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54-400: The bayou is so named because of the legendary pirate Jean Lafitte , who built a slave barracks on the bayou in the early 1800s and reputedly hid his contraband somewhere along the shores of the bayou. The bayou is moderately saline, with low flow, and receives Lake Charles municipal waste discharge. Over the years, it has been dredged and channelized along part of its length. While the bayou

108-404: A British hermaphrodite brig loaded with 77 slaves. Sale of the slaves and additional cargo generated $ 18,000 in profits. The brothers adapted the captured ship for use in piracy and named it Dorada . Within weeks, Dorada captured a schooner loaded with goods valued at more than $ 9,000. The captured schooner was not considered useful for piracy and so after they had unloaded its cargo,

162-530: A note denying the charges of piracy. 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. Many of the city's merchants were unhappy with this auction, because it allowed their customers to buy goods directly from Lafitte at a lower price than the merchants could charge in the city. Officials tried to break up this auction by force. In

216-581: A pardon for the Baratarians, saying that for generations, smugglers were "esteemed honest ... [and] sympathy for these offenders is certainly more or less felt by many of the Louisianans". 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. Jackson responded, "I ask you, Louisianans, can we place any confidence in

270-575: A soldier, sailor, diplomat, merchant, and much more, demonstrating natural gifts for leadership. The United States made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. 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. It was specifically intended to prohibit trade with

324-514: 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. 3 and 4." Jackson praised Jean and Pierre Lafitte for having "exhibited the same courage and fidelity". He formally requested clemency for the Lafittes and the men who had served under them. The government granted them all

378-493: Is believed to have been running a warehouse in New Orleans and possibly a store on Royal Street . Biographer William C. Davis suggests a different childhood for Lafitte. According to his 2005 book, Lafitte was born in or near Pauillac , France, the son of Pierre Lafitte and his second wife, Marguerite Desteil. The couple had six children, including at least three daughters. Jean Lafitte was likely born in 1782, although he

432-529: Is known about Lafitte, and speculation about his life and death continues among historians. A famous persistent rumor claimed that Lafitte rescued French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte from exile, and both of them ended their days in Louisiana. No evidence supports it. A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure, and often sources contradict each other. In the Journal de Jean Lafitte ,

486-656: The Embargo Act of 1807 as tensions built with the United Kingdom by prohibiting trade. The Lafittes moved their operations to an island in Barataria Bay , Louisiana. By 1810, their new port had become very successful; the Lafittes had a profitable smuggling operation and also started to engage in piracy. In 1812, the United States and the United Kingdom went to war . Despite Lafitte's warning

540-529: The United Kingdom , as tensions were increasing between the two countries over the North American border with Canada and other issues. That was problematic for New Orleans merchants, who had depended on trade with the Caribbean colonies of Great Britain and other nations. The Lafitte brothers began to look for another port from which they could smuggle goods to local merchants. They created a base on

594-586: The American authorities at New Orleans, and booty from all other ships was often channeled for sale on the markets through Lafitte's operation. As the smuggling operations reduced the amount of revenue collected by customs offices, American authorities were determined to halt business at Barataria. Because the US Navy did not have enough ships to act against the Baratarian smugglers, the government turned to

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648-484: 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 . Patterson praised the Barataria men who served on one of the US Navy ships, and whose skill with artillery was greater than their British counterparts. On land and sea, the former pirate gunners earned praise as the battle continued. On January 21, Jackson issued

702-706: The British Navy. 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 . They feared that Lafitte and his men might side with the British. Lafitte tried to convince the Americans that they had nothing to fear from him. He sent a message to the Americans that few of his men favored helping the British but said he needed 15 days to review their offer. Lafitte had copies of

756-569: The British colonies in the Americas (by then, these consisted of islands in the Caribbean and territory in Upper and Lower Canada). In exchange, the king asked for Lafitte and his forces to promise to assist in the naval fight against the United States and to return any recent property that had been captured from Spanish ships. (Spain had become an ally of the British against the French.) If they refused

810-453: The British officers to row to their island. When they had disembarked and were surrounded by his men, Lafitte identified himself to them. Many of the smugglers wanted to lynch the British men, but Lafitte intervened and placed guards outside his home to ensure their protection. McWilliam brought two letters in his packet for Lafitte: one, under the seal of King George III , offered Lafitte and his forces British citizenship and land grants in

