bigscoop
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- Jun 4, 2010
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Champ d'Asile
Champ d’Asile
(Condensed Version)
First Published On 10/19/2011
By
Brad Andrews
Perhaps the real answer to the Beale mystery is a lot more complicated then we previously thought? Hunting parties, privateers, a missing confederate treasury, all of these possibilities actually provide relatively simple solutions to this 125 year old mystery (from the date the Beale Papers were published). But there is another very good possibility that very few people are aware of, and that possibility is Champ d’Asile, which was also located in Texas along the banks of the Trinity River. When we first examine this possibility it doesn’t appear that there was really that much going there, just three hundred settlers lead by an exiled General from the Bonaparte campaigns. But when we look deeper we start finding a lot of evidence of possible United States involvement with the expedition. And when we look even deeper we find missing money, a lot of money, and even signs of possible American financing. So who were these settlers and what were they really doing in the disputed territory?
This expedition was lead by a man named, General Charles Lallemand, and if the name sounds familiar to you history buffs it’s because this was the very same French general who was at Bonaparte’s side during his surrender. Obviously Lallemand wasn’t your typical leader of an expedition, in fact, here was a man who only a few years before walked hand in hand with one of the most powerful military figures on the planet. Much the same thing could be said of Lallemand’s second in command at Camp d’Asile, Baron Antoine Rigaud. These two men also arrived in this country under mysterious circumstances, Lallemand mysteriously managing to escape his captors and Rigaud was set free by his captors only to face charges of treason after his release. But it’s what took place after these two mysterious escapes that’s really questionable, and actually rather suspect, (this is also where you really have to start paying attention to the details and time frames.)
Lallemand arrived in Boston aboard the ship Triton in April, 1817. Shortly after, in Philadelphia, he became president of the French Emigrant Association, where he swiftly gained a grant of four townships in what is now Alabama for a Vine and Olive Colony. Soon afterwards these grants were sold to finance a new colony in Texas. On December 17, 1817, 150 would-be-settlers sailed from Philadelphia for Galveston Texas, where they arrived on January 14, 1817. However, Lallemand and his brother went directly to New Orleans arriving there on February 2, 1818, where they gathered new recruits and on March 10 left for Galveston with 120 volunteers. Once there they sailed up the Trinty River to Atascosito (present day Liberty, Texas) where they built two small forts. This new settlement was called Champ d’Asile, (Field of Asylum).
Did you notice anything unusual about the above information? I’m sure some of you did but for those of you who missed it I’ll point it out to you, and here it is: Lallemand arrives in Boston, relocates to Philadelphia and becomes president of the French Emigrant Association, swiftly obtains grants for four townships in Alabama for a Vine and Olive Colony, he immediately sells these grants, raises 150 settlers to start a new colony in Texas, goes to New Orleans to recruit another 120 volunteers, and finally arrives in Texas around the end of March, 1817. Wow! What a busy man! How in the world did he accomplish all of this in “exactly” one year from the date of his arrival into this country? Why did Lallemand go to New Orleans to get another 120 recruits after his original party of 150 had already left Philadelphia And why does this sequence, 1164, 1496, 1817, show up in C1? Is this possibly in reference to a date? In 1817 what Government offices were also in Philadelphia? Trust me, this is all leading somewhere. But first, let’s take a look at Antoine Rigaud.
We already know when and how Rigaud arrived in the United States, and supposedly why, but you’re simply going to love this next bit of information. With a group of French exiles and adventurers, he led a shipload of men and supplies to Texas in early 1818. Under the leadership of Gen. Charles Lallemand they moved up the Trinity River and established the military colony of Champ d'Asile. Wait a minute, Lallemand had made a public statement that while Champ d’Asile would have armed personal for protection, it was otherwise going to concentrate on agriculture. Now suddenly we see, “military colony”. And surely Lallemand was aware that Texas wasn’t exactly fantastic agriculture country. Boston to Phiadelphia to New Orleans, then directly into the heart of the disputed territory to establish a military colony. Not only had Lallemand managed to achieve all this in record, and perhaps precise time, but surely something like this would have cost a boatload of money to arrange, activate, and hopefully maintain. It’s obvious that he had fantastic contacts in the United States, and if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t Philadelphia also the home of the U.S. Mint? And wasn’t Beale’s party also described as being adventurers? Stick with me now because I’m just about to get to the really good stuff. But first, sounds to me like we need to take a look at what was going on in Texas during this period.
