In the ensuing gunfight, one of the revenue officers [39] was killed and two others were wounded. On February 13, he escaped, likely with outside help. [114][115] When the historical society could not authenticate the claim, Laflin approached Louisiana author Stanley Arthur. [60] By early 1817, other revolutionaries had begun to congregate at Galveston, hoping to make it their base to wrest Mexico from Spanish control. Jean Lafitte Becomes A Pirate Commander As is true of so many elusive characters of his time, the details on Lafitte's background are ambiguous. On November 10, 1812, the United States District Attorney John R. Grymes charged Lafitte with "violation of the revenue law". [13], Lafitte was unhappy with the time it took to transport goods from the port to the merchants; navigating the swamps could take a full week. The brothers stripped down their original ship and used its guns to outfit the new one. After being run out of New Orleans in 1817, Lafitte re-established his kingdom on the island of Galveston, Texas, which was known as Campeche. My account. [90] 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. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry - a New Orleans merchant - and kept Jean with her. On April 18, he sailed for New Orleans to report his activities. After securing victory, Jackson paid tribute in despatches to the Laffite brothers' efforts, as well as those of their fellow privateers. When they had disembarked and were surrounded by his men, Lafite identified himself to them. They feared that Lafitte and his men might side with the British. . [36] The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register. [5][12] He was known to adopt more aristocratic mannerisms and dress than most of his fellow privateers. [44], Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the commander of the Sophie, had been ordered to contact the "Commandant at Barataria". [37] The following month, the governor offered a $500 reward for Lafitte's capture. [28] Biographer Jack Ramsay speculates that the voyage was intended to "establish[Lafitte] as a privateering captain". According to Ramsay, Lafitte and his older brother Pierre and their widowed mother migrated to New Orleans in the 1780s. The captured schooner was not considered useful for piracy so, after unloading its cargo, the Lafittes returned the ship to its former captain and crew. They were most likely businessmen in New Orleans or independent privateers before becoming associated with the smuggling and piracy. Social and other ways to explore Texas HistoryTour with Spotify:Listen: Quick Histo He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". [He] is supposed to have captured one hundred vessels of all nations, and certainly murdered the crews of all that he took, for no one has ever escaped him. The second item was a personal note to Lafitte from McWilliam's superior, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls, urging him to accept the offer.[47]. [7] Lafitte likely helped his brother to sell or trade the captured merchandise. Jean Lafitte was likely born in 1782, although he was not baptized until 1786. [74], In less than a year, Lafitte's colony grew to 100200 men and several women. [90] In late April 1822, Lafitte was captured again after taking his first American ship. [10] Barataria was far from the U.S. naval base, and ships could easily smuggle in goods without being noticed by customs officials. From left to right, the men are traditionally identified as Renato Beluche, Jean Lafitte, Pierre Lafitte, and Dominique You. The work was financed exclusively to search for the treasure of Lafitte. This account of Lafitte's death is not accepted by all historians. Christina died after the birth of their daughter. Lafitte's criminal industry was a success throughout. [117] Laflin had been previously accused of forging letters purportedly from Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Davy Crockett. [16] Barataria was far from the US naval base, and ships could easily smuggle in goods without being noticed by customs officials. [60] Lafitte realized that the American line of defense was so short as to potentially allow the British to encircle the American troops. After Lafitte's men kidnapped a Karankawa woman, warriors of her tribe attacked and killed five men of the colony. By 1810, their new port had become very successful; the Laffites had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. His brother Pierre Lafitte was a blacksmith. Having been raised by another branch of the Lafitte family, Pierre re-connected with his brother by the early 1800s. According to his 2005 book, Lafitte was born in or near Pauillac, France, the son of Pierre Lafitte and his second wife, Marguerite Desteil. His maternal grandfather, according to this account,. An Indian dugout canoe found at the time is displayed at the Cabildo in New Orleans. On January 21, Jackson issued a statement praising his troops, especially the cannoneers and "Captains Dominique and Beluche, lately commanding privateers of Barataria, with part of their former crews and many brave citizens of New Orleans, were stationed at Nos. Resentful of the raid on Barataria, Lafitte's men refused to serve on their former ships. If they refused the offer, the British Navy would destroy Barataria. [27] Three days later, 40 soldiers were sent to ambush the Baratarians; they captured Lafitte, his brother Pierre, and 25 unarmed smugglers on November 16, and confiscated several thousand dollars of contraband. [79] It was being developed for cotton culture, as invention of the cotton gin had made short-staple cotton profitable. . [73] Aury returned to Galveston several months later, but he left in July when he realized that the men were unwilling to revolt. He was evidently able to speak English reasonably well and most likely had a working knowledge of Spanish. [4], Some sources speculate that Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). He and his brother Pierre alternately claimed to have been born in Bayonne, while other documents of the time place his birthplace as St. Malo or Brest. [44], On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. Charles Gayarre wrote the first serious biography of Lafitte. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight, and on May 7, 1821 departed on The Pride. 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. 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. As part of Mexico, it was outside the authority of the United States, and was largely uninhabited, except by Native American Karankawa. [57] He formally requested clemency for the Lafittes and the men who had served under them. The British raised a white flag and launched a small dinghy with several officers. Although the plans were scrapped, a bricked up entrance close to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride pays homage to this idea.