Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Galveston 1817-1821

The famous pirate Jean Laffitte made his home in Galveston, Texas after being run

out of New Orleans by the U.S. Navy. He called his island home "Campeche" and he

led a group of "privateers" on countless shipping raids around the Gulf of Mexico

for 5 years. When he left Galveston, it is believed by many that he left stockpile of

hidden treasure behind and intended to return to reclaim his pirate treasure - the

treasure was never recovered and his fate remains somewhat of a mystery

In this period the Mexicans were trying to become independent of Spain, and the

Mexican Manuel de Herrera had commissioned a Frenchman named Loius d'Aury to

occupy the island of Galveston .d'Aury was chosen the civil and military leader of

Texas and Galveston was declared part of the Mexican Republic on Sept 12, 1816

.D'Aury had a small squadron of 12 to 15 ships and 500 men were given letters of

Marque to raid Spanish shipping in the Gulf . D'Aury left with all of his ships but one

to aid the Mexican general Mina, but falling out with him, returned to Galveston,

where he was shocked to find Lafitte had sailed in and taken over on May 14,

1817 . Lafitte, was still an agent for Spain, and it was suggested by the viceroy

of Cuba, Don Jose Cienfuegos, to use the Lafittes against the pirates attacking

Spanish shipping . The Lafitte's were given money to start a rival base against

d'Aury by the Spanish . Lafitte then turned against Spain and supported Mexico

.d'Aury was run out of Galveston, and Lafitte took over .In this period Texas was

claimed by both Mexico and Spain . Lafitte's ships flew under the flag of Mexico .



The famous French pirate lived on Galveston Island from 1817-1821. This location

(located off of 1417 Harborside Drive) is where his old mansion and headquarters

stood- Maison Rouge. Legend says Lafitte burned this part of the island down

when he was forced by the U.S. government to leave.


They arrived at Galveston in May, 1817 . The island was named Galveztown by

Spanish explorers, in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, a viceroy of New

Spain . Galveston Island, also called Snake Island at the time, for the many

snakes there . Before Lafitte arrived, Galveston served as the home base of

privateer Louis-Michel d'Aury. While d'Aury was away, Jean Lafitte took control .

Lafitte called his settlement Galveztown in 1819 and Galveston Island was named

Campeche.

In 1818 , Lafitte was notified by President Monroe to leave the island as it was

considered part of the Louisiana Purchase. this message was delivered by

Col George Graham. Also in 1819, one of Lafitte's ships, the El Bravo, was captured

by two U.S. revenue cutters after a brief battle . The captain of the ship, Jean

Desforges and his crew were taken to New Orleans for trail. Jean Lafitte went

to New Orleans to hire lawyers for the trail. They were unable to provide a

letter of marque from the Mexican Republic, found guilty and hung on the yard arm

of a revenue cutter anchored on the Mississippi by New Orleans in 1820 . After this,

the Lafitte's started to secure secret storage places for their loot, sensing a

coming of the end of operations out of Galveston.


A hurricane in 1835 merged the two islands into present day Galveston Island.
D'Aury returned, but could not remove Lafitte from the island . Lafitte's colony

grew to around 1000, drawn to the profitable business of capturing Spanish

ships and outlaws from America. All who came were personally interviewed by

Lafitte and required to take an oath of loyalty to him.


Lafitte either purchased or took over a lavishly furnished mansion used by French

pirate Louis-Michel Aury, which he named "Maison Rouge". This building was

painted red and surrounded by a moat , the upper level was converted into a

fortress where a cannon commanding Galveston harbor was placed. Jim Bowie,

of the knife and Alamo fame, was there in this period, involved in the profitable slave

trade .


Around 1820, Lafitte reportedly married Madeline Regaud, daughter of Antoine

Regaud or Lallemand(1758-1820) a French officer in Napoleon's service. He had

sailed to Texas, with a group of French exiles and adventurers in 1818 and

started a colony on the Trinity River, called Champ d'Asile, which failed, and its

population went to Galveston.


According to one story, one day the ships of Lafitte brought in a captured galleon,

loaded with treasure. As soon as the ships weighted anchor, a furious hurricane

hit, and the men were forced to leave their ships. After the hurricane had

passed, the galleon was gone, and never found .


In 1818, the Karankawa Indians attacked, after some of the Galvestonians made

off with an Indian woman, but were driven off by cannon fire .


By this time, Spain was rerouting its shipping to bypass the Gulf Of Mexico due

to piracy, and the prizes for Lafitte were fewer and fewer. Many of his men

had already left by the early 1820s.


In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston and demanded

that the privateering camp be destroyed and the Lafittes were to leave the site . If

this were not done in 60 days, the Enterprise would return and attack . Lafitte agreed

to leave the island without a fight, and in 1821 or 1822 departed on his flagship, the

Pride, burning his fortress and settlements and reportedly taking immense amounts

of treasure with him. All that remains of Maison Rouge is the foundation,

located at 1417Avenue A near the Galveston wharf. Just Sayin...RJS

Mustang66 Loc: Lake Palestine,TX

Thanks for the history lesson RJS. BEING A NATIVE TEXAN raised in Houston I think Texas History is very interesting. I remember Texas History and US History in school. Back when they taught the history of our GREAT COUNTRY. Now some people want to change or simply tear it down. So Sad.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Mustang66: Thank you. Where I grew up right on Red River in Cooke County and next to Montague Co., was a bloody battle ground for a long time even after the Civil War because Comanche's could raid accross the river and get back to safety after stealing horses and taking scalps quickly. Just Sayin....RJS

Mustang66 Loc: Lake Palestine,TX

RJS I may be slightly younger than you, but I did grow up before color tv, fancy cars, cellphones, and computers.
I had History class in junior high, high school, and my freshman year at A&M.
I don’t think kids care about our countries history nowadays. Just the internet and what is free. Not all but a lot. It’s a sham where our country is headed. We want be around to see the worst be our grandkids will!

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Mustang66; Hello Aggie, I too only spent my "fish" year at A & M. The rest at UNT. I grew up in Cooke County and my dad grew up in Montague. I was the class of 57, and more of my Aggie classmates keep up with me than those of UNT.

Due to our Aggie experiences, and all our drill, etc. of the Wing Staff at UNT, 3 of us on the UNT wing our Senior year were Freshman Aggies and knew each other! Just Sayin..RJS

Americanman28

where do you get all these stories and history? Awesome stuff - and the real deal.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Well, I read a lot, am curious, and I use Bing and Google!

When a kid there was another family that had a branch of the county library in their home. At the outbreak of the war they were force to move. They aske d Momma if she’d take it and she was going to refuse because she didn’t think we’d go into the county seat often. I talked her into accepting it! I don’t think either my sister or I would have made it in college if we had not had that resource as a window to the world! Just Sayin...RJS

Americanman28

that might have been your best sales pitch - certainly a very valuable one!

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Yep! I’ve done million dollar deals but it was one of my best! Since neither of my parents had much education I was allowed to give my opinion from about 12 on! Just Sayin...RJS