Pirate and Brother of Jean Lafitte . Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. [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. Guests could've been able to enter Laffite's crypt near the Haunted Mansion. 70130, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Although the handbills were made in Lafitte's name, Ramsay believes "it is unlikely [the handbills] originated with him". Lafittes image changed from pirate to patriot during the War of 1812. 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. Legend holds that the Pirate Jean LaFitte, or in some other versions Santa Anna, left treasure at Hendrick's Lake near Tatum. [69] With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston, promising to make weekly reports of his activities.[70]. 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. Jean Lafitte is said to have cached over 100 treasures on Galveston Island. So next time you're walking past the . He found his first Spanish gold coin in the year 2017. "I'm proud of them. 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. and the fear of being captured, Lafitte allegedly buried his treasure with the 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. [37] The following month, the governor offered a $500 reward for Lafitte's capture. Guides educate the public on wildlife, Cajun culture, and life on the bayou. Thus, on August 13, 1814, Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the British ship Sophie sailed on that mission. Within two days of Lafitte's notes, Pierre "escaped" from jail. Lafitte also always insisted that he was a privateer, not a pirate. Its in the concrete shell stairs. 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). Exactly where he was from remains a bit clouded, and its inlets. April 23, 2022. [74], In less than a year, Lafitte's colony grew to 100200 men and several women. 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. By 1810, the island had become a booming port. The ones found their range from the late 1770;s to 1814 or so. There is even an event in La Porte, Texas centered around the treasure called the Annual Search for Lafittes Gold.. 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. $130,000 of Jean Lafitte's treasure is thought to be buried near Bolivar Point. Jean Lafitte was born September 25, 1781. But the gold and diamond jewl was the confirmation I needed. On November 10, 1812, United States District Attorney John R. Grymes charged Lafitte with "violation of the revenue law. Luckily, there is more info from Sotto himself about this project that can be found here. 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. [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. The smugglers often held letters of marque from multiple countries, authorizing them to capture booty from differing nations. I always heard that an area Boat Company Owner started his business with a 5 gallon bucket of silver taken from that area. 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. It reads that a cache of ancient gold coins was found near Jefferson island. He was chased all over the Gulf of Mexico by the U.S. Navy, all his ships burned except for his flagship, The Pride. Let us know in the comments 2001-11-18 04:00:00 PDT Wallisville, Texas -- Using a machete, Anahuac Jack hacks through branches . The Indians in the Mandeville area helped him escape to the Pearl River. locations along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana's most well-known buried treasure mystery still to this day is the unfound treasure of Jean Lafitte. [56] It had approximately 1,000 unseasoned troops and two ships for its use. Catiche became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Jean Pierre, on November 4, 1815. 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 boys were given a basic Catholic education. My Grandpa told me often when I was very young that everyone thought that Lafittes fort was on Grand Isle, but it never was. Lafittes men did resist arrest by American federal agents and soldiers, wounding, murdering, and capturing several. Yes I visited his home the Mason rouge in Campeche Galveston tx. That was problematic for New Orleans merchants, who had relied heavily on trade with Caribbean colonies of other nations. 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. It is still [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. 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 prizes that Lafitte took were slaves, cotton, commodities, etc. the naval operations and common routes of port ships in the Mississippi River Lafitte's fate has remained a mystery for 183 years. There are many stories about what happened to Lafitte and where he died. A family in Baytown, Texas tell their story as they believe they found one of Lafittes sunken ships. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1983.123.8. 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. Many of the Baratarians settled in New Orleans or in the Barataria area and some of their descendants still live there today. (Ramsay (1996), pp. treasure of Jean Lafitte. New Orleans . Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated from New Orleans, Louisiana. (Davis (2005), p. 436). His men burned the Maison Rouge, fortress, and settlement. Here, there would be lots of different activities for the kids. One of Lafitte's men testified that the Baratarians had never intended to fight the US but had prepared their vessels to flee. By 1805, Laffite was operating a warehouse in New Orleans to help distribute the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre Lafitte. Lafitte's ship is called "The Pride," but that's something they've already found. "I think he realized very quickly in Galveston that it was not going to work, as evidenced by how short lived that . [61] The British began advancing upon the American lines on December 28, but were repulsed by an artillery crew manned by two of Lafitte's former lieutenants, Renato Beluche and Dominique Youx. They created a base on the small and sparsely-populated island of Barataria, in Barataria Bay. [99], Ramsay compares the numerous legends related to the life and death of Jean Lafitte to those about King Arthur and Robin Hood. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. This article is about the privateer. [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]. 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). [51], On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. In 1821, the schooner USSEnterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. [52], Following the custom of the times, Patterson filed a legal claim for the profits from the confiscated ships and merchandise. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte . #1. My grandfathers mother lived next to his mother and we were told of the storys on where some was at. Is his last name spelled Lafi tte or Laffi te? [4] He notes that still other contemporary accounts claim that Lafitte was born in Ordua, Spain, or in Westchester County, New York, north of Manhattan. "[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 smuggling operations of the well-known privateer eventually came to a screeching halt, though, when the United States began enforcing the embargo in New Orleans city limits some time after the act passed. 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. Jean Lafitte (c. 1780 - c. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. They were held in port under custody of the United States Marshal. 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. On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. 