Texas, what in the world was really going on in Texas during this period? Well, for one thing Jean Laffite had relocated his base of operations for his privateering fleet and smuggling empire to Galveston Island from New Orleans. In fact, and rather ironic, he had long aspired to create settlements for French exiles up the Trinity River, just as Lallemand was doing. So here we have a French privateer and his powerful fleet of ships in Galveston Bay and suddenly an influential exiled French general shows up on the scene and establishes a military colony in the mainland along the Trinity River. And all of this is taking place in the disputed territory, that area of land whose exact boundary was at the center of a dispute between the United States and Spain. For some strange reason the Spanish were really ticked off by this French presence, or encroachment, whereas the United States didn’t really seem to care all that much. Wonder why the United states didn’t seem to care? Well, for one thing Laffite wasn’t sacking U.S. commerce in the Gulf of Mexico, he was sacking Spanish commerce in the Gulf of Mexico. Yep, this is also the same Jean Laffite that helped the United States repel the failed British invasion of New Orleans only a couple of years before. Oh, and did I happen to mention that it was Laffite’s ships that carried Lallemand and Rigaud to Texas? And did I also forget to mention that Jean Laffite and his brother, Pierre, spent a great deal of time in Philadelphia? In his memoirs Laffite states that he had some of his documents sent to Philadelphia as he was preparing to leave Galveston for good in 1822. Are you seeing where this is all possibly going yet? Trust me, because if you guessed right, it is indeed going there.
So it appears that during the period in question there was a lot going on in Texas, and it also appears that there was a great deal of money in the region as well. We know Laffite had large sums of money at Galveston Island and it would have been a must that Lallemand would have had to maintain a healthy bank roll at Champ d’Asile. And we also know that this French presence was putting a great deal of pressure on Spain, a fading world empire that was losing most of it’s possessions to uprisings and rebellions, and also a fading world empire that was being financially crippled in such a way that it could hardly do anything to stop the bleeding. In fact, Spain was doing all it could to try to save Mexico, Texas, and Florida, it's only three remaining North America possessions. The Mexicans had been fighting for their independence for quite some time and it was certain they would continue the fight. Now the French were encroaching in the disputed territory and causing problems there. Lucky for the Spanish that except for those pesky Indians, Florida was still clearly theirs and in an unchallenged state, right? Wrong! General Andrew Jackson was already in Florida and applying the pressure there. Hmmmm,……now for some other interesting facts that you may not be aware of.
At the time of Jackson’s invasion of Florida the United States Secretary of State, John Adams, was already discussing terms of a possible peace treaty with Spain. While Jackson’s invasion was considered by many to be untimely, President Monroe publicly supported Jackson’s decision, citing Spain’s lack of control over the region as having presented a condition that had allowed U.S. threats to be established there. And as for John Adams, well he knew Spain couldn’t afford to address the issue with reprisal so while he never publicly supported the invasion, he was aware that it would most likely serve the United States best interest in his treaty talks with Spain. So now let’s go back to Texas and take a closer look at what may have really been going on there.
