The treasure of Jean Laffite

[dcbaros]

Does anyone have any info on the pirate jean Lafitte and his ship "the Pride" wrecking in the lavaca river in Texas? I live like 20 mins away and even own property on this river. I am familiar with the legend that he buried his treasure and marked it with a brass stake which was found on a ranch owned by someone named "hill". The ranch hand that found it pulled up the stake and was never able to refined the location. Ive also read that it was buried about a quarter of a mile east of the lavaca and Lafitte used two motts of trees to take readings with a compass so that he could find it again. One mott was called the Kentucky Mott and the other the mauldin Mott.

 

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[bigscoop]

Don't know anything about the Pride? However, I have an extensive amount of research on Jean Laffite, a fair portion of it relating to a similar possibility. If I have any info that might help I'll be glad to share it with you.

 

[dcbaros]

Don't know anything about the Pride? However, I have an extensive amount of research on Jean Laffite, a fair portion of it relating to a similar possibility. If I have any info that might help I'll be glad to share it with you.

I would really appreciate that! What kind of info do you have? Anything on the possibility of him landing on the lavaca river?

 

[WishfulThinker]

Couple books put wreck of Pride in upper Galveston Bay - Trinity Bay/River area. Tales abound... but no real hard data .. American Warship ran him out of Galveston but he had thirty days to bury things around here. Rumors of gold and silver coins surfacing at times and some of the local places are named after members of his pirate crew that remained here ... tales of his old cabin boy in area too.(Kipp Street Kemah, Taylor Lake, Campbell Bayou)

 

[dcbaros]

Couple books put wreck of Pride in upper Galveston Bay - Trinity Bay/River area. Tales abound... but no real hard data .. American Warship ran him out of Galveston but he had thirty days to bury things around here. Rumors of gold and silver coins surfacing at times and some of the local places are named after members of his pirate crew that remained here ... tales of his old cabin boy in area too.(Kipp Street Kemah, Taylor Lake, Campbell Bayou)

Yes I saw these rumors too. I would like to go walk the banks of the lavaca with a detector to look for any evidence when I get a chance.

 

[bigscoop]

Don't know anything about the Pride? However, I have an extensive amount of research on Jean Laffite, a fair portion of it relating to a similar possibility. If I have any info that might help I'll be glad to share it with you.

I would really appreciate that! What kind of info do you have? Anything on the possibility of him landing on the lavaca river?

Give me a while and I'll see what I might have that you might be able to put to use.

 

[dcbaros]

Don't know anything about the Pride? However, I have an extensive amount of research on Jean Laffite, a fair portion of it relating to a similar possibility. If I have any info that might help I'll be glad to share it with you.

I would really appreciate that! What kind of info do you have? Anything on the possibility of him landing on the lavaca river?

Give me a while and I'll see what I might have that you might be able to put to use.

Thanks!

 

[WishfulThinker]

Highly probable that Lafitte was in and out of every bay all way down to Veracruz.

Note -- there were French settlements at two major places on Galveston Bay / Trinity River.
One was Middle Bayou (Middlebrook - Bay Area Blvd.&Red Bluff area - Houston)
The other was Champ De Aisle? - Liberty, Texas now.

Jean Lafitte's hangout was on Mechanic St. Galveston, fenced in fort now private property.
SOMETHING was spotted in Mud Lake Upper Trinity Bay according to book. Some think it was the Pride -- could be another small ship.

Check out books Treasures of Galveston Bay. and Townsends book (Texas Treasures?) Texas History section of library.

Definitely worth looking into -- as tales of bunches of coins have surfaced down here over the years. Even one tale of someone (back in1950's) finding buried stash on West Galveston Island out by Fire Station. Map in book (someone with deep depth detector should go over area again just to make sure everything was found) (area was torn up after Hurricane IKE).

 

[bigscoop]

I would really appreciate that! What kind of info do you have? Anything on the possibility of him landing on the lavaca river?
[/quote]

Give me a while and I'll see what I might have that you might be able to put to use.
[/quote]

One of the issues you'll need to look into is, "which story of the Pride" is accurate. For instance, here's a link to a more recent account claiming the Pride was scuttled in Lake Miller, and evidentally they've since found the ship (or a ship) and they're planning to get permits to excavate the site. This article was from April of this year. There are also accounts that say the ship went down in a hurricane, and yet other accounts that claim it was sunk at sea shortly after Laffite left Galveston island. You might contact the people at the other end of the link provided as they may be able to offer you more insight into why they believe so strongly that the ship they are looking into is the Pride?

http://baytownsun.com/story/49454

Personally, it is my feeling that Laffite removed most of the wealth kept at Galveston Island long before he was ever forced from the place. At best guess, the vast portion of this wealth was removed and relocated in stragically arranged gradual portions between late 1818 & late 1820. This has been the area of my research into any possible remaining Laffite treasure. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. If I happen to run across anything in regards to the information you're looking for I'll let you know. Happy Hunting!