864-853: The Lafittes for providing them with luxuries otherwise prevented from being imported by the embargo. When Claiborne returned to office, he was relatively quiet on the subject. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain . Britain maintained a powerful navy, but the United States had little naval power. The US built 13 warships in upstate New York to operate on the Great Lakes , but in other areas supplemented its navy by offering letters of marque to privately owned armed vessels. New Orleans issued six such letters, primarily to smugglers who worked with Lafitte at Barataria. The smugglers often held letters of marque from multiple countries, authorizing them to capture booty from differing nations. They submitted booty from captured British ships to

918-454: The Lafittes returned the ship to its former captain and crew. The Lafittes gained a reputation for treating captive crew members well and often returned captured ships to their original crew. The brothers soon acquired a third ship, La Diligente . They outfitted it with 12 fourteen-pounder cannons. Dorada captured a fourth ship, a schooner they renamed Petit Milan . The brothers stripped down their original ship and used its guns to outfit

972-530: The Mississippi River. By 1806, several "Captain Lafitte"s operated in New Orleans; Jean Lafitte was likely one of them. Sources indicate that Lafitte was sharp and resourceful, but also handsome and friendly, enjoying drinking, gambling, and women. He was known to adopt more aristocratic mannerisms and dress than most of his fellow privateers. Lafitte's native language was clearly French, though

1026-437: The New Orleans militia or as sailors to man the ships. Others formed three artillery companies. On December 23, advance units of the British fleet reached the Mississippi River. Lafitte realized that the American line of defense was so short as to potentially allow the British to encircle the American troops. He suggested that the line be extended to a nearby swamp, and Jackson ordered it done. The British began advancing upon

1080-563: The US but had prepared their vessels to flee. The judge ruled that Patterson should get the customary share of profits from the goods that had already been sold, but he did not settle the ownership of the ships. They were held in port under custody of the United States Marshal. Likely inspired by Lafitte's offer to help defend Louisiana, Governor Claiborne wrote the US Attorney General, Richard Rush requesting

1134-549: The accuracy of the manifests. 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. Governor William C.C. Claiborne took a leave of absence in September 1810, leaving Thomas B. Robertson as acting governor. Robertson was incensed by Lafitte's operation, calling his men "brigands who infest our coast and overrun our country". The residents of New Orleans were grateful to

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1188-661: The authenticity of which is contested, Lafitte claims to have been born in Bordeaux, France , in 1780 to Sephardic Jewish parents. His maternal grandmother and mother, both Conversos , fled Spain for France in 1765. His maternal grandfather had been executed by the Inquisition for "Judaizing". Some sources say that his father was French and his mother's family had come from Spain. Lafitte and his brother Pierre also claimed to have been born in Bayonne . Other documents of

1242-456: The bayou. This article related to a river in Louisiana is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Jean Lafitte Jean Lafitte ( c.  1780 – c.  1823 ) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite , but English language documents of

1296-489: The charges of November 10, 1812, and subsequent arrest and jailing of his brother Pierre, Jean Lafitte operated the piracy and smuggling business. Over the next few months, the British Navy increased patrols in the Gulf of Mexico, and by August they had established a base at Pensacola . On September 3, 1814, the British ship HMS Sophie fired on a pirate ship returning to Barataria. Lafitte's ship grounded in shallow water where

1350-406: The courts. On November 10, 1812, United States District Attorney John R. Grymes charged Lafitte with "violation of the revenue law." Three days later, 40 soldiers were sent to ambush the Baratarians and captured Lafitte, his brother Pierre, and 25 unarmed smugglers on November 16. They confiscated several thousand dollars of contraband . Officials released the smugglers after they posted bail ;

1404-410: The crews of all that he took, for no one has ever escaped him. Following the custom of the times, Patterson filed a legal claim for the profits from the confiscated ships and merchandise. An attorney representing Lafitte argued that the captured ships had flown the flag of Cartagena , an area at peace with the United States. One of Lafitte's men testified that the Baratarians had never intended to fight

1458-487: The duties of a good citizen. Lafitte committed himself and his men for any defensive measures needed by New Orleans. Within two days of Lafitte's notes, Pierre "escaped" from jail. The US ordered an attack on Lafitte's colony. On September 13, 1814, Commodore Daniel Patterson set sail aboard the USS ; Carolina for Barataria. He was accompanied by six gunboats and a tender . The fleet anchored off Grande Terre and

1512-460: The eight captured ships, began the return trip to New Orleans. Widely publicized, the raid was hailed by the Niles' Weekly Register as "a major conquest for the United States". Lafitte was described as a man who, for about two years past, has been famous for crimes that the civilized world wars against. ... [He] is supposed to have captured one hundred vessels of all nations, and certainly murdered

