Anyone Believe in Gasparilla?

I have been interested in this treasure for about 10 years now and have done massive amounts of research, I believe I have figured out most of the code but one thing the code doesn't tell is the starting point (it just says "Near the shore of Lettuce Lake" I beleive I know what land mark I am looking for but as before I could be wrong, as for the plates I would love to see them myself and I will check the museums around miami to see if they do have them (and maybe they will let me have a pic of them if i take my camera) I have maps of Lettuce Lake taken from Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth 3d, and Nasa WorldWind. I have a Laptop and a Gps unit so who knows? maybe I will find it and maybe I won't. there are other stories surrounding the area, such as the story about Lady Boggess, and a coffer dam, and a sunken skiff, even if I don't find this one at least I will have an adventure that many people cannot claim as their own. I am not saying that I will find this treasure but oh what fun it is to look, and besides I have permission from my better half (even though she thinks I am crazy) so I have almost everything I need except the treasure and the permits to claim it from the state archaeological board. Anyways I am interested in other peoples opinions and would consider cutting someone in on this if we partner up and find it. (I have physical limitations due to an auto accident that left me with a fused neck.) and who knows maybe we will find a few small ones as well. also in 1867 the treasure was worth several millions, when gold was one dollar an ounce, now gold is over $800.00 an ounce, so the value is astronomical in todays values.
 

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I too have phyisical limitations,an work related accident in '06 caused me also to have my neck fused,from C7 to C5.PM me and we can chat further,I have some info on lady bogress.we can chat by phone.
thanks..........and by the way..your on the right track
 

Lawson,
I heard from an old researcher that the Louisiana Purchase gold ($11.750,000) was on the ship "Peacock" and sank during a hurricane off the Suwannee River. This wreck was found by a local treasure hunter but he was prevented from recovering the gold by the Marine Patrol.
 

I guess for every lost treasure there is at least 100 tales.
I am going mostly on stories passed down in my family.
As far as I can find out my family has been here at least since the civil war. So yes a lot of it is BS stories I am sure.
But it was told to me by my great grandfather that the gold is here in CH.

Try this for a thought.

The only reason the french sold us the Louisiana purchase is to strategically strengthen the United states against England. And balance out world powers. For this they gave up the french empire in the Americas.
Had word of the anarchy in the newly formed United States gotten out, the whole course of history could have been changed. So we have politicians doing what they do best, covering up criminal activity. After this act of piracy the witch hunt began and pirates as we knew them went extinct.

It may sound crazy but it is my theory and I am sticking to it.
 

I researched the documents of the Louisiana Purchase and I think Napoleon sold it to pay for all his wars. Piracy came under fire by the Anti Piracy Act of 1821 passed by Pres. Madison. He started the Revenue Cutter Service which was the first Coast Guard. They had the power to hang pirates without trial.
 

I have heard and read about this guy Gaspar...of course many of you have as well no doubt... there may be something to the story that this whole thing was made up by land speculators in the early 1900's trying to create some good " p.r". buzz around the Englewood/Port Charlotte area and what a great place it was to buy a home...It worked if that was the case..people have been looking for the gold ever since and unfortunately as recently as a few years ago were tearing up indian mounds....would not suggest getting caught doing this though...could set you back big and it is "bad juju" in my opinion unless maybe one were able to do this by strict archaelogical methods.... On the other hand..there were seasonal Cuban fishermen working northern Charlotte harbor dating back to the late 1700's... Remnants of their old ranchos or "fish ranches"..basically corrals of nets between islands to trap migrating schools are still to be found in the area.It seems concievable that after working these areas..some of these sailors may have seen all the fat shipping from New orleans going by all the time and decided that pirating would be more lucrative that stitching nets for mullet in some backwater stuffed with mosquitoes and no-see-ums and gone into the pirate trade.These guys would have been familiar with regional waters and there were alot of good places to hide from Charlotte Harbor to the 10,000 islands.Just a theory is all...just a theory but plausible....
 