[125]. [48] 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? [13] He was educated with his brother at a military academy on Saint Kitts. Collectively they were known as "Number thirteen". [3] The current business traces its roots to Roger 'Tom' Caplinger, who in the mid-1940s turned the old abandoned shop into Caf Lafitte. 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. He was buried at sea in the Gulf of Honduras. Only six houses survived as habitable. Catiche had given birth to a daughter named Marie on November 10, 1813. [92] By the end of 1822, Cuba had banned all forms of sea raiding. The Baratarians invited the British officers to row to their island. A grand jury indicted Pierre Lafitte after hearing testimony against him by one of the city's leading merchants. As a singles wrestler, Pierre was repackaged in 1995 as Jean-Pierre LaFitte, the descendant of real-life pirate named Jean LaFitte. [91] When Lafitte and other pirates operating in the area began attacking merchant ships carrying legal goods to Cuba, they angered Cuban officials. [34] Biographer Jack Ramsay speculates that the voyage was intended to "establish [Lafitte] as a privateering captain". [93] In 1909, a man was given a six-year prison sentence for fraud after swindling thousands of dollars from people, by claiming that he knew where the Lafitte treasure was buried and taking their money for the promise to find it. Annual income reached more than $2 million ($35.4million in today's terms) in stolen currency and goods. New Orleans issued six such letters, primarily to smugglers who worked with Lafitte at Barataria. He was accompanied by a Royal Marine infantry Captain, John McWilliam,[38][39] who had been given a package to deliver to Lafitte. Guests could've been able to enter Laffite's crypt near the Haunted Mansion. The United States made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. 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. The letters gave the ships "permission" to attack ships from all nations. They sail into the city's lake, capture the mayor, and make him "walk the plank. One of Lafitte's men testified that the Baratarians had never intended to fight the US but had prepared their vessels to flee. Lafitte was granted a commission and given a new ship, a 43-ton schooner named General Santander in honor to Vice-President General Francisco de Paula Santander. On April 18, he sailed for New Orleans to report his activities. [6], Acknowledging that details of Lafitte's first twenty years are sparse, Davis speculates that Lafitte spent much time at sea as a child, probably aboard ships owned by his father, a known trader. Ramsay believes that Lafitte died of a fever in 1826 or 1827 on, Ramsay believes the documents were written by Laflin's ancestor, Matthew Laflin (18031854), who may have convinced his descendants that he was Jean Lafitte. The journal has Lafitte born on April 22, 1782 at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the son of a French father and a mother who was a Sephardic Jew. Jean Lafitte spent the majority of his time in Barataria managing the daily hands-on business of outfitting privateers and arranging the smuggling of stolen goods. On November 10, 1812, United States District Attorney John R. Grymes charged Lafitte with "violation of the revenue law. Catiche became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Jean Pierre, on November 4, 1815. He brought all captured goods to Barataria. They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. [66] Aury returned to Galveston several months later, but he left in July when he realized that the men were unwilling to revolt. Though Lafitte warned the other Baratarians of a possible military attack on their base of operations, an American naval force successfully invaded in September 1814 and captured most of Lafitte's fleet. [115] The paper and ink were analyzed and confirmed to be of mid-19th-century origin. [36], In October, a revenue officer prepared an ambush of a band of Lafitte's smugglers. For the town named after him, see. [89], Over the next few months, Lafitte established a base along the coast of Cuba, where he bribed local officials with a share of the profits. [37], Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the commander of the Sophie, had been ordered to contact the "Commandant at Barataria". [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. The journal was republished in the 1990s as "The Memoirs of Jean Laffite." A major theme in the memoir/journal is Lafitte's change of heart from slave trader to anti-slavery activist. On September 3, 1814, the British ship HMS Sophie fired on a pirate ship returning to Barataria. Jean Lafitte proved to be a very successful business man and by day, ran a blacksmith repair shop and by night, the shop turned into a drop point for the Lafitte brothers smuggling operation. The fleet anchored off Grande Terre and the gunboats attacked. The common understanding is Jean and Pierre Lafitte used a blacksmith shop as the legitimate front for their smuggling operations in New Orleans. [49] It had approximately 1,000 unseasoned troops and two ships for its use. That night his remaining men reboarded the General Victoria and destroyed its masts and spars, crippling the ship, but they left the crew unharmed. One of the pirate's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Very little is known about Laffite, and speculation about his life and death continues among historians. [17], Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. La conception d'un livre, par Eugne Mouton (4 p.). Within weeks, Dorada captured a schooner loaded with over $9,000 in goods. [82] Maison Rouge is believed to have stood at 1417 Harborside Drive near the Galveston wharf, but the foundations there have been dated to the 1870s. When they had disembarked and were surrounded by his men, Lafitte identified himself to them. Geni requires JavaScript! [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. 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]. Lafitte possibly took an assumed name, John Lafflin, and may have given that surname to his younger two sons. [81]. [7], According to Ramsay, as a young man, Lafitte likely spent much time exploring the wetlands and bayou country south of New Orleans. The building which claims to be that very blacksmith shop is still standing in the French Quarter and is currently operating as a bar. By 1806, several "Captain Lafitte"s operated in New Orleans; Jean Lafitte was likely one of them. By 1810, their new port was very successful; the Lafittes pursued a successful smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. Officials released the smugglers after they posted bond, and they disappeared, refusing to return for a trial. The family migrated to the island of Hispaniola, then fled during the turmoil of rebellion, and the brothers may have reached New Orleans by 1804. 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