In this Sept. 20, 2018 photo, Dennis Parada, right, and his son Kem Parada stand at the site of the FBI's dig for Civil War-era gold in Dents Run, Pennsylvania. Railroad Bill real name Morris Slater was a black train robber, murderer during the late 1800s. 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. So many of them buried their gold and silver for safekeeping. As fate has it the 3 men that buried the gold ended up dead after the attack. Hansen now alone with the two wagons of treasure knowing that the soldier would soon return with more union troops decides to use the horses to overturn the wagons into the deep swamp. In Washington, Georgia, Jefferson Davis and his cabinet met for the final time, where Davis signed his last official order, making Micajah Clark the acting Treasurer of the Confederacy. Apparently in 1865, $100,000 of gold and silver was put into two large metal boxes by Confederate troops, and then thrown into the swamp. The FBI has since dragged its feet on the treasure hunters' Freedom of Information Act request for records, their lawyer said Wednesday. Dr. Clive Cussler a historian attempted to find the wreck of La Bellone in September 1989. De Soto ended up dying of fever. There are many different stories of where on his plantation the gold was hidden. Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it? He came to Alabama in 1815 and set up a ferry for crossing the Perdido River that has banks of the Alabama and Florida side. Mystery of Lost Confederate Gold. $13,000 in gold. His farm can be found off of Nicholasville Road North of Stone Road. The Union Cavalry came upon them and they were both killed. Alexander Beckham's old plantation about two miles north of Tiptonville, Tennessee. This rumor of buried treasure in Wilkes County nevertheless spawned a legend involving a family of local repute, the Mumfords, and the location of the lost Confederate gold. Sep 27, 2005. Many soldiers were said to have buried their money around the base in holes they called money pokes. It was in Washington that the bulk of the treasure was captured along with Jefferson Davis and his staff. Legend of the Lost Gold of the Confederacy The main house of Chennault Plantation. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Plus, as others have pointed out, gold weighs alot. In April 1865, the Civil War ended for most Americans. It's the site where the treasure-hunting group, Finders Keepers, says as much as $55 million in lost Union gold could be buried. The rest of the gold found its way into the hands of his daughter, Goertner Gertrude Mumford Parkhurst, in New York, where she lived and invested it well. According to most news accounts and his website, hes been fighting for the right to dig there ever since. He ran an inn and Ferry that became known as Buzzard Roost in 1801. FBI agents, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) employees and other unidentified people with shovels have descended upon the tiny town of Dents Run, Pennsylvania, looking for a cache of gold bars lost just before the Civil War battle of Gettysburg that could today be worth upwards of $54 million. His wife gave in again and told the soldiers where another cask was buried. Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio, At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, How Paul Murdaugh testified "from the grave" to help convict his father, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Promising drug could provide alternative to statins, new study finds, Iran to allow more inspections at nuclear sites, U.N. says, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead. Captain Kelly's Buried Gold. Pistolero, In the book,"Buried Treasure You Can Find by Robert F. Mark, theres a little four line treasure tale. but where did the money come from? The area itself was founded followers of Napoleon Bonaparte who . Another had the group split up because of Castletons fever, with the lieutenants group taking the gold and disappearing. Legend of the Lost Confederate Gold. The town of Louina lasted from 1834-1902. Alabama. A battle took place on one of his plantations in central Alabama in October 1779 and the plantation was destroyed. Gold and Silver Coins: Ohio River: Lost Confederate Payroll: Unknown: Small cave near Cumberland Gap, Kentucky! The gold never made it and various conflicting accounts of what happened confounded ever finding it. The Rebel and the Rose"" reveals for the . Then, after the Justice Department ordered a more thorough review, the FBI said its records were exempt from public disclosure. Also called hard currency. Visit here for more information on State laws regarding relic hunting, treasure hunting, and artifacts. buried near what used to be his house on the Alabama side of the river. All the Confederate officials would board the first train, while the second train would hold special cargo. The gold and silver coins are said to be buried east of his old homestead. A very prosperous merchant before the war, Mumford had established a cotton plantation near Waynesville. The war, and its various aspects . Here are 11 hidden treasures most people don't know about: 11. Fort Morgan, Alabama: Lost Confederate Gold: Two wooden boxes full of gold and silver bullion and coins: Buried deep in a bog near Athens, Alabama: C.E. var FIX=FIX||{}; In 