Perhaps John Adam’s and President Monroe were playing this same invasion card in Texas? While this may sound a little crazy at first I don’t think you’ll find it quite so crazy a notion once hear why I think this may have been the case. You see, Jackson was already applying the pressure in Spanish occupied Florida and the U.S. would have certainly benefited from this same pressure being applied in the disputed territory of Texas. However, since he was already in peace talks with Spain at the time of Jackson’s invasion it would have certainly strained those peace talks to introduce a U.S. military presence in Texas. On the other hand, since the territory was in dispute there would be little the U.S. could do about a French presence there until the ownership of the land the French were on had been clearly defined. The United States was really after Florida and what a better way of getting it then by applying enough pressure on both fronts to force Spain to make the trade, and that’s exactly what happened. With the signing of the Adams Onis Treaty the United States got Florida and they gave up Texas. So all of the previous information begs the question, “did the United States secretly finance the French presence in Texas and station them there with the help of Jean Laffite?” If you think this sounds too far fetched you may think twice once you read the rest of this little piece.
The Adams Onis Treaty was signed in Washington on February 22nd, 1819. Lallemand and his colony withdrew from Champ d’Asile back to Galveston Island just a few months prior to the treaty’s signing, but this isn’t the best part. In August of 1818 George Graham arrived at Galveston Island and he remained there for about two weeks. History tells us that Graham was a banker and that he had been sent there by President Monroe to inspect the region, but a quick look into Graham’s credentials would give anyone fair reason to question the real purpose behind his trip to Galveston Island. When we do a quick study of George Graham’s background we find the following:
George Graham graduated from Columbia College in 1790 and practiced law in his native town. He represented his county in the Virginia General Assembly and raised and commanded the Fairfax Light Horse during the War of 1812. James Monroe appointed Graham chief clerk of the War Department in 1814, and he served as secretary of war ad interim from October 16, 1816, to December 9, 1817. He became known as a troubleshooter in the War Department. In 1815 he was appointed a member of a commission to treat with the British regarding the settlement of the War of 1812. Later he became a specialist in Indian problems. In 1818 he was commissioned a special agent and sent on a confidential mission to Texas to determine the status of the Napoleonic exiles who had attempted to establish the colony of Champ d’Asile on the Trinity River.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see “Banker” appearing anywhere on the above resume. What I do see is a man who has had considerable experience in the War Department and I also see a man with considerable experience in treaty negotiations. And now this same man appears in Galveston Island to check on the status of the French exiles at Champ d’Asile just months before the treaty was signed and just weeks after these same Frenchmen withdrew from Champ d’Asile. “Banker” my rump! George Graham was interim Secretary of War from October 16, 1816 to December 9, 1817 and I’d be willing to bet boxes of doughnuts that he played a major role in Lallemand’s arrival in this country and also his armed excursion into the disputed territory. In his memoirs Laffite claims that Lallemand and Graham spent a great deal of time together. As a side note, written history tells us that Lallemand abandoned Champ d’Asile because the Mexican Governor had stationed 300 soldiers at San Marcos to guard against a possible attack from Champ d’Asile. But San Marcos was 200 miles away from Champ d’Asile and posing no immediate threat so why did Lallemand really abandon the settlement? While we may never know exactly what Lallemand and Graham discussed during Graham’s visit, it might very well have included money, and it may have been very big money.
You see, Lallemand’s retreat from the Trinty River would surely have been a Spanish demand that would had to be met as a condition of the treaty talks, call it a good faith gesture on the part of the United States. There’s no way Spain would have signed that treaty with this threat still in place, not a chance. So Lallemand is ordered to retreat in order to meet the Spanish terms. From here Graham has to go to Galveston Island to make arrangements to remove the French from the region, which most likely included the enlisting of Laffite’s ships once again. With this done Graham returns via New Orleans to make arrangements there as well. But what none of them counted on was the huge hurricane that struck Galveston Island just a couple of weeks after Graham’s departure. This hurricane virtually wiped out Laffite’s ships and commune, leaving it in tatters. So with no means of bringing the 300 settlers back many of them ended up walking the distance back to New Orleans. Lallemand did eventually make it back to New Orleans, but not with the colony’s money, as planned, because there was simply no way to bring it. Think this couldn’t have happened? Think again, because after the fall of Champ d’Asile Antoine Rigaud was critical of Lallemand because he had failed to distribute the funds to the survivors of Champ d’Asile. What funds, exactly, is Rigaud talking about?
