Editing Jean Lafitte (section)

===Lafitte's Journal===
In 1948, [[John Andrechyne Laflin]] approached the [[Missouri Historical Society]] with a French-language manuscript he claimed was a journal Lafitte kept from 1845 until 1850.<ref name=ramsay147>Ramsay (1996), p. 147.</ref><ref name=ramsay148>Ramsay (1996), p. 148.</ref> When the historical society could not authenticate the claim, Laflin approached Louisiana author [[Stanley Arthur]]. He wrote ''Jean Laffitte: Gentleman Rover'', based on the journal. 

In 1958, Laflin self-published an English translation of the journal. He refused to allow anyone else to see the original documents until 1969, when he sold them to a professional document dealer.<ref name=ramsay148/> The paper and ink were analyzed and confirmed to be of mid-19th-century origin. An archivist for [[Bexar County, Texas]], declared the papers to be authentic.<ref name=ramsay149>Ramsay (1996), p. 149.</ref>

In 1980, the manuscript was donated to the [[Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center]] in Texas. For the first time, it was made available for research.<ref name=ramsay149/>  Many researchers noticed a similarity between John Laflin's handwriting and the writing in the journal.<ref name=ramsay149/> Handwriting analysis experts affirmed that conclusion.<ref name="nickell73"/> Laflin had been previously accused of forging letters purportedly from [[Abraham Lincoln]], [[Andrew Jackson]], and [[Davy Crockett]].<ref name=nickell73>Nickell (2005), p. 73.</ref> Most historians now believe the Lafitte journal to be a forgery.<ref name=ramsay150>Ramsay (1996), p. 150.</ref><ref group=Note>Ramsay believes the documents were written by Laflin's ancestor, Matthew Laflin (1803&ndash;1854), who may have convinced his descendants that he was Jean Lafitte.(Ramsay (1996), pp. 151&ndash;2.)</ref>