Jean LaFitte (Pirate), & the BEALE TREASURE... post-War of 1812.

bay pirate

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I live here in south mobile county in the Coden area and the old timers here have there own stories. Lafitte is buried (or legend has it that he is) in Coden, Al. In a unmarked grave in an almost forgotten cemetery in an oak grove. Interestingly enough, one of the oak trees near by is in the perfect shape as an "X". As we all know, "X" marks the spot and one legend says that two chests are buried 10 paces from an oak tree with a "X" on it. Hmmm. The legend however puts this oak around fort Morgan and not Coden. Another legend puts it in the Mississippi River delta about a mile inland after he scuttled his boat after being chased by the English and French coalition and his sleuth ran aground. The treasure was to vast to carry out so he and his men buried on a his and marked it by driving a rod into the ground in a hasty escape. Unfortunately for lafitte, a farmer reportedly found this copper rod and removed it and the treasure was never found. Happy hunting.

P.s. a chest was found around mile marker 10 on fort Morgan road on the bay side many years ago but. It by any oaks and to the best of my knowledge, the oak trees in this area are more of the scrub oak kind rather than great oaks. Scub oaks are more of a dwarf kind of oak. This is not to say all the oak trees are scrubs, I'm just saying, in this find, a great oak can't be seen.

Now, happy hunting, };€
 

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Rebel - KGC

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THANKS, "bp"; I would pay attention to the "old timers". I know that Jean's older brother Alex ( a Freemason) is buried in New Orleans (French Quarter), with a Masonic S & C on his tombstone; NOT sure about the other older brother, Pierre, who was ALSO a Freemason.
 

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Robot

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Tale of Jean Laffite's treasure - Yucatan

My tale of Jean Laffite happened 35 years ago while I was living in the port town of Progresso in the Yucatan Peninsula.
I had family connections in the Mexican Government there and was studying Archaeology of the ancient Mayans.
More precisely ancient Mayan Cenotes (wells) and the ritual of tossing in of gold for the appeasement to their Gods.
The American mid 19th century John Stephens had dredged the Cenote at Chichen Itza and recovered $2 million in gold and this find was foremost in my mind.
I had located other isolated Cenotes and wished to treasure hunt the same. (another story).
The Mexican government loaned me their helicopter to research the Gulf of Mexico from Merida up to the Rio la Gatos.
We set down in between at Dzilam de Bravo where I heard the most interesting tale of Jean Laffite.
It was here at a grave that the locals told me the story that in the early 1800's Jean had arrived by his ship the "Pride" deathly ill with Yellow Fever seeking help.
He was stated to have eventually died and was buried there and the locals were proud to show me where his grave was located.
it was always curious to me why this location and what he may have been doing in this remote part of the world.
The best I could surmise is that he was driven out of America once his usefulness was achieved and was searching for a location to conceal his treasure still close to his American routes.
At Progresso, I inquired from the locals and the secret was of an island just 17 kilometers from Progresso (on the map) where when fisherman did risk going there Spanish coins were found on the beach.
At that time I heard the Mexican Government declared this island to be off limits to all.
To this date I always thought of boating out to this island for a pick nick.
 

bigscoop

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Jun 4, 2010
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Jean Laffite is an interesting subject. Even in his time he was, what some might say, universally known, which is quite a feat considering his activities and the era.
 

Robot

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Mar 10, 2014
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My tale of Jean Laffite happened 35 years ago while I was living in the port town of Progreso in the Yucatan Peninsula.
I had family connections in the Mexican Government there and was studying Archaeology of the ancient Mayans.
More precisely ancient Mayan Cenotes (wells) and the ritual of tossing in of gold for the appeasement to their Gods.
The American mid 19th century John Stephens had dredged the Cenote at Chichen Itza and recovered $2 million in gold and this find was foremost in my mind.
I had located other isolated Cenotes and wished to treasure hunt the same. (another story).
The Mexican government loaned me their helicopter to research the Gulf of Mexico from Merida up to the Rio la Gatos.
We set down in between at Dzilam de Bravo where I heard the most interesting tale of Jean Laffite.
It was here at a grave that the locals told me the story that in the early 1800's Jean had arrived by his ship the "Pride" deathly ill with Yellow Fever seeking help.
He was stated to have eventually died and was buried there and the locals were proud to show me where his grave was located.
it was always curious to me why this location and what he may have been doing in this remote part of the world.
The best I could surmise is that he was driven out of America once his usefulness was achieved and was searching for a location to conceal his treasure still close to his American routes.
At Progreso, I inquired from the locals and the secret was of an island just 17 kilometers from Progreso (on the map) where when fisherman did risk going there Spanish coins were found on the beach.
At that time I heard the Mexican Government declared this island to be off limits to all.
To this date I always thought of boating out to this island for a pick nick.
 

bigscoop

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Jun 4, 2010
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Wherever there be treasure!
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Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
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Jean Laffite was many places, several locations where he is said to be buried. There are a few existing letters and documents that place him in some interesting places as well. But there is also a lot of contradictory evidence in the face of some of these letters and documents, which makes some of them questionable, at best. In recent years we've learned a great more about him but there is still much to discover and so we keep looking.
 

bigscoop

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Jean was a SPY! NO surprise in your "statement"...

Was he? Is that fact or opinion? Can anyone really make that claim, for sure? Not from everything I've seen, researched, and read. Like I said, even the existing documents and evidence is contradictory sometimes. Spy? Or just someone operating for themselves under false pretenses? This is what his image and life so mysterious.
 

OP
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Rebel - KGC

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Was he? Is that fact or opinion? Can anyone really make that claim, for sure? Not from everything I've seen, researched, and read. Like I said, even the existing documents and evidence is contradictory sometimes. Spy? Or just someone operating for themselves under false pretenses? This is what his image and life so mysterious.

LOTS of books about that period of time indicated Jean was a Spy for Spain; America, France, & Spain were trying to get areas WEST of Louisiana, along the coast into Spanish Texas & Mexico; Jean has been indicated as being JEWISH (Sephardi). TWO brothers of his were FREEMASONS; Jean may have been Order of Royal Secret from France (he was never indicated as being a Freemason).
 

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OP
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Rebel - KGC

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And THAT... may be YOUR "French connection" to the Beale Treasure; Jean was a FRENCHMAN! He & his brother, Pierre were indicated to be SPIES for SPAIN... against MEXICO! Want "DOCUMENTS"...? Go to Spain or MEXICO!
 

OP
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Rebel - KGC

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NOW! Read THE FIFTH GENERATION by Brad Andrews; about Jean & The Beale Treasure! AARRRGHH! AHOY!
 

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