In Laffite’s memoirs he states, “Between the months of November 1818 and December 1819 my commune had 476’000 put away.” So let’s do some math real quick to see what we can come up with. Lallemand had 300 settlers, give or take a few, so multiply 300 x $1000, which comes to $300’000. Now let’s toss in another $176’000 for the officers and general colony expenses. Sure, it’s creative math, but is this where the $476’000 at Laffite’s commune came from? Take a close look at the dates that Laffite offered us, especially the first date, "November, 1818” because this would have been just a few weeks after the hurricane, and just about a month or so after Lallemand’s retreat from Champ d’Asile. Did the two deposits represent the funds Rigaud was making reference of? Did Lallemand or Graham enturst Thomas Beale and his men to the task of transferring this money? In his letter to Morriss dated May 9, 1822, Beale writes, “….the game is worth the candle and we will play it to the end”. What game was Beale referring to? Was the candle, perhaps, a wax seal? Was the ten-year term in the Beale Papers also a requirement of the Adam’s Onis Treaty? One of the requirements of the treaty made the U.S. responsible for paying 5’000’000 in spoilage claims after the treaty was ratified, a condition that could have taken up to ten years to complete.
What I like about this possibility:
There are several things I like about this possibility. First, it would have required big money, and with Laffite also in the region and taking an active part in the whole affair then you can multiply that big money many times over. Second, the codes used in the ciphers suggest a military background and Galveston Island & Champ d’Asile were overrun with military backgrounds. Third, if you were going to smuggle big money back to the east then you couldn’t ask for a better system in place to achieve that goal. Smuggling is what Laffite and his brothers did, they were profession smugglers of the highest order. Forth, the presence of George Graham in the equation. If anyone was capable of arranging the entire affair then it was certainly the “banker”, non-banker, George Graham. In fact, arranging a military filibuster into the disputed territory would have been right at the heart of George Graham’s background, you probably couldn’t have selected a better man for the job. Five, and then there’s General Charles Lallemand, he comes to this country under unusual and mysterious circumstances, fulfills his required duties at Champ d’Asile, and then he leaves this country soon afterwards to become the Governor of Corsica. Six, we have Baron Antoine Rigaud publicly criticizing Lallemand for his failure to distribute unknown funds to the survivors of Champ d’Asile. What funds? And where did those funds end up? But the biggest thing I like about this theory is that it contains the possible inner-workers of a powerful government during a time of important treaty objectives, the kind of situation that required big money, secrecy, and a lot of experienced and capable people. Laffite departed Galvestion Island in March of 1822 and was never heard from again until his memoirs surfaced in the 1940’s. During that time several rumors persisted as to what had happened to the man, but for all practical purposes he had all but vanished. Who could help him achieve that mysterious vanishing act? Laffite was on the front lines at New Orleans and he was on the front lines at Galveston Island. And, the U.S. certainly extended him privileges beyond that of other smugglers and privateers. Who knows what the true story really might be?
What I don’t like about the possibility:
Actually, there’s not a whole lot that I don’t like about this theory other then the absence of proof. On the other hand, it’s the absence of proof that has allowed the Beale mystery to morph into a thousand other possibilities, and often, even in spite of the facts we do know. Do I believe this theory is accurate? The only answer I can provide to this question is to say that I don’t disbelieve it. The truth is out there somewhere and who knows, with what we have at hand the Beale deposits could just as easily have originated from the Galveston & Champ d’Asile area. But one thing is for certain, sooner or later the truth will be found, we just have to keep uncovering and investigating all of the best possibilities.
In the end:
In the end this is a pretty fascinating candidate to dive into. There’s a lot of possibilities here and a lot of “trinket” discovers to be encountered along the way that just might lead you to that final place we’re all searching for, that being the real truth behind the source of the Beale Papers.