Oh...as far as Jose Gaspar...I really think that is indeed a crap load...but do i think pirates lived and worked in that area ....absolutely!
 

That decipher was funny. Thanks for the laugh. ;D

I think I figured it out from that:

Looked for my lost fishing rod for 1 mile but couldn't find it, Goodbye. XS

Why do you supposed he made the copper plates? Just in case he forgot where he buried the treasure? I don't think I would forget.

A league is 3 miles.

Has anyone went down there yet? Who owns the land?
 

I just got done reading William C. Davis' book, The Pirates Lafitte. This is an authoritative book, verging on dull for even a Lafitte lover, but highly researched.

In it are a couple of references to Gaspar, one in the Pensacola Floridian, but the best is in the National Archives, a letter from Francis Gregory to the Secretary of War dated October 18, 1821. M-148, RG-45.

Prior to that, I had not thought he was an actual person.

There's no doubt that the vast majority of what is written about Gaspar is Chamber of Commerce mythology, though.
 

That is interesting, I would like to see that letter. I believe there was a Gaspar. If he was made up to sell land/houses, etc.. why not just use a well known pirate that was well known like Black Caesar or Jean LaFitte?
I have researched Gaspar on and off 20 years.
The one thing that I can't find anything on is the ship that sunk him the "Enterprise".
You would also think that his ship would have been found by now. Maybe it was and kept quiet. Maybe the cannons were removed for the war effort and mags can't pick it up. Just think of the treasure laying there waiting for some lucky diver.
 

Nugget Hog said:
The one thing that I can't find anything on is the ship that sunk him the "Enterprise".
Click to expand...

Davis has the ship that took him as the USS Grampus, cruising the Carribean in 1820's for pirates.
 

There was a dive shop owner in Ft. Meyers that had a search lease from the state. He found 8 real coins, a flintlock pistol and artifacts around the bell bar bouy. He also found a mast and attempted to remove it. The state archaeologist said it was hand hewn and you could see marks made by an adze on the mast. The state revoked his permit because of that incident and started an investigation. The dive shop owner had a heart attack and died. I read all this in the Florida Scuba News years ago. The Boca Grande channel has moved over the years. 200 years ago it was further north of the present channel. An old friend of mine, the late L. Frank Hudson did a lot of research on Gaspar and claimed he had documents of Gaspar's naval records from Spain. Hudson told me he saw the remains of pirate forts on Cayo Costa back in the 30's. The forts were used as bombing practise during WWII and then bulldozed after the war. Now its a state park.
 

I'm sure that State archaeologist assembled a crew, researched items found on it and restored the boat piece by piece so that everyone can now visit it in a museum--NOT! It's still there rotting away.
When did L. Frank Hudson pass? I contacted him a few times over the years. What happened to all of his research papers, etc?
I should be able to find some aerial maps from the 30's of Cayo Costa. I'll see if I can see any fort remains on it, just for the heck of it since it's a state park and I'm sure you can't metal detect there.
 

scubasalvor said:
Yes there were pirates in Charlotte Harbor. They say that Jose didn't exist but his exploits were the description of several pirates that lived in the CH area.
Click to expand...
Yes absolutely, I grew up in Port Charlotte, and had parties all over the small islands there.. Didn't know about possible buried treasure there at the time, but I do believe there is something there.. too many places there to hide things.. I am on Panama City Beach now, and can treasure hunt all day long.. mostly find pocket change and pull tabs, but every time there is a storm there is always something washing up on the beach... like bales.. lol.. however.. there is shell island, which is accessible by boat, and on the north side, place called shanty point, they say there is buried treasure there as well..
 

Nugget Hog said:
The one thing that I can't find anything on is the ship that sunk him the "Enterprise".
Click to expand...

Enterprise

Boldness, energy, and invention in practical affairs.

III
(Sch: t. 135; l. 84'7"; b. 22'6"; dph 10'; cpl. 70; a. 12 6 pdr.)

The third Enterprise, a schooner, was built by Henry Spencer at
Baltimore, Md., in 1799, and placed under the command of Lieutenant
John Shaw.

