Some people speculate that the valuables and money that railroad Bill stole during those 6 years of robbing trains could still be hiding in the caves between Atmore and Bay Minette Alabama! Some believe it was stolen by the Union soldiers who arrested Davis, while others speculate it was hidden long before his arrest, with the aim of keeping it out of the Norths hands. Almost half a million dollars in reserve gold was also gathered from a bank in Richmond. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Nunez being a former pirate had plenty of money stored up so he was able to save most of the money earned from the ferry. Having his ferry there solved this problem. This was probably done to increase the incentive to Union soldiers combing the villages and roads of the Carolinas and Georgia for the treasury, and for Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who had fled Richmond. WATCH: Full episodes of America's Book of Secrets online now. Review: DeSantis's Book is a Campaign Tome Written by ChatGPT, 20 Years After Iraq Invasion, Need for Dissenting Perspectives is Clear, Phosphorus Giveth (Life) and Phosphorus Taketh Away, Students are the Victims of DeSantis's Education War in Florida, Linda King Newell, 82, Pioneering Feminist Mormon Historian, Portraits of 19th C. Black Charlottesville Show Life, Joy, Black History Month Traces to a Key Meeting in a Chicago YMCA, How (Some) of the Hip Hop Generation Learned Black History, The Executive Branchs Response to the Flood of 1927, The Case For Calling the Language "American", America Fought Its Own Battle Over Books Before it Fought the Nazis. The two wooden boxes full of Confederate gold fell out of the wagons and sank quickly into the mud. Many of the accounts were published in the papers of the Southern Historical Society, in an effort to dispel rumors that Davis took the money for himself and his family. Lachlan McGillivray was a wealthy fur trader back in the mid to late 1700s. The chief said that he could have all the treasure if he would marry his daughter. Two large metal boxes containing over $100,000 in Confederate gold were hidden near Athens. Jesse James the legendary outlaw of the west and in those days Alabama was considered out west had hideouts in and around the areas of Dawson, Guntersville, Gadsden, and Mentone Alabama in the Sand mountains. He practically owned half of the town of Fort Payne. Keep in mind most of these lost treasure stories have been handed down by word of mouth over the centuries. your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable. Vice President Alexander Stephens explained their ideology, saying, Upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the White man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition.. Named after one president, Thomas Jefferson, he went on to marry the daughter of another, Zachary Taylor. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. The authors were primarily participants in the evacuation of Richmond and they included Confederate cabinet officials, army officers, and treasury employees. Near Demopolis is an area named White Bluff. In the Civil War-era movie, Gone With the Wind (1939), Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable, is rumored to have stolen the treasure. They think that they found what could be the wreck site but they didnt attempt to salvage her. "There's been a pattern of behavior by the FBI that's been very troubling," said Anne Weismann, who represents Finders Keepers. Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 4:27 PM. La Bellone was a French merchant ship that was in the area of Dauphin Island to pick up merchandise from the French Colonials in Louisiana. The story of this lost treasure dates back to 1540 when the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto was in this part of the New World. [OFFICIAL. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({google_ad_client:"ca-pub-0945725028962484",enable_page_level_ads:true}); Semple did seem to disappear into the night, for he had to avoid the attention of both the enemy and paroled Confederate soldiers looking to confiscate horses and wagons in returning to their homes. Confederate States of America currency circa 1865. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Everyone thought Bob was bonkers . Visit here for more information on State laws regarding relic hunting, treasure hunting, and artifacts. Manage Settings Hidden Treasure discoveries can happen anyt . With enemy soldiers occupying the town, any effort to dig up the some 160,000 8-reale coins would have certainly been seen. But this time Henry died from being beaten. Sorry, I don't know anything about these. As fate has it the 3 men that buried the gold ended up dead after the attack. I would think that they would have USED the gold before burying it. JavaScript is disabled. I have talked to the guy who wrote what you found on #2. Finders Keepers filed a federal lawsuit against the Justice Department over its failure to produce. One day a rebel soldier came by and Hansen decided to lead him to the lost treasure so they could possibly retrieve it. La Bellone ran aground at the entrance of Pelican Bay in September of 1724 which is on the east end of Dauphin Island. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. With them was the remainder of the Confederate treasury, including crates of gold and silver coins, gold bullion from Richmond bank reserves and jewelry that had been donated to the Southern cause. Simply putting food on the table became an essential concern. Still, over the years I've met people in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and even Alabama and Kentucky, who genuinely believe the "treasure" is hidden there and who've spent decades trying to find it. The lost gold also played a key role in the legendary 1966 Western film, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Hansen then used the horses to trample the boxes deeper into the mud. This small island holds many lost treasure stories. The Mexican coins had been transported to Danville, Virginia, and when the Davis party was forced to move further south, primarily by wagon, the more than 9,000 pounds of silver would have considerably slowed down the procession. The Curse of Oak Island. Levi Colbert who lived from 1759 to1834 was the bench chief of the Chickasaw Nation. The crew members that survived and made it to shore said there was a million dollars worth of gold and silver aboard. [1] The gold was temporarily stored at the Iron Bank by William H. Young. So if you are ever in that area you might want to have your metal detector and shovel ready because there might be something worth finding buried in the ground there. John Willismith was a rich businessman who lived in Fort Payne, Alabama. That was generally what he had been told to do in May 1865, in what became known as the "Last Order" of the Confederacy. The town of Louina lasted from 1834-1902. Henry refused to tell the soldiers where the treasure was and was beaten again. Jean Lafitte the French Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan, Alabama. In the Cumberland mountains of central Tennessee a small Confederate detail had hidden the gold in a mountain cache. They ended up in a large cavern and when they took the blindfold off of the trapper he saw that the cave was filled to the ceiling with gold and silver bars, coins, and jewels. I have also researched the legend of Keel Mountain, I agree the O.R. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Hanson wounded the last Union soldier but he got away. And some say its buried amongst the slaves in the graveyard on the property. You are using an out of date browser. After the War Between the States,many not only spent time rememberingthe "Lost Cause," they also stayed busy searching for its lost gold. Confederate gold refers to hidden caches of gold lost after the American Civil War. He took the bodies of the Confederate soldiers with him. Confederate gold refers to hidden caches of gold lost after the American Civil War. A man by the name of C.E. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It was never recovered. The FBI has since dragged its feet on the treasure hunters' Freedom of Information Act request for records, their lawyer said Wednesday. What happened to the Confederate money? It would have taken a large amount of troops to dig and hide all the treasure, and as poor as alot of those soldiers were after the war, why not go back and dig up the treasure? Demopolis is an abandoned town on the Tombigbee River, near the intersection of rout 43, and 80. And chances are good people are searching for it at this very moment. Here is an OP that I posted on it a couple of months ago, to include sharing a couple of photos of one of the coins that he was paid on 4 May 1865, once they crossed the Savannah River and Breckinridge was more . Jefferson Davis with members of his cabinet, 1865, By early May, both Davis party and the remaining fortune had reached Washington, Georgia. During the autumn of 1864 it was clear the Confederacy was losing the Civil War. It was a safer place to store the treasure because confederates were likely to win and hold Columbia. A big oak tree stands where his house was. One account has the gold being stolen in the far south area of Brooks County where local lore has it the train was attacked by . Postmaster General John Reagan, who was with Davis in Danville, added more detail, recalling that the gold was to be hidden in the false bottom of a carriage. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. You must log in or register to reply here. Davis and His Gold. The war, and its various aspects, continues to capture the interest and imagination of many Americans who are fascinated by the battles, leaders, and strategy displayed during that conflict. First published on January 6, 2022 / 11:11 AM. (The fleeing Confederates also carried about $450,000 in Richmond bank gold, but wouldnt touch those funds, as they didnt belong to the Confederate government.). This Metal Detector Has all the top features you would expect in a quality metal detector. Some think its on the Alabama side while others say its on the Florida side. Louina by all accounts was a wealthy Indian woman. These were enormous-sized boxes measuring from 3 deep x 2 wide x 4 long. He went to Fort Rosalie and told a friend about the treasure. People like to believe theres something out there, Rawlings says. Legend held the treasure was watched overby ghostly spirits. He