Lafitte's men identified slave ships and captured them. [50], Lafitte committed himself and his men for any defensive measures needed by New Orleans. Woodblock print of the death of Jean Lafitte from The Pirates Own Book, published in 1837. [63] On land and sea, the former pirate gunners earned praise as the battle continued. [29], On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Britain. . a legend in his own time, after his patriotic actions in the Battle of New Orleans. These questions - Advance Reservations Suggested - - Please check website for specific information and ticket pricing - Learn more about Jean Laffitte Pirate Dinner Cruise by visiting their . Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. [69] With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston, promising to make weekly reports of his activities.[70]. The business was so profitable because Lafitte was selling smuggled, foreign goods to the people of New Orleans. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! The fortune is said to have been stolen from the Spanish by Jean Lafitte. Its off 435 about 12 miles from where he fled imprisonment to the Pearl River. Jean Lafitte was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. The American warship which captured him turned Lafitte over to the local authorities, who promptly released him. From there, he raided foreign ships in the Gulf of Mexico. 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. Actually, his men attacked several American ships but apparently did not kill any crewmen, possibly because they did not fight back. Lafitte attempted to take what appeared to be two Spanish merchant vessels on the night of February 4. . Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in . 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. Wheres your backyard? Jean Lafitte (c. 1780 - c. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. Lafitte's ship grounded in shallow water where the larger British . He resurfaced in North Carolina under a different name, an alias. [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. 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. Jean Lafitte : biography 1780 - 1826 Davis places Lafitte's brother Pierre in Saint-Domingue in the late 1790s and the early 19th century. When he attacked some United States ships, the government sent in troops to capture him. 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. I was living in high island Texas .mostly driving the beach further east to sea rim. North of Tatum, in the middle of the woods, lies . By 1810, their new port had become very successful; the Laffites had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. Rogers started his own pirate fleet in 1818. . #1. In 1818, the Campeche colony suffered hardships. 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. The bay was located beyond a narrow passage between the barrier islands of Grand Terre and Grande Isle. that will never end. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821 departed on The Pride. After Jean's reported death in the mid-1820s, the widowed Catiche took up with Feliciano Ramos. By 1805 he is believed to have been running a warehouse in New Orleans and possibly a store on Royal Street. Catiche became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Jean Pierre, on November 4, 1815. (He was actually more of a land based businessman than a privateer or pirate at sea.) Could it be that there were multiple burial locations It reads that a cache of ancient gold coins was found near Jefferson island. Dissatisfied with their role as brokers, in October 1812 the Lafitte brothers purchased a schooner and hired Captain Trey Cook to sail it. Smith believes he found a sunken ship on Google Earth in 2006 in Refugio, just north of Corpus Christi. The headquarters consisted of a two-storey building facing the inland harbor, where landings were made. [28] The residents of New Orleans were grateful to the Lafittes for providing them with luxuries otherwise prevented from importing by the embargo. [41] He was arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed on charges of "having knowingly and wittingly aided and assisted, procured, commanded, counselled, and advised" persons to commit acts of piracy". End of Campeche[edit] In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte . William Bartlett explored a three-hundred-year-old shipwreck. Lafitte worked with several smugglers, including Jim Bowie, to profit from the poorly written law. [8], Biographer William C. Davis suggests a different childhood for Lafitte. [4], Some sources speculate that Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). In January 1808, the government began to enforce the Embargo Act of 1807, which barred American ships from docking at any foreign port and imposed an embargo on goods imported into the US. When a giant storm hit the region, the raft was washed away and destroyed. Lafittes men did resist arrest by American federal agents and soldiers, wounding, murdering, and capturing several. Workers would reload goods into smaller batches onto pirogues or barges, for transport through the many bayous to New Orleans. 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. The state of Luckily, there is more info from Sotto himself about this project that can be found here. [99], Davis writes that Lafitte's death prevented his becoming obsolete; by 1825 piracy had been essentially eradicated in the Gulf of Mexico, and "the new world of the Gulf simply had no room for [his] kind. "[55], When General Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, he discovered the city had not created any defenses. Lafitte escaped. There is no . 