Champ d’Asile
(Condensed Version)
First Published On 10/19/2011
By
Brad Andrews
Perhaps the real answer to the Beale mystery is a lot more complicated then we previously thought? Hunting parties, privateers, a missing confederate treasury, all of these possibilities actually provide relatively simple solutions to this 125 year old mystery (from the date the Beale Papers were published). But there is another very good possibility that very few people are aware of, and that possibility is Champ d’Asile, which was also located in Texas along the banks of the Trinity River. When we first examine this possibility it doesn’t appear that there was really that much going there, just three hundred settlers lead by an exiled General from the Bonaparte campaigns. But when we look deeper we start finding a lot of evidence of possible United States involvement with the expedition. And when we look even deeper we find missing money, a lot of money, and even signs of possible American financing. So who were these settlers and what were they really doing in the disputed territory?
This expedition was lead by a man named, General Charles Lallemand, and if the name sounds familiar to you history buffs it’s because this was the very same French general who was at Bonaparte’s side during his surrender. Obviously Lallemand wasn’t your typical leader of an expedition, in fact, here was a man who only a few years before walked hand in hand with one of the most powerful military figures on the planet. Much the same thing could be said of Lallemand’s second in command at Camp d’Asile, Baron Antoine Rigaud. These two men also arrived in this country under mysterious circumstances, Lallemand mysteriously managing to escape his captors and Rigaud was set free by his captors only to face charges of treason after his release. But it’s what took place after these two mysterious escapes that’s really questionable, and actually rather suspect, (this is also where you really have to start paying attention to the details and time frames.)
Lallemand arrived in Boston aboard the ship Triton in April, 1817. Shortly after, in Philadelphia, he became president of the French Emigrant Association, where he swiftly gained a grant of four townships in what is now Alabama for a Vine and Olive Colony. Soon afterwards these grants were sold to finance a new colony in Texas. On December 17, 1817, 150 would-be-settlers sailed from Philadelphia for Galveston Texas, where they arrived on January 14, 1817. However, Lallemand and his brother went directly to New Orleans arriving there on February 2, 1818, where they gathered new recruits and on March 10 left for Galveston with 120 volunteers. Once there they sailed up the Trinty River to Atascosito (present day Liberty, Texas) where they built two small forts. This new settlement was called Champ d’Asile, (Field of Asylum).
Did you notice anything unusual about the above information? I’m sure some of you did but for those of you who missed it I’ll point it out to you, and here it is: Lallemand arrives in Boston, relocates to Philadelphia and becomes president of the French Emigrant Association, swiftly obtains grants for four townships in Alabama for a Vine and Olive Colony, he immediately sells these grants, raises 150 settlers to start a new colony in Texas, goes to New Orleans to recruit another 120 volunteers, and finally arrives in Texas around the end of March, 1817. Wow! What a busy man! How in the world did he accomplish all of this in “exactly” one year from the date of his arrival into this country? Why did Lallemand go to New Orleans to get another 120 recruits after his original party of 150 had already left Philadelphia And why does this sequence, 1164, 1496, 1817, show up in C1? Is this possibly in reference to a date? In 1817 what Government offices were also in Philadelphia? Trust me, this is all leading somewhere. But first, let’s take a look at Antoine Rigaud.
We already know when and how Rigaud arrived in the United States, and supposedly why, but you’re simply going to love this next bit of information. With a group of French exiles and adventurers, he led a shipload of men and supplies to Texas in early 1818. Under the leadership of Gen. Charles Lallemand they moved up the Trinity River and established the military colony of Champ d'Asile. Wait a minute, Lallemand had made a public statement that while Champ d’Asile would have armed personal for protection, it was otherwise going to concentrate on agriculture. Now suddenly we see, “military colony”. And surely Lallemand was aware that Texas wasn’t exactly fantastic agriculture country. Boston to Phiadelphia to New Orleans, then directly into the heart of the disputed territory to establish a military colony. Not only had Lallemand managed to achieve all this in record, and perhaps precise time, but surely something like this would have cost a boatload of money to arrange, activate, and hopefully maintain. It’s obvious that he had fantastic contacts in the United States, and if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t Philadelphia also the home of the U.S. Mint? And wasn’t Beale’s party also described as being adventurers? Stick with me now because I’m just about to get to the really good stuff. But first, sounds to me like we need to take a look at what was going on in Texas during this period.