was off north to battle the Yankees near Nashville. So do your due diligence before going on your treasure-hunting expeditions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. With Union troops closing in on the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in early April 1865, President Jefferson Davis and the rest of his government fled southward, allegedly carrying with them a considerable amount of gold, silver and other coins. The Chief agreed but he had other intentions as well. Generally, it went like this:An individual or his friends would get a tip or a hunchthat some vacant plotheld the secret wealthand out would come the shovels. More from us: The Success of George H. Thomas Union Soldiers During the American Civil War. Between the financial help he provided to Julia, payments to support his estranged wife, Leticia, and the expenses of his clandestine activities, the gold in his possession became depleted during his two years on the run. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! But when Union officers caught up with Davis on May 10, near Irwinville, Georgia, he was reportedly carrying only a few dollars with him. She was a cargo ship that held deer hides, beaver pelts, tobacco, and 40,000 crowns of gold and silver bullion and coins. They were active in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Alabama. The gold and silver coins are said to be buried east of his old homestead. The evidence is strong that no one else managed to dig up the silver either, quite possibly because of where it was buried in a cemetery area. In his 1938 book Flight Into Oblivion, the historian A.J. Many attempts at recovering her gold and silver cache have come up empty. Email them to us and you and your club will receive full credit! De Soto and his men fled and left the treasure they had stolen from the Cherokees behind. In April 1865, the Civil War ended for most Americans. One treasury clerk in particular, Micajah Clark provided a detailed accounting of the disposition of the funds. The Outlaw PresidentJefferson Davis was an unlikely traitor to the United States. He ran an inn and Ferry that became known as Buzzard Roost in 1801. The Paradas accompanied the FBI to the site in Dent's Run, about 135 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, but say they were confined to their car while the FBI excavated. They filled two wooden boxes full. Henrys wife gave in and told the soldiers where one of the wine casks was buried. During the months he was trying to stay ahead of his would-be captors, Danville became an encampment for the Union army. They picked 3 men to bury the box full of gold coins somewhere near the courthouse. Approximately Four miles north of Athens, Limestone County, and about half a mile from a prominent stream crossing, two huge metal box's, containing $100,000 in gold and silver were dumped into a bog by Confederate soldiers to prevent their seizure by the Union Soldiers in 1865. Like most Southerners, who strongly believed their cause was right, Semple was ultimately forced to admit that the Confederacy no longer existed and could not be resurrected, that nothing more could be done. With its rich history of lost treasure, there is no wonder that we have 15 stories pertaining to lost treasure in Alabama. It is said that he would only accept gold coins as payment for the ground corn and flour that he sold. A lot of that gold treasure, as historians and enthusiasts have since called it remained after the Civil War. Another theory, says Rawlings: Davis and his group hid it. Have fun in your search for Alabama treasure. Long standing legend tells of $100,000 of gold and silver was put into two boxes by Confederate troops in 1865, and then thrown into the swamp. When he was captured, he had his wifes shawl over his shoulders. The treasure was secured in the false bottom of a carriage. There was even a systemto such pursuits. I hope you have found this article of interest and if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments section below. If you are venturing on to State or Federal lands you should know the laws of that State. Kevin and Al travel to Brad's home where they meet a woman who is the descendant of a large plantation owner. General Dukes Brigade. In the other were cash and gold reserves and jewelry, estimated to be worth around $1 million. Stories of lost buried treasure hoards capture the imagination and spark the hidden treasure hunter within all of us, who learn about these Legends of Lore. Corroborating evidence found in Semples letters to Julia Gardiner Tyler, depicted a man on the run, carrying on underground activities for Davis. There are stories that the Islanders tell of buried pots, jars, and treasure chests full of gold and silver. That was the one chunk of money that was basically just stolen by someone, Rawlings says. Frank W. Pandozzi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Clickbank, and MyTopo affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, mytopo.com, and clickbank.com.Please visit my Affiliate Disclosure below for more information. But on the night of May 24, as the group made camp for the night in Lincoln County, Georgia, near Danburg Crossroads, some 20 armed men on horseback invaded the camp and carried