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 . This article is about the privateer. There are many accounts that say Lafitte settled in Lafitte visited in March 1817. [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. [51], On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. [64] He formally requested clemency for the Lafittes and the men who had served under them. . 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. Those looking for Gold, Diamonds, Jewelry etc wont find it. 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. mystery afoot! Even the date and place of his birth and death are unknown. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a tender. The buccaneer Jean Lafitte and other pirates sailed the Gulf to . [5][12] He was known to adopt more aristocratic mannerisms and dress than most of his fellow privateers. knowledge (or educated guess) of Lafitte being the best privateer around, United Captain Campbell became a farmer and remained so until his death in 1856. 3. Lafitte and several of his men rowed to meet them halfway. Later, in return for a legal pardon, Laffite and his fleet helped General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans to defend the city during the War of 1812. [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. Yes I visited his home the Mason rouge in Campeche Galveston tx. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. The information I found about the Don Felipe treasure was research I did online not sure if it . [40], Claiborne appealed to the new state legislature, citing the lost revenues due to the smuggling. [99] In 1843, Mirabeau B. Lamar investigated many of the Lafitte stories and concluded that, while there were no authentic records of death, Lafitte was likely dead. Resentful of the raid on Barataria, Lafitte's men refused to serve on their former ships. [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. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. [118][Note 4], Lafitte is paid tribute at Disneyland by a ship anchor monument with an accompanying plaque found in New Orleans Square. scrambling to find answers. In September 1814, British military officials sought Lafittes help in their campaign to attack the U.S. from the Gulf of Mexico. Many from the area have taken artifacts from there, including coin. Researchers say the vessels sit in 25 feet water depth at the north of Big Bradford Island. Lafitte always insisted that if he committed any crime, it was smuggling, and he blamed American laws for forcing him into illegal activities. The couple had six children, including at least three daughters. (Spain had become an ally of the British against the French.) If you were thoroughly acquainted with the nature of my offenses, I should appear to you much less guilty, and still worthy to discharge the duties of a good citizen. Within two days of Lafitte's notes, Pierre "escaped" from jail. [38], Given the success of his auctions at the Temple, in January 1814 Lafitte set up a similar auction at a site just outside New Orleans. into these uncharted waters, we need to know more about who Lafitte was. [99], Ramsay compares the numerous legends related to the life and death of Jean Lafitte to those about King Arthur and Robin Hood. [52], a man who, for about two years past, has been famous for crimes that the civilized world wars against. United States no choice but to pursue his arrest. Guests could've been able to enter Laffite's crypt near the Haunted Mansion. The expert cannon fire of Jacksons troops, including Lafi ttes Baratarians, contributed to the American victories during the New Orleans campaign that culminated with the Battle of New Orleans on January 8,1815. The smugglers wounded one of the officers and safely escaped with the contraband. You would eventually merge onto the hold of a buried ship on Tom Sawyers Island. Date of Birth - Death c. 1780-unknown. Their patrols and interventions reduced the number of active pirates in the region. Some accounts say [17], Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. They were held in port under custody of the United States Marshal. The corsairs aimed the artillery at the Karankawa, killing most of the men in the tribe. [7] Lafitte likely helped his brother to sell or trade the captured merchandise. Annual income reached more than $2 million ($35.4million in today's terms) in stolen currency and goods. Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. [19] When Claiborne returned to office, he was relatively quiet on the subject. unclear why Lafitte had to bury his treasure or even where he was last seen. There are many stories about what happened to Lafitte and where he died. 419 Decatur St Guides educate the public on wildlife, Cajun culture, and life on the bayou. He fled New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. Jean Lafitte (ca. "I'm proud of them. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. In the summer of 1814, Pierre was arrested and jailed in New Orleans, but he escaped from jail under mysterious circumstances in September. Jean Lafitte is said to have cached over 100 treasures on Galveston Island. [3], Lafitte and his brother Pierre also claimed to have been born in Bayonne. (The United States and the United Kingdom had prohibited the Atlantic slave trade after 1808, but Spain continued to import slaves to the Caribbean.) A hurricane in September resulted in flooding of most of the island, and several people died. says that a swamp in the Natalbany River in Springfield, Louisiana, was drained 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.. the Texas Gulf Coast. One of Lafitte's men testified that the Baratarians had never intended to fight the US but had prepared their vessels to flee. Charles Gayarre wrote the first serious biography of Lafitte. I also. With the Some historians recount that Lafitte went back to a life of crime, leaving the