Texas, what in the world was really going on in Texas during this period? Well, for one thing Jean Laffite had relocated his base of operations for his privateering fleet and smuggling empire to Galveston Island from New Orleans. In fact, and rather ironic, he had long aspired to create settlements for French exiles up the Trinity River, just as Lallemand was doing. So here we have a French privateer and his powerful fleet of ships in Galveston Bay and suddenly an influential exiled French general shows up on the scene and establishes a military colony in the mainland along the Trinity River. And all of this is taking place in the disputed territory, that area of land whose exact boundary was at the center of a dispute between the United States and Spain. For some strange reason the Spanish were really ticked off by this French presence, or encroachment, whereas the United States didn’t really seem to care all that much. Wonder why the United states didn’t seem to care? Well, for one thing Laffite wasn’t sacking U.S. commerce in the Gulf of Mexico, he was sacking Spanish commerce in the Gulf of Mexico. Yep, this is also the same Jean Laffite that helped the United States repel the failed British invasion of New Orleans only a couple of years before. Oh, and did I happen to mention that it was Laffite’s ships that carried Lallemand and Rigaud to Texas? And did I also forget to mention that Jean Laffite and his brother, Pierre, spent a great deal of time in Philadelphia? In his memoirs Laffite states that he had some of his documents sent to Philadelphia as he was preparing to leave Galveston for good in 1822. Are you seeing where this is all possibly going yet? Trust me, because if you guessed right, it is indeed going there.
So it appears that during the period in question there was a lot going on in Texas, and it also appears that there was a great deal of money in the region as well. We know Laffite had large sums of money at Galveston Island and it would have been a must that Lallemand would have had to maintain a healthy bank roll at Champ d’Asile. And we also know that this French presence was putting a great deal of pressure on Spain, a fading world empire that was losing most of it’s possessions to uprisings and rebellions, and also a fading world empire that was being financially crippled in such a way that it could hardly do anything to stop the bleeding. In fact, Spain was doing all it could to try to save Mexico, Texas, and Florida, it's only three remaining North America possessions. The Mexicans had been fighting for their independence for quite some time and it was certain they would continue the fight. Now the French were encroaching in the disputed territory and causing problems there. Lucky for the Spanish that except for those pesky Indians, Florida was still clearly theirs and in an unchallenged state, right? Wrong! General Andrew Jackson was already in Florida and applying the pressure there. Hmmmm,……now for some other interesting facts that you may not be aware of.
At the time of Jackson’s invasion of Florida the United States Secretary of State, John Adams, was already discussing terms of a possible peace treaty with Spain. While Jackson’s invasion was considered by many to be untimely, President Monroe publicly supported Jackson’s decision, citing Spain’s lack of control over the region as having presented a condition that had allowed U.S. threats to be established there. And as for John Adams, well he knew Spain couldn’t afford to address the issue with reprisal so while he never publicly supported the invasion, he was aware that it would most likely serve the United States best interest in his treaty talks with Spain. So now let’s go back to Texas and take a closer look at what may have really been going on there.