 

[bigscoop]

"If".........his memoirs are ever proven to be real, then I would say there is a very good chance that Jean Laffite may have pulled off, and created, one the biggest treasure caches in the last 200 years. But this theory all hinges on the authenticity of those memoirs. This is a little "pet project" treasure mystery that I've been looking into for years.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Are there any stories about pirates in Connecticut? [email protected]

 

[Old Bookaroo]

CT Danny:

I highly recommend The Pirates of the New England Coast 1630-1730 by George Francis Dow and John Henry Edmonds (1923). The original hardcover is pretty expensive today, but Dover published a very nice trade paperback that is quite affordable. Like treasure books, many pirate books aren't very useful because the authors didn't first complete their own serious research. Far too many writers are willing to copy the works of other, and the result isn't worth much.

This volume is a happy exception - the research behind it is first-rate.

I also recommend Robert Nesmith's Dig for Pirate Treasure (1958). It is not specifically about Connecticut, but it has a good deal of useful New England information. And an excellent bibliography. This is a cornerstone book for every treasure library.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Peter Viemeister (RIP), in his book BEALE TREASURE: NEW HISTORY OF A MYSTERY indicated info stating that Thom. J. Beale COULD have been Jean Lafitte, due to swarthy appearance, long black hair, "way with ladies", bits & pieces of FRENCH in the BEALE PAPERS (1885 Ward Pamphlet aka "JOB PRINT"). Chapt. 12 "Lafitte & Jackson", p. 107-111; Prez James James Madison "issued a public proclamation of pardon for ALL the Baratarians, including the Lafittes (2/6/1815).... rumors that he (Jean) had relocated on the mainland (USA)...." thus, disappearing up OLD MUDDY, into the "mists of time". It is "speculated" that Jean went up OLD MUDDY to St. Louis, and traveled "inland" with a HUGE stash, burying it in Bedford County, VIRGINIA. WILL look further into that... CURRENTLY reading, THE PIRATES LAFITTE: THE TREACHEROUS WORLD OF THE CORSAIRS OF THE GULF by William C. Davis. INTERESTING! 8)

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Reb KGC:

That is an excellent book! So much legend has been hashed and rehashed about the brothers Lafitte. Any book written by William C. Davis is well worth reading (including as I mentioned on another thread) his work about the end of the Civil War. It has very interesting information on the "missing" Confederate Treasury yarn.

Wouldn't it be swell if Mr. Davis would write a book about the KGC?

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Any good books on Connecticut bury treasures? [email protected]

 

[Richard Ray]

I cruised and dove the Lavaca River several times, even on the remains of the old CW ironclad that is sunk on the east side of the river only about a mile north of the bridge.
As for the Townsend book Texas Treasure Coast, I wrote a good deal of it and supplied ALL of the photos but didn't get credit, (one of the reasons we split up as treasure hunting partners). The only chapter that has my name is because the publisher was present when I turned it in.... Greed does funny things to people sometimes... LOL
For those who are seriously interested in researching Laffite, I suggest first reading his personal journal. For example: WHO was powerful enough to have "run" him out of Galveston? He had some 125 ships in his command and about 5000 people that were loyal to him. He states that he left of his own free will and laughed at the rumors of treasure he left behind. In fact he stated that the only treasure he left, were three small bars of gold he had ground up and scattered over the graves of crew members killed during an Indian raid. He later built a gunpower factory in St Louis, factory receipts are in the Colt archives. He died in the 1850's, family graves can be found in St Louis... Many more records may be found of him, even in the library of Congress and the congressional record.... OH, did you know that he was French/Jewish and was a member of the Philadelphia branch of the Masonic Lodge there?
Richard Ray

 

[Scar]

Richard, I had the pleasure of working with an attorney that had had retired from Shell Oil. He was over the inshore land department. He told me that Shell had spent over 2 million dollars searching for the heirs of Laffite (Lafitte). Nothing creditable was ever found. There is substantial treasure in the form of "Black Gold" that has been placed in escrow for the heirs of Jean Laffite. According to the attorney Laffite was granted some land by the USA for his help with the Battle of New Orleans and at some point an oil well was drilled on the property and the well struck oil.

 

[Richard Ray]

His journal was SUPPOSEDLY authenticated by the Library of Congress, down to the paper, ink and handwriting... And his decendents are supposedly buried in a cemetary in or around St Louis..... Me, I don't know having had other things to research when there, like the Cahokia Mounds, across the river.
Richard Ray

 

[Scar]

Richard, my attorney friend passed on in 2005 just after Katrina hit Louisiana. I would have liked to have picked his brain on the subject but was cut short.

 

[Post-Apocalypse_Punk]

I know this is an old topic but I've heard of legends of Lafitte's treasure...and that it (or at least a major clue to its location) is somewhere in the French Quarter of New Orleans.