1566-404: The elder Pierre and Jean, from Saint-Domingue to New Orleans in the 1780s. In approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant, keeping Jean with her. She placed Pierre to be raised by extended family elsewhere in Louisiana. According to Ramsay, as a young man, Lafitte likely spent much time exploring the wetlands and bayou country south of New Orleans. In later years, he

1620-408: The ensuing gunfight, one of the revenue officers was killed and two others were wounded. Claiborne appealed to the new state legislature, citing the lost revenues due to the smuggling. He requested approval to raise a militia company to "disperse those desperate men on Lake Barataria whose piracies have rendered our shores a terror to neutral flags". The legislature appointed a committee to study

1674-490: The gunboats attacked. By midmorning, 10 armed pirate ships formed a battle line in the bay. Within a short period, Lafitte's men abandoned their ships, set several on fire, and fled the area. When Patterson's men went ashore, they met no resistance. They took 80 people captive, but Lafitte escaped safely. The Americans took custody of six schooners , one felucca , and a brig , as well as 20 cannon and goods worth $ 500,000. On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including

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1728-414: The honor of men who have courted an alliance with pirates and robbers?" When General Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, he discovered the city had not created any defenses. It had approximately 1,000 unseasoned troops and two ships for its use. Although the city kept control of the eight ships taken from Lafitte, it did not have enough sailors to man them for defense. Resentful of

1782-584: The interior of the US. After securing victory, Jackson paid tribute in despatches to the Lafitte brothers' efforts, as well as those of their fellow privateers. The Lafittes subsequently became spies for the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence . In 1817, Jean founded a new colony on Galveston Island named Campeche . At its height, the colonists and privateers earned millions of dollars annually from stolen or smuggled coin and goods. Very little

1836-574: The larger British ship could not follow. The British raised a white flag and launched a small dinghy with several officers. Lafitte and several of his men rowed to meet them halfway. Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the commander of the Sophie , had been ordered to contact the "Commandant at Barataria". He was accompanied by a Royal Marine infantry captain, John McWilliam, who had been given a package to deliver to Lafitte. The Baratarians invited

1890-564: The late 1790s and the early 19th century. Due to escalating violence from the Haitian Revolution , in early 1803 Pierre boarded a refugee ship for New Orleans. This was the last year that Napoleon Bonaparte failed to regain control of Saint-Domingue. He withdrew his battered troops and ended French involvement in North America, selling the US what became known as the Louisiana Purchase in 1803: French-claimed lands west of

1944-437: The laws angered Governor Claiborne, who, on March 15, issued a proclamation against the Baratarian "banditti ... who act in contravention of the laws of the United States ... to the evident prejudice of the revenue of the federal government". The proclamation was printed in the nationally read Niles' Weekly Register . In October, a revenue officer prepared an ambush of a band of Lafitte's smugglers. The smugglers wounded one of

1998-493: The letters sent to Jean Blanque, a member of the Louisiana state legislature who had invested in the Barataria operation. In a personal note, Lafitte reminded Blanque that his brother Pierre was still in jail and deserved an early release. Lafitte added a note to Governor Claiborne, saying, I am the stray sheep, wishing to return to the sheepfold... If you were thoroughly acquainted with the nature of my offenses, I should appear to you much less guilty, and still worthy to discharge

2052-403: The many bayous to New Orleans. Based in New Orleans, Pierre Lafitte served as a silent partner, looking after their interests in the city. Jean Lafitte spent most of his time in Barataria managing the daily hands-on business of outfitting privateers and arranging the smuggling of stolen goods. By 1810, the island had become a booming port. Seamen flocked to the island, working on the docks or at

2106-436: The matter but, as most of their constituents benefitted by the smuggling, they never authorized the militia. A grand jury indicted Pierre Lafitte after hearing testimony against him by one of the city's leading merchants. 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 ". Following

2160-550: The men quickly disappeared and refused to return for a trial. Although under indictment, in March 1813 Lafitte registered as captain of Le Brig Goelette la Diligente for a supposed journey to New York. Biographer Jack Ramsay speculates that the voyage was intended to "establish ... [Lafitte] as a privateering captain". Lafitte soon acquired a letter of marque from Cartagena , but never sent any booty there. He brought all captured goods to Barataria. Lafitte's continued flouting of