Perhaps John Adam’s and President Monroe were playing this same invasion card in Texas? While this may sound a little crazy at first I don’t think you’ll find it quite so crazy a notion once hear why I think this may have been the case. You see, Jackson was already applying the pressure in Spanish occupied Florida and the U.S. would have certainly benefited from this same pressure being applied in the disputed territory of Texas. However, since he was already in peace talks with Spain at the time of Jackson’s invasion it would have certainly strained those peace talks to introduce a U.S. military presence in Texas. On the other hand, since the territory was in dispute there would be little the U.S. could do about a French presence there until the ownership of the land the French were on had been clearly defined. The United States was really after Florida and what a better way of getting it then by applying enough pressure on both fronts to force Spain to make the trade, and that’s exactly what happened. With the signing of the Adams Onis Treaty the United States got Florida and they gave up Texas. So all of the previous information begs the question, “did the United States secretly finance the French presence in Texas and station them there with the help of Jean Laffite?” If you think this sounds too far fetched you may think twice once you read the rest of this little piece.
The Adams Onis Treaty was signed in Washington on February 22nd, 1819. Lallemand and his colony withdrew from Champ d’Asile back to Galveston Island just a few months prior to the treaty’s signing, but this isn’t the best part. In August of 1818 George Graham arrived at Galveston Island and he remained there for about two weeks. History tells us that Graham was a banker and that he had been sent there by President Monroe to inspect the region, but a quick look into Graham’s credentials would give anyone fair reason to question the real purpose behind his trip to Galveston Island. When we do a quick study of George Graham’s background we find the following:
George Graham graduated from Columbia College in 1790 and practiced law in his native town. He represented his county in the Virginia General Assembly and raised and commanded the Fairfax Light Horse during the War of 1812. James Monroe appointed Graham chief clerk of the War Department in 1814, and he served as secretary of war ad interim from October 16, 1816, to December 9, 1817. He became known as a troubleshooter in the War Department. In 1815 he was appointed a member of a commission to treat with the British regarding the settlement of the War of 1812. Later he became a specialist in Indian problems. In 1818 he was commissioned a special agent and sent on a confidential mission to Texas to determine the status of the Napoleonic exiles who had attempted to establish the colony of Champ d’Asile on the Trinity River.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see “Banker” appearing anywhere on the above resume. What I do see is a man who has had considerable experience in the War Department and I also see a man with considerable experience in treaty negotiations. And now this same man appears in Galveston Island to check on the status of the French exiles at Champ d’Asile just months before the treaty was signed and just weeks after these same Frenchmen withdrew from Champ d’Asile. “Banker” my rump! George Graham was interim Secretary of War from October 16, 1816 to December 9, 1817 and I’d be willing to bet boxes of doughnuts that he played a major role in Lallemand’s arrival in this country and also his armed excursion into the disputed territory. In his memoirs Laffite claims that Lallemand and Graham spent a great deal of time together. As a side note, written history tells us that Lallemand abandoned Champ d’Asile because the Mexican Governor had stationed 300 soldiers at San Marcos to guard against a possible attack from Champ d’Asile. But San Marcos was 200 miles away from Champ d’Asile and posing no immediate threat so why did Lallemand really abandon the settlement? While we may never know exactly what Lallemand and Graham discussed during Graham’s visit, it might very well have included money, and it may have been very big money.
You see, Lallemand’s retreat from the Trinty River would surely have been a Spanish demand that would had to be met as a condition of the treaty talks, call it a good faith gesture on the part of the United States. There’s no way Spain would have signed that treaty with this threat still in place, not a chance. So Lallemand is ordered to retreat in order to meet the Spanish terms. From here Graham has to go to Galveston Island to make arrangements to remove the French from the region, which most likely included the enlisting of Laffite’s ships once again. With this done Graham returns via New Orleans to make arrangements there as well. But what none of them counted on was the huge hurricane that struck Galveston Island just a couple of weeks after Graham’s departure. This hurricane virtually wiped out Laffite’s ships and commune, leaving it in tatters. So with no means of bringing the 300 settlers back many of them ended up walking the distance back to New Orleans. Lallemand did eventually make it back to New Orleans, but not with the colony’s money, as planned, because there was simply no way to bring it. Think this couldn’t have happened? Think again, because after the fall of Champ d’Asile Antoine Rigaud was critical of Lallemand because he had failed to distribute the funds to the survivors of Champ d’Asile. What funds, exactly, is Rigaud talking about?