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. SS Jean Lafitte (1942) (MC hull number 475), transferred to the United States Navy as Sumter-class attack transport USS Warren (APA-53); sold for commercial use in 1947; converted to container ship in 1965; scrapped in 1977 SS Jean Lafitte (1943) (MC hull number . Lafitte eventually returned to smuggling at Galveston Island in Spanish Texas until he was forced out by the U.S. Navy in 1820. Jean had taken the helm of a band of pirates when the U.S. found itself at war with . In her children's story, Victor and the Pirate: A Story of New Orleans During the War of 1812 (1947), Ruby Lorraine Radford features a fictional child who encourages Lafitte to defend New Orleans. 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. Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. Details: $10; galvestonhistory.org. And the ship berry bros found look for gold on land nearby. . Metal detector companies may be the only satisfied Theres Lafitte always insisted that if he committed any crime, it was smuggling, and he blamed American laws for forcing him into illegal activities. Throughout Lafittes [95], Lafitte continued to patrol the shipping lanes around Cuba. Was he a pirate, a patriot, or both? The fortune is said to have been stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte. A representative of the smuggler would purchase the slaves at the ensuing auction, and the smuggler would be given half of the purchase price. Wounded in the battle, Lafitte is believed to have died just after dawn on February 5. I was living in high island Texas .mostly driving the beach further east to sea rim. Jean Lafitte (c.1780 c.1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. Other documents of the period place his birthplace as St. Malo or Brest. Laffite is believed to have been born either in Basque-France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean. The Baratarians invited the British officers to row to their island. Orleanshe did not disappoint. Some accounts say During his life he acted as a soldier, sailor, diplomat, merchant, and much more, demonstrating natural gifts for leadership.[14]. You would eventually merge onto the hold of a buried ship on Tom Sawyers Island. Jackson agreed to do so. When: 2 p.m. May 22. Merchants and planters were eager to buy the goods and slaves Lafitte smuggled into south Louisiana. both men served under Governor Bernardo de Galvez during the American Revolution and can be found listed on the New Orleans Militia Roster. "Very few shipwrecks have been found that still have the stove intact," Irion said. 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. THE LEGACY OF JEAN LAFITTE IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By W. T. Block Reprinted from TRUE WEST, Dec., 1979, p. 26ff; . [86][Note 2], Lafitte and his men continued to take Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico and often returned to Galveston or the barrier islands near New Orleans to unload cargo or take on supplies arranged by Pierre. [84][Note 1], The remainder of the crew rejoined Lafitte, who finally acknowledged that he did not have a valid commission. A grand jury indicted Pierre Lafitte after hearing testimony against him by one of the city's leading merchants. Lafitte visited in March 1817. The Spanish ships were heavily armed privateers or warships and returned heavy fire. [21] In January 1813, they took their first prize, a Spanish hermaphrodite brig loaded with 77slaves. Jean Lafitte: A trial for piracy. Jean Lafitte in 1813. They submitted booty from captured British ships to the American authorities at New Orleans, and booty from all other ships was often channeled for sale on the markets through Lafitte's operation. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. in south Louisianas bayous for so long, Lafitte had also become an expert with Lafitte knew that his new business outfit was hidden well enough that U.S. officials wouldnt be able to find him. Discover New Orleans' rich cultural mix. The park was given the mission of preserving the natural and cultural resources of Louisianas Mississippi River delta region. have buried a large cache of treasure somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. during the Battle of New Orleans. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places named for him. In the summer of 1814, Pierre was arrested and jailed in New Orleans, but he escaped from jail under mysterious circumstances in September. By 1810, their new port had become very successful; the Laffites had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. 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. After Lafitte's men abducted a Karankawa woman, warriors of her tribe attacked and killed five men of the colony. Lafitte escaped. Subscribe to the Pelican State of Mind blog by providing your email below! 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. Catiche died July 2, 1858, around the age of 65. Campbell's Legacy. Lafitte conducted most of his business aboard his ship, The Pride, where he also lived. I also. He resurfaced in North Carolina under a different name, an alias. Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". Legend said it was a ship Lafitte sunk or said he sunk in the Old Sabine River while being pursued by a federal gunboat. 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. In 1807 the United States outlawed trade with Great Britain and France because of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Because of his track record and reputation, Jean Lafitte was still seen as a criminal in the eyes of the United States. [24] They outfitted it with 12 fourteen-pounder cannons. 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. 3. [48] Lafitte had copies of the letters sent to Jean Blanque, a member of the state legislature who had invested in the Barataria operation. Numerous novels and stories refer to Lafitte's exploits. The silver that Lafitte accumulated from selling captured slaves, cotton, and other goods was stored in wooden kegs or casks. that the treasure was on board one of Lafittes vessels and sank to the ocean He is best known for his role in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. 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. Later United States President James Madison pardoned him and his men for their acts of piracy. he found that there had already been a small colony established, founded by Spaniard . "Finding out who Lafitte really was," Cody Hix said. There is no . It was, at least initially, relatively free of scrutiny from any of the governments in the region. This story first appeared in a local newspaper in the 1920s from an unnamed source and has no basis in fact. Due to escalating violence from the Haitian Revolution, in early 1803 Pierre boarded a refugee ship for New Orleans. Title Smuggler. Having lived floor after a shipwreck. jean lafitte shipwreck found. [7] Widely publicized, the raid was hailed by the Niles' Weekly Register as "a major conquest for the United States". What did the USS Enterprise do to Jean Lafitte? Despite Laffite warning the other Baratarians of a possible military attack on their base, a US naval force successfully invaded in September 1814 and captured most of his fleet. [114][115] When the historical society could not authenticate the claim, Laflin approached Louisiana author Stanley Arthur. [7], According to Ramsay, as a young man, Lafitte likely spent much time exploring the wetlands and bayou country south of New Orleans.