2214-520: The new one. 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." For several months, the Lafittes would send the ships directly to New Orleans with legal cargo and would take on outgoing provisions in the city. The crew would create a manifest that listed not the provisions that had been purchased, but smuggled items stored at Barataria. Uninterested in exports from New Orleans, customs agents rarely checked

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2268-432: The offer, the letters informed Lafitte that the British had orders to capture Barataria to put an end to their smuggling. The second item was a personal note to Lafitte from McWilliam's superior, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls , urging him to accept the offer. Believing that the Americans would eventually prevail in the war against Britain, Lafitte thought he could more easily defeat the US revenue officers than he could

2322-437: The officers and safely escaped with the contraband. The following month, the governor offered a $ 500 reward for Lafitte's capture. Within two days of his offer, handbills were posted all over New Orleans offering a similar award for the arrest of the governor. Although the handbills were made in Lafitte's name, Ramsay believes "it is unlikely [the handbills] originated with him". Following the reward offer, Lafitte wrote Claiborne

2376-567: The other Baratarians of a possible military attack on their base, a US naval force successfully invaded in September 1814 and captured most of his fleet. Later, in return for a legal pardon, Lafitte and his fleet helped General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans to defend the city during the War of 1812 . British forces sought access to the Mississippi River to gain control of

2430-563: The period place his birthplace as St. Malo or Brest . Jack C. Ramsay, who published a 1996 biography of Lafitte, says, "this was a convenient time to be a native of France, a claim that provided protection from the enforcement of American law". He notes that still other contemporary accounts claim that Lafitte was born in Orduña , Spain, or in Westchester County, New York , north of Manhattan. Some sources speculate that Lafitte

2484-436: The raid on Barataria, Lafitte's men refused to serve on their former ships. In mid-December, Jackson met with Lafitte, who offered to serve if the United States would pardon those of his men who agreed to defend the city. Jackson agreed to do so. On December 19, the state legislature passed a resolution recommending a full pardon for all of the former residents at Barataria. With Lafitte's encouragement, many of his men joined

2538-405: The small and sparsely populated island of Barataria, in Barataria Bay . The bay was located beyond a narrow passage between the barrier islands of Grand Terre and Grande Isle . Barataria was far from the US naval base, and ships could easily smuggle in goods without being noticed by customs officials. Workers would reload goods into smaller batches onto pirogues or barges, for transport through

2592-435: The specific dialect is a matter of some debate. He was evidently able to speak English reasonably well and most likely had a working knowledge of Spanish. He was educated with his brother at a military academy on Saint Kitts . No samples of his writing survive, except his signature; his surviving letters were always written by a secretary. His reading and writing abilities, therefore, remain unclear. During his life he acted as

2646-635: The time used "Lafitte". This has become the common spelling in the United States, including places named after him. Laffite is believed to have been born either in Biarritz , in the French Basque Country , France , or the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean. By 1805, Laffite was operating a warehouse in New Orleans to help distribute the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre Lafitte . The United States government passed

2700-513: The warehouses until they were chosen as crew for one of the privateers. Dissatisfied with their role as brokers, in October 1812 the Lafitte brothers purchased a schooner and hired Captain Trey Cook to sail it. As the schooner did not have an official commission from a national government, its captain was considered a pirate operating illegally. In January 1813, they took their first prize,

2754-586: Was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (known as Haiti since it gained independence in 1804). In the late 18th century, adult children of the French planters in Saint-Domingue often resettled along the Mississippi River in La Louisiane , especially in its largest city of New Orleans . Families with the surname Lafitte have been found in Louisiana documents from 1765. According to Ramsay, Lafitte's widowed mother migrated with her two sons,

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2808-404: Was described as having "a more accurate knowledge of every inlet from the Gulf than any other man". His elder brother Pierre became a privateer ; he may have operated from Saint-Domingue, where the colonial government frequently issued letters of marque to profit from the shipping traffic of other nations. Lafitte likely helped his brother to sell or trade the captured merchandise. By 1805 he

2862-462: Was not baptized until 1786. Pierre Lafitte had an older son, his namesake Pierre, born from his first marriage to Marie LaGrange, who died in childbirth. The boys were given a basic Catholic education. 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. Davis places Lafitte's brother Pierre in Saint-Domingue by

2916-539: Was once lined with many cypress trees, the saltwater brought in during this dredging caused some to die off, leaving behind stumps in the water. The bayou runs through the McNeese State University campus. L'Auberge du Lac Resort is located near the mouth of the bayou, and the resort's Contraband Bayou Golf Club is named for it. Part of the city docks of the Port of Lake Charles are also located near

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