Ep 175: Coronado's Children and the Pirate Laffite Part 2

 
 

“His strange career, his fabled hoard, and his uneasy ghost will not let his name die. Yet, despite a considerable body of undisputed facts about Laffite’s political machinations, the man himself remains veiled, enigmatical.”

– J. Frank Dobie, from his book Coronado’s Children, Grosset & Dunlap, New York ©1930

 

Background:

After a long and successful piratical career in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States government finally, and firmly, requested the Laffite brothers leave Galveston Island forever. On May 7, 1821, Jean Laffite left without protest, but not before he had his men torch his Maison Rouge headquarters and all buildings within the settlement of his Campeche compound. It’s also likely he took with him his massive hoard of ill-gotten booty, possibly loaded onto four ships, one of which was his vessel, the Pride. But the corsair life was in their blood, and Laffite could not leave it nor the Gulf. He and his men would continue to take prizes there and in the waters off Cuba and Central America until his debated end sometime between 1823 and 1826. The mysteries of his legend would continue to live on, as the search for his millions never ceased. Although no one has publicly claimed to find his treasure, our interview guest, Cody Hix, may have found tantalizing clues leading to Laffite’s lost ship. Cody, his brother Chuck, and their cousin Jay Hix-Jones appeared in an episode of Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates. During their segment, they not only outlined their theory on a family connection to Laffite’s lineage but also find evidence of a possible shipwreck in a promising location. Join us tonight as we dive deeper into the background of Cody’s family history and the details of their amazing find. We’ll also discuss the even more persistent and enduring tales than that of Laffite’s buried treasure, those of the ghost of his tormented soul. One legend has it that due to Laffite’s eternal guilt over his crimes, his spirit searches for an honorable and beneficent seeker to whom he will reveal his treasure. Perhaps he has finally found worthy heirs.

 
 

Reference Links:

 
 

Location:

The area where Jean Laffite located his base of operations he called Campeche and later constructed his bright red home named Maison Rouge, near where the present-day The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is located.

 

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CREDITS:

Episode 175: Coronado’s Children and the Pirate Laffite Part 2.  Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel. Sound Design by Ryan McCullough; Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher; Research Support from the astonishing League of Astonishing Researchers, a.k.a. The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2020 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Folklore & Legend, Landmarks Objects & Structures, Unexplainable PhenomenaForrest BurgessJean Laffite, Jean Lafitte, pirate, New Orleans, Louisiana, Galveston, Texas, Campeche, blacksmith, shop, privateer, Coronado's Children, J. Frank Dobie, James Frank Dobie, folklore, slave trade, Jim Bowie, Claiborne, Mississippi River, smuggling, treasure, French Quarter, Spanish, Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson, Expedition Unknown, Discovery Channel, Josh Gates, Cody Hix, Chuck Hix, Cody Hicks, Bell Witch, Barataria, Maison, Blacksmith, Lavaca, Mississippi, Mexico, Cartagena, Columbia, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, buried, Thomas Jefferson, Embargo, Louisiana Purchase, Bowie, slavery, Devil Dogs, Galveston Bay, Cartegena, Captain Blood, 2020Comment