On 17 December 1799, Enterprise departed the Delaware Capes for the
Caribbean to protect United States merchantmen from the depredations
of French privateers during the Quasi-War with France. Within the
following year, Enterprise captured 8 privateers and liberated 11
American vessels from captivity, achievements which assured her
inclusion in the 14 ships retained in the Navy after the Quasi-War.

Enterprise next sailed to the Mediterranean, raising Gibraltar on 26
June 1801, where she was to join other U.S. warships in writing a
bright and enduring page in American naval history. Enterprise's first
action came on 1 August 1801 when, just west of Malta, she defeated
the 14-gun Tripolitan corsair Tripoli, after a fierce but one-sided
battle. Unscathed, Enterprise sent the battered pirate into port since
the schooner's orders prohibited taking prizes. Her next victories
came in 1803 after months of carrying despatches, convoying
merchantmen, and patrolling the Mediterranean. On 17 January, she
captured Paulina, a Tunisian ship under charter to the Bashaw of
Tripoli, and on 22 May, she ran a 30-ton craft ashore on the coast of
Tripoli. For the next month, Enterprise and other ships of the
squadron cruised inshore bombarding the coast and sending landing
parties to destroy enemy small craft.

On 23 December 1803, after a quiet interval of cruising Enterprise
joined with the frigate Constitution to capture the Tripolitan ketch
Mastico. Refitted and renamed Intrepid, the ketch was given to
Enterprise's commanding officer, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, Jr., for
use in a daring expedition to burn frigate Philadelphia, captured by
the Tripolitans and anchored in the harbor of Tripoli. Decatur and his
volunteer crew carried out their mission perfectly, destroying the
frigate and depriving Tripoli of a powerful warship. Enterprise
continued to patrol the Barbary Coast until July 1804 when she joined
the other ships of the squadron in general attacks on the city of
Tripoli over a period of several weeks.

Enterprise passed the winter in Venice, where she was practically
rebuilt by May 1805. She rejoined her squadron in July, and resumed
patrol and convoy duty until August of 1807. During that period she
fought (15 August 1806) a brief engagement off Gibraltar with a group
of Spanish gunboats who attacked her but were driven off. Enterprise
returned to the United States in late 1807, and cruised coastal waters
until June 1809. After a brief tour of the Mediterranean, she sailed
to New York, where she was laid up for nearly a year.

Repaired at the Washington Navy Yard, Enterprise was recommissioned
there in April 1811, then sailed for operations out of Savannah, Ga.,
and Charleston, S.C. She returned to Washington for extensive repairs
and modifications; when she saied on 20 May 1812, she had been
refitted as a brig. At sea when war was declared on Great Britain, she
cruised along the east coast during the first year of hostilities. On
5 September 1813, Enterprise sighted and chased HBM Brig Boxer. The
brigs opened fire on each other, and in a closely fought, fierce and
gallant action which took the lives of both commanding officers,
Enterprise captured Boxer and took her into nearby Portland, Maine.
Here, a common funeral was held for Lieutenant William Burrows,
Enterprise, and Captain Samuel Blyth, Boxer, both well known and
highly respected in their services.

After repairing at Portland, Enterprise sailed in company with the
brig Rattlesnake, for the Caribbean. The two ships took three prizes
before bing forced to separate by a heavily armed ship on 25 February
1814. Enterprise was compelled to jettison most of her guns in order
to outsail her superior antagonist. The brig reached Wilmington, N.C.,
on 9 March 1814, then passed the remainder of the war as a guardship
off Charleston, S.C.

Enterprise served one more short tour in the Mediterranean
(July-November 1815), then cruised the northeastern seaboard until
November 1817. From that time on, she sailed the Caribbean and the
Gulf of Mexico, suppressing pirates, smugglers, and slaves; in this
duty she took 13 prizes. Her long career ended on 9 July 1823, when,
without injury to her crew, she stranded and broke up on Little
Curacao Island in the West Indies.

Transcribed by David R. Wells
 

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