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. The area was then abandoned around 1830. Searching for more lost treasure? The trek south of the Confederate government has been well documented in a number of first hand accounts written several years after the war. He immigrated here from Scotland. The chief had a daughter that he wanted to be married off so that he could have a male offspring to carry on as chief when he died. So what happened to that missing Confederate treasure? He was worn out, saddened by the devastation that existed in his part of the state, and the difficulty he and his neighbors were having in restoring their lives and properties. More information on where and how to research for lost treasures. So I can't totally discount the story. This became a municipal nuisance in the 1930s because so many impromptu shovel patrols were digging holes around town that the Augusta City Council tried to restrict the activity. So the treasure has never been found. In June 1863, President Lincoln ordered two wagons with false bottoms to carry anywhere from 26 to 52 gold bars weighing 50 pounds each from Wheeling, West Virginia, 400 miles north to Pennsylvania to pay the Union troops . She would then sail the goods back to France. Jean Lafitte the French Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan, Alabama. 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. Jefferson Davis, a Congressman from Mississippi and former Secretary of War, was named its president. A big oak tree stands where his house was. 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. A member of the society said there is no historical evidence that gold is buried in the area. 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. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. Then too, given the volume and weight of the silver, the digging would have certainly been noticed by soldiers and townspeople, whether during the day or at night under the glow of kerosene lamps. The question that I pose. Kevin and Al travel to Brad's home where they meet a woman who is the descendant of a large plantation owner. Some of the Southern leaders . WATCH: Full episodes of America's Book of Secrets online now. After a long day traveling Hansen ended up at a friends home. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. Henrys wife gave in and told the soldiers where one of the wine casks was buried. For Semple, as with Tidball, history is mute on the activities of both men. Even the Hardy Boys juvenile mystery series joined the searchin "The Secret of the Lost Tunnel," in which the clever lads discover Southern gold covered with lead and disguised ascannon balls. Even today, rumors persist about the fate of different parts of the missing Confederate treasure, fueling tales of discovery ranging from rural Georgia to Muskegon, Michigan. As for the Richmond bank gold, it quickly fell into the hands of Federal troops, which occupied Washington within days after Davis left. The rest of the missing money has been said to be the basis for several local fortunes in the Danburg area. It was never recovered. For this reason, the coins were almost certainly buried in Danville, and evidence suggests, they remain there today. She says that some Confederate gold was hidden there and some is still being found today. Legend of the Lost Confederate Gold. Two large metal boxes containing over $100,000 in Confederate gold were hidden near Athens. A man by the name of C.E. The Fenian Brotherhood, which was preparing to attack Canada with a growing army, seemed to be an opportunity; and with the apparent blessing of Jefferson Davis, with whom he was somehow able to exchange messages, though Davis was securely locked up in prison at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, Semple became a courier for the Fenian movement. Davis had nothing on him when he was captured in the end on May 10 in Irwinville, Georgia. One day a rebel soldier came by and Hansen decided to lead him to the lost treasure so they could possibly retrieve it. But this time Henry died from being beaten. Ole Louina was a community during early settlement of Randolph County which was settled after the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814 when the Creek Indians were defeated by . It was a safer place to store the treasure because confederates were likely to win and hold Columbia. The troops were trying to keep the gold and silver away from Union soldiers. 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. Levi Colbert who lived from 1759 to1834 was the bench chief of the Chickasaw Nation. So they filled a strongbox full of gold coins that the town had stored up as the treasury. It definitely would be worth taking a metal detector to the beach, Two wooden boxes full of gold and silver bullion and coins, Buried deep in a bog nearAthens, Alabama, NearFlorence, Alabama south of Whites mill, Hardy Clemens plantation ruins nearCoaling, Alabama on the shores of Big Sandy Creek, Dawson, Guntersville, Gadsden, and Mentone Alabama in the Sand mountains, Ghost town of Louina inRandolph County Alabama, the caves between Atmore and Bay Minette Alabama, N 3030 38 W 872651 which is close to U.S. Highway 90 bridge that now crosses the Perdido River, 40,000 crowns of gold and silver bullion and coins, Near the entrance to Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island, Cave full ofgold and silver bars, coins, and jewels, Underwater cave near Muscle Shoals, Alabama along the Tennessee river. The mountain I saw that looked like an overturned boat is just to the east of Belleville, off US 231. According to local lore, the gold was lost or stolen during the1863 Battle of Gettysburg. In North Carolina, some say gold was secretly hidden because they couldn't get the heavy treasure through a swamp north of Greensboro. First published on January 6, 2022 / 11:11 AM. Captian Seigneur de Beauchamp was able to get her anchored in the harbor without any damage. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Hanson wounded the last Union soldier but he got away. [OFFICIAL. The actual value of the treasury was probably not much more than $500,000. Union soldiers happened by and demanded that Hansen and his men unload the cargo in their wagons because they became suspicious that the cargo in the wagons might be guns and ammunition. Keel Mountain is located in Madison County in Alabama not in Belleview, Tenn. I grew up in Prattville, Alabama. Hansen then used the horses to trample the boxes deeper into the mud. The gold became a lost legend. His nephew Grady tried to find the gold caches that his uncle had presumably buried in the woods. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! The Lost Confederate Gold - A&E Treasure Treasure hunters look for three quarters of a million dollars in gold and silver that many believe Confederate President Jefferson Davis hid in Georgia right before the end of the Civil War. The FBI initially claimed it had no files about the investigation. 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. On March 7, 1896, he was in a general store in the town of Atmore, Alabama. This would be a nice area to use a metal detector in. During the autumn of 1864 it was clear the Confederacy was losing the Civil War. The whole of this region was captured by the Northern forces early in the Civil War. Also, a Spanish galleon ship broke up near the east end of Dauphin Island in 1801. Finders Keepers' owners, the father-son duo of Dennis and Kem Parada, had spent years looking for what, according to legend, was an 1863 shipment of Union gold that was lost or stolen while on its way to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. So as you can tell it was a great hiding spot for soldiers. C.E. He was off north to battle the Yankees near Nashville. I have also researched the legend of Keel Mountain, I agree the O.R. Lee warned Davis that his government should evacuate Richmond immediately, or risk being captured by Federal troops. Demopolis is an abandoned town on the Tombigbee River, near the intersection of rout 43, and 80. The troops were trying to keep the gold and silver away from Union soldiers. All Rights Reserved. As fate has it the 3 men that buried the gold ended up dead after the attack. On one was Davis, officials and important documents. Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it? Levi and his brother George were interpreters and negotiators that worked with U.S. Indian Agent John Dabney Terrell Sr. of Marion County Alabama. His wife sold the ferry and went to live with relatives in Georgia. In Semples mind, if the U.S. could be drawn into a war with Great Britain, the North would need the South and would ease up on letting the former Confederate States back into the Union. Posted on December 5, 2020 December 31, 2020 by Terry W. Platt. Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed on April 14, a loss which the Confederate president lamented, as hed felt Lincoln would have been easier on the South than Andrew Johnson. In the other were cash and gold reserves and jewelry, estimated to be worth around $1 million. The various narratives of the disbursement of the treasury end in Washington, Georgia on May 4, 1865, when two Confederate Navy officials, James A. Semple and Edward Tidball, were entrusted with $86,000 in gold. It was abandoned in 1870. Going to war can be incredibly expensive. For one reason only. Mr. Sharps would take a shovel and sack with him on these treks into the woods. It was an E-mail he sent to someone and it found it's way to being an article on several sites. 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.. The Rebel and the Rose"" reveals for the . [6], Last edited on 31 December 2022, at 01:37, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury, "The Georgia Odyssey of the Confederate Gold", "OUR ARMIES. The town of Louina lasted from 1834-1902. The location was described (by him) as being in northern Alabama, between the towns of Bellview and Booneville, at or near Keel Mountain. But when Union officers caught up with Davis on May 10, near Irwinville, Georgia, he was reportedly carrying only a few dollars with him. Of what was taken, only $140,000 was recovered. The Confederate president and other government officials were urged to leave Richmond immediately to avoid being captured by Union troops. He took the bodies of the Confederate soldiers with him. No one else knew where the box was buried and it hasnt been found to this day. (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. CBS News affiliate WTAJ-TVreported members of the Elk County Historical Society say they believe the gold is just an old wives' tale. Richmond was burning. The former assistant to Confederate Navy Secretary Stephen Mallory returned to Winchester, Virginia, where he built an elaborate house, Linden Farm, and became a prominent citizen. There seems to have been a great deal of attention placed on finding the "Lost Confederate Treasure" which has spanned the last 154 years since the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on 10 May 1865 at Irwinville, Ga., which brought the Civil War to a close. ANCIENT VOICES: Ditlihi's Journey Into The Truth Of Ancient Treasure In The Southwest. He was referring to the commercial house of Fraser, Trenholm & Company in Liverpool, England. While they fought the commander detailed a couple of men to hide the gold just in case they lost and were captured. near a point where route 90 crosses the river. Sorry, I don't know anything about these. The Associated Press contributed to this report. With the Davis party was a navy paymaster, James S. Semple. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that certain products that you may see advertised on this site I get paid a small commission if that product is clicked on AND purchased by you. Sharps bought a mill there called Whites Mill in 1897. With the technology of today, why does the specie remain buried? Tag: alabama confederate gold. Rawlings included a chapter about the lost Confederate treasure in his 2017 book The Strange Journey of the Confederate Constitution, And Other Stories from Georgias Historical Past, and also mined the legends for his novel The Rutherford Cipher, originally published in 2004. 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. If you are ever in Muscle Shoals, Alabama along the Tennessee river you might want to take a look around for limestone caves although the Red Bone cave is more than likely underwater now and you will need to bring your scuba gear and do some underwater metal detecting. 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. buried near what used to be his house on the Alabama side of the river. On April 2, 1865, an urgent telegram came for Davis from General Robert E. Lee. They loaded the two boxes of treasure onto two wagons and headed for Columbia. In the movie, the characters are hunting for $200,000 worth of gold that is rumored to be hidden in a cemetery. The crew members that survived and made it to shore said there was a million dollars worth of gold and silver aboard. Until next time Happy Treasure Hunting! The story has it that Mr. Clemens buried $100,000 worth of gold on his property because he was worried about losing it. She was a cargo ship that held deer hides, beaver pelts, tobacco, and 40,000 crowns of gold and silver bullion and coins. Semple was drawn to Julia, and she to him, by circumstances of war and the aftermath. The entrance of the town has a historical marker at the entrance that explains the towns history. Confederate gold refers to hidden caches of gold lost after the American Civil War. 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 . Federal soldiers were eventually able to round up some $140,000 of what was taken. I have talked to the guy who wrote what you found on #2. 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. So get your picks, shovels, and metal detector ready as we go through the 15 lost treasures of Alabama. She had long black hair, gray eyes, and a figure that drew dozens of suitors before she had agreed to marry the president, then 30 years her senior. The legend of the Confederate gold is referenced in many films. You are using an out of date browser. Henry Allen Nunez was an early-day entrepreneur. She questioned whether the agency is "acting in good faith.". Beauregard Trying to Profit by Sherman's Blunder. The leaders of the Confederate States of America we running for their lives 154 years ago. The History Channel even aired a preposterous documentary claiming . 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. In the Civil War-era movie, Gone With the Wind (1939), Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable, is rumored to have stolen the treasure. Hansen and some other Alabama citizens raised quite a bit of capital in the form of gold and silver bullion and coins. A message was sent to the Justice Department seeking comment on the suit, which asks a judge to order the FBI to immediately turn over the records. They left Richmond with a bunch of money, and when [Davis group] was captured six weeks later, they didnt have it. var FIX=FIX||{}; It is said that John Buried $100,000 worth of gold there. Railroad Bill finally met his doom when a $500 reward was issued for him dead or alive. La Bellone ran aground at the entrance of Pelican Bay in September of 1724 which is on the east end of Dauphin Island. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! Jefferson Davis , the first and only President of the Confederate States of America, circa 1865. She made her money by running a trading post and she was one of the only Indian women to have owned slaves. Millions of dollars' worth of gold was lost or unaccounted for after the war, and its possible location has been the source of speculation of many historians and treasure hunters. ]", "The Armies and Their Work. 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. In the 1966Spaghetti Westernmovie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," the protagonists get information about lost Confederate gold hidden in a grave at a cemetery. Moses, a South Carolinian, who had moved to Columbus, Ga., and pioneered the growing production of peaches, was praised for his competence both during and after the war. One of his readers showed him a Mexican silver coin dating to the 1850s, which he said was uncovered by a logging crew in the 1940s near a Georgia spot where Davis party is known to have camped. Around that time (and probably because he could no longer finance his travels), he finally began to realize there was nothing to be gained for the South, that the Fenian army was more rhetoric than substance and was ill prepared to precipitate war between the U.S. and Great Britain. Instead of Liverpool, Semple eventually got as far as Nassau, after hiding out in the Okefenokee Swamp along the Georgia-Florida border for months. , why does the specie remain buried in case they lost and were captured he got away would be nice! Better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding John Dabney Terrell Sr. of Marion County Alabama Liverpool. Nothing on him when he was referring to the guy who wrote what you on... 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