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CAT ISLAND This page intentionally left blank C I AT SLAND The History of a Mississippi Gulf Coast Barrier Island John Cuevas McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London All photographs and illustrations are from the author’s collection unless otherwise noted. LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA Cuevas, John, ¡942– Cat Island : the history of a Mississippi Gulf Coast barrier island / John Cuevas. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-6328-2 softcover : 50# alkaline paper 1. Cat Island (Miss.)—History. 2. Cat Island (Miss.)—Biography 3. Cuevas family. I. Title. F347.H3C84 2011 976.2'13—dc22 2011010652 BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE © 2011John Cuevas. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. On the cover: raccoon © 2011Shutterstock; Cat Island, view of South Bayou from dunes, 2005 (photograph by Bruce Richards and Tom Warner) Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com Acknowledgments After so many years it would be impossible to list everyone who has contributed to this book, but there are those who deserve my special recognition. First I should acknowledge my grandmother, Catherine Garriga Cuevas, who planted the seeds that grew into a lifelong passion. This book might have never been a reality without her early stories. I also credit my father, Oliver John Cuevas, for making the most valuable contribution of all. He intro- duced me to a generation of relatives and friends, most who, like himself, had been born in the 1800s. For me he was like a bridge between two centuries. Even at my young age I recognized how fortunate I was to have known those warm and wonderful old families. I cherish the memories of our visits with them, many who were still living in the backwoods of the coast in the 1940s and early 1950s in much the same way my ancestors had lived for generations. We spent many evenings sitting on their porches and listening to their stories of the past. My uncle Franklin J. Cuevas was also a great inspiration. At the age of 88, he wrote his own book about Cat Island, and with tireless enthusiasm marketed what became a great success for him. Even today there are requests for copies of his self-published work. I was fortunate to have inherited his copious notes and research materials. I would especially like to acknowledge my cousin, Judy McFerren, for her entertaining interpretation of the Juan de Cuevas legend and pirates’ capture. Her talent as a published writer enriched these pages. Mia D. Burke, a newly discovered cousin, became my first editor after our meeting at the jazz funeral in New Orleans for our relative Jean Baptiste Baudrau II. When I learned of Mia’s talent as a writer and editor, I felt as though destiny had brought us together. She was also working on a book about the family, and while she was extremely busy, she always found time for me. I appreciated her excellent suggestions and quick responses as I worked my way through my initial manuscript. I am particularly humbled and thrilled by the contribution of my son, Dr. Bryan J. Cuevas, a respected academic whose books and articles are recognized throughout the world. Bryan’s wise comments and suggestions added the final touches to my manuscript. Finally, I give big hugs and kisses to my wife, Janice, of 46 years, who patiently listened to my tales of Cat Island for most of those years. Thanks to all. v This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments v Preface ix 1. About Cat Island 1 2. The French Discover Cat Island and Settle Biloxi 8 3. The Fort on Cat Island 13 4. The First Mutiny on American Soil 15 5. Jean Lafitte, the Pirates, and Buried Treasure 22 6. The Hero of Cat Island 33 7. Juan de Cuevas Captures the Pirates 42 8. A British Soldier Visits Cat Island After the War 45 9. The Cuevas House on Cat Island 50 10. Pioneer Life on Cat Island and the Developing Coast 58 11. The Seminole Indians on Cat Island 79 12. The Last Great Party on Cat Island 85 13. The Funeral of Juan de Cuevas 90 14. How the Truth Became a Legend 97 15. The Lighthouses on Cat Island 106 16. Turpentining and the Lumber Industry on Cat Island 115 17. Al Capone and the Rumrunners 120 18. The Goose Point Tarpon Club 124 19. The Secret War Dogs of Cat Island 129 20. Cat Island Owners from the Past to the Present 138 21. A Visit to the Cuevas Homestead in Spain 157 Notes 163 Bibliography 179 Index 185 vii This page intentionally left blank Preface Cat Island is unique in coast history. It was the site of the first mutiny on American soil. Jean Lafitte and his pirates stashed their stolen treasure there. The largest foreign military force to ever attack the United States mainland used it as a staging area. Juan de Cuevas reportedly fired the first shots against the invading British in the Battle of New Orleans there. It had one of the first lighthouses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It served as an encampment site for Seminole Indians being moved to the reservation in Oklahoma as part of the Trail of Tears. Rumrunners and bootleggers hid their illegal booze there in the 1920s. It was a secret military site of the U.S. government during World War II to train a special canine force to sniff out and attack the Japanese enemy. It served as rich grazing land for hundreds of cattle for several generations. And it provided a natural forest for a very successful business in turpentine and heart pine lumber. While any one of these events would have been enough to assure Cat Island a place in the history books, there is one additional fact that makes the island even more distinctive. Cat Island is the only one of the barrier islands that was owned from the beginning by one family, the Cuevas family, not as an investment or a weekend retreat, but as their permanent home for over three generations. Juan de Cuevas, who was referred to as “The King of Cat Island,” received the island by way of a Spanish grant, and was the only island owner in history to call Cat Island his home and to actually raise his family there—my family. I was very young when I first visited the Cuevas family home site on Cat Island. I have never seen the water so emerald green as it was that day. I remember there was a warm sum- mer breeze dancing across the waves welcoming me ashore as their foamy caps rolled onto the powder- white sand. The golden sun languished in a sky of perfect blue. Seagulls squawked and circled, then dove for the fish that glided just beneath the surface of the Gulf. As I ran barefoot along the shore I felt as though I had been there before. I was struck with a feeling of déjà vu, one of those sudden flashes of remembered present, normally only a fleeting sensation, but this time a feeling that has lasted forever. I could actually sense the weight of history as I stood where my great-great-great-grandfather’s house once stood. Over the years I have seen the island’s many moods, from stormy to serene, but it is the beauty of the island on my first visit that I still carry with me today. Like the original Cuevas children, I played on the beaches, explored the lagoons, and fished in the warm waters of the Gulf. I also played in the old Cat Island lighthouse, or rather what remained of it. In the 1950s it was nothing more than a wooden shell perched on top of rusted pilings, looking much like a birdhouse on steroids. The lighthouse was an ix