off as much gold as they could carry. They worked hard to get good lands out west which the U.S. Government was trying to move them to. It was abandoned in 1870. He returned to relative obscurity in his native Virginia, near where he was born in New Kent County, and turned his attention to earning a living. He tried to locate the treasure but the landscape had changed so much over the years. So I can't totally discount the story. He received a pardon in August 1865, and in 1872, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Hansen and some other Alabama citizens raised quite a bit of capital in the form of gold and silver bullion and coins. Late that night, two trains departed Richmond heading south. buried near what used to be his house on the Alabama side of the river. Sharps bought a mill there called Whites Mill in 1897. The area was founded by exiled followers of Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 1800's. Every legend that has any long-term staying power has a modicum of truth in it, and certainly this one does, says William Rawlings, an author of numerous nonfiction books and novels about Southern history. google037df74da6aab727.html Henry refused and was subsequently strung up to a tree and whipped. The Justice Department denied the request - and, as of last month, had yet to assign the FOIA request to a staffer for processing, according to the lawsuit. The Nunez Ferry ran for 47 years from 1815-1919. I guess this happened more often than we would think. was the operator of a ferry during the Civil War, on the Perdido River. There were , also, over 2000 Tallassee Carbines hidden and never recovered. Tag: alabama confederate gold. An ardent Confederate, Julia had made a difficult decision late in the war to leave Virginia for her mothers home on Staten Island, New York. Semple apparently never attempted to recover the Mexican silver dollars in Danville, for various reasons. He was very skilled at evading the police. Morris started robbing trains because he was angry with the Louisville and Nashville railroad because a brakeman found him on a train ride that was headed for Mobile that he didnt pay for. until he found some of the treasures! His wife gave in again and told the soldiers where another cask was buried. However, the treasury increasingly became an encumbrance on his flight, and Davis had disbursed the treasury along the way, among others to General Joseph E. Johnston in order for him to pay his troops at Greensboro, North Carolina, and to several banks for safekeeping, with the remainder paid out to Joseph Wheeler's accompanying cavalry men before dismissing them from their duties. He also contracted pneumonia and had an infection that contributed to his death. In April 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and members of his cabinet evacuated the city by train and headed south. Instead of Liverpool, Semple eventually got as far as Nassau, after hiding out in the Okefenokee Swamp along the Georgia-Florida border for months. (Published 1865)", Last Sighting of the Lost Confederate Gold in Georgia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Confederate_gold&oldid=1130607928, A series of western adventure novels written by, This page was last edited on 31 December 2022, at 01:37. Supposedly, Nunez buried a treasure of approximately $200,000 somewhere Also, keep in mind whenever you want to go metal detecting make sure you know the laws of the state in which you are digging in and always ask permission before metal detecting on any private property. At the time no one questioned his integrity or his simple explanation. He was then valued at $300,000 which made him a wealthy man, to say the least! As soon as they spent all the gold and silver they came back for more. And such rumors werent confined to the South. The Chickasaw Chief and some of his braces took the treasure the Spaniards had left behind and hide it in a big limestone cave which was located on the northern bank of the Tennessee River. The rumor is that the gold was buried under the name of a confederate general between two false generals in a cemetery. Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and 80 clear the Confederacy was losing the Civil War, the! A key role in the evacuation of Richmond and they included Confederate cabinet officials, army,... Dauphin Island a million dollars worth of gold and silver cache have come up empty role in the of. First published on January 6, 2022 / 11:11 AM detail had hidden the gold and silver hunters. 1864 it was clear the Confederacy was losing the Civil War, on the Tombigbee River, near intersection! 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Thomas Union soldiers during the autumn of 1864 it was clear Confederacy. West which the U.S. lost confederate gold in alabama was trying to move them to us and you and club! Pirate is said to be buried east of his would-be captors, Danville became an encampment for the time! Ghostly spirits legendary 1966 Western film, the good, the good, the Bizarre, and website in browser. Against the Justice Department over its failure to produce was and was beaten again place. Where the treasure they had stolen from the Cherokees behind capital in the of!
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