In Laffite’s memoirs he states, “Between the months of November 1818 and December 1819 my commune had 476’000 put away.” So let’s do some math real quick to see what we can come up with. Lallemand had 300 settlers, give or take a few, so multiply 300 x $1000, which comes to $300’000. Now let’s toss in another $176’000 for the officers and general colony expenses. Sure, it’s creative math, but is this where the $476’000 at Laffite’s commune came from? Take a close look at the dates that Laffite offered us, especially the first date, "November, 1818” because this would have been just a few weeks after the hurricane, and just about a month or so after Lallemand’s retreat from Champ d’Asile. Did the two deposits represent the funds Rigaud was making reference of? Did Lallemand or Graham enturst Thomas Beale and his men to the task of transferring this money? In his letter to Morriss dated May 9, 1822, Beale writes, “….the game is worth the candle and we will play it to the end”. What game was Beale referring to? Was the candle, perhaps, a wax seal? Was the ten-year term in the Beale Papers also a requirement of the Adam’s Onis Treaty? One of the requirements of the treaty made the U.S. responsible for paying 5’000’000 in spoilage claims after the treaty was ratified, a condition that could have taken up to ten years to complete.
What I like about this possibility:
There are several things I like about this possibility. First, it would have required big money, and with Laffite also in the region and taking an active part in the whole affair then you can multiply that big money many times over. Second, the codes used in the ciphers suggest a military background and Galveston Island & Champ d’Asile were overrun with military backgrounds. Third, if you were going to smuggle big money back to the east then you couldn’t ask for a better system in place to achieve that goal. Smuggling is what Laffite and his brothers did, they were profession smugglers of the highest order. Forth, the presence of George Graham in the equation. If anyone was capable of arranging the entire affair then it was certainly the “banker”, non-banker, George Graham. In fact, arranging a military filibuster into the disputed territory would have been right at the heart of George Graham’s background, you probably couldn’t have selected a better man for the job. Five, and then there’s General Charles Lallemand, he comes to this country under unusual and mysterious circumstances, fulfills his required duties at Champ d’Asile, and then he leaves this country soon afterwards to become the Governor of Corsica. Six, we have Baron Antoine Rigaud publicly criticizing Lallemand for his failure to distribute unknown funds to the survivors of Champ d’Asile. What funds? And where did those funds end up? But the biggest thing I like about this theory is that it contains the possible inner-workers of a powerful government during a time of important treaty objectives, the kind of situation that required big money, secrecy, and a lot of experienced and capable people. Laffite departed Galvestion Island in March of 1822 and was never heard from again until his memoirs surfaced in the 1940’s. During that time several rumors persisted as to what had happened to the man, but for all practical purposes he had all but vanished. Who could help him achieve that mysterious vanishing act? Laffite was on the front lines at New Orleans and he was on the front lines at Galveston Island. And, the U.S. certainly extended him privileges beyond that of other smugglers and privateers. Who knows what the true story really might be?
What I don’t like about the possibility:
Actually, there’s not a whole lot that I don’t like about this theory other then the absence of proof. On the other hand, it’s the absence of proof that has allowed the Beale mystery to morph into a thousand other possibilities, and often, even in spite of the facts we do know. Do I believe this theory is accurate? The only answer I can provide to this question is to say that I don’t disbelieve it. The truth is out there somewhere and who knows, with what we have at hand the Beale deposits could just as easily have originated from the Galveston & Champ d’Asile area. But one thing is for certain, sooner or later the truth will be found, we just have to keep uncovering and investigating all of the best possibilities.
In the end:
In the end this is a pretty fascinating candidate to dive into. There’s a lot of possibilities here and a lot of “trinket” discovers to be encountered along the way that just might lead you to that final place we’re all searching for, that being the real truth behind the source of the Beale Papers.
So until something conclusive comes along....... 