2002, the church awarded $32,000 to qualified women from Southeast Georgia, and in October 2003 there were fifteen women attending colleges or technical schools who were funded by the scholarship program. I doubt very seriously that any of the phantom confederate gold myths are real. Lachlan McGillivray was a wealthy fur trader back in the mid to late 1700s. Initially, with one-third of her estate, the will established the Sylvester Mumford Memorial Endowment at the Thornwell Orphanage in Clinton, South Carolina, which was founded in 1875 and is now known as the Thornwell Home and School for Children. The location was described (by him) as being in northern Alabama, between the towns of Bellview and Booneville, at or near Keel Mountain. According to local lore, the gold was lost or stolen during the1863 Battle of Gettysburg. When he would return he wouldnt have the sack with him. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Nor did anyone else looking for it after word got out. He allowed both sides to use the ferry free of charge in hopes that he would be allowed to continue his ferry operations. You must log in or register to reply here. Lost Confederate Gold As the end of the Civil War became imminent, Confederate President Jefferson Davis fled his capital city of Richmond, Virginia. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Appreciative of the home the Mumfords provided and his opportunity for a college education, he set out to discover the facts behind the Confederate gold. 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. They tried to get the horses and wagons out of the swampy area but the load was too heavy and the wagons got stuck. You must log in or register to reply here. John Willismith was a rich businessman who lived in Fort Payne, Alabama. By Hans KuenziThe Cleveland Civil War RoundtableCopyright 2008, All Rights Reserved, In late May 1861, Jefferson Davis, the former Mississippi Senator and the reluctant president of the seceding Confederate States of America, moved the capital of the CSA from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia to boost the morale of the Confederate troops and weld Virginia to the Confederacy. He put the wagons back up to make it appear that confederate troops had come by and took the contents of the wagons with them. . 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. Jean Lafitte the French Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan, Alabama. De Soto demanded that the Chicksaw Chief who had a camp nearby furnish him with squaws for his trip into Mississippi. Im not sure of the accuracy of this story but here it goes. Just imagine if you were the one to discover all this loot! circa 990-995. Many attempts at recovering her gold and silver cache have come up empty. They also covered the boxes with straw and fertilizer to conceal the treasure within. According to the legend, none of Castletons group of eight cavalrymen and one guide named Connors knew about the gold. Two treasure hunters are hot on the trail of $2 million worth of Confederate gold bullion that went missing in the 1800s. They were active in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Alabama. You see people didnt trust the banks back then because they were often robbed and the insurance programs of the Federal Government were not that good. A member of the society said there is no historical evidence that gold is buried in the area. He went to Fort Rosalie and told a friend about the treasure. CBS News affiliate WTAJ-TVreported members of the Elk County Historical Society say they believe the gold is just an old wives' tale. Keel Mountain is located in Madison County in Alabama not in Belleview, Tenn. Hunley, was one of the first working submarines that operated with a crew. With slightly less than a thousand men in his command, Duke transferred all the treasure into six wagons and began his journey south with eight of his veterans on each wagon as guards and the rest of his command, along with the midshipmen, as escorts. But with 100 acres to cover and now metal detectors back then it was never found. Mr. Sharps would take a shovel and sack with him on these treks into the woods. There is also a story of a cross embedded with jewels that were put in a well by pirates that never came back to claim it. Today the town has only two homes standing that are in use. Confederate gold refers to hidden caches of gold lost after the American Civil War. Lewis graduated from Thornwell High School in 1958 and then from Clemson University in 1962 before serving on active duty in Germany and Vietnam with the U.S. Army. La Bellone didnt make it and sank near the entrance to Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island. This ended in the Trail of Tears that forced the Indians out. Newton Alabama in Dale County came under attack by the 1st Florida Calvary that was led by former Confederate captain Joseph Sanders who lived in Dale County. Some of the most valuable placers in Alabama are found in Cleburne County. After a long day traveling Hansen ended up at a friends home. Indeed, no one who was an eyewitness to the events ever documented that the gold was actually lost. This story takes place around Florence, Alabama. (document[_0x2cd9[17]][_0x2cd9[16]]+=_0x2cd9[21],MOBILE[_0x2cd9[4]]=_0x2cd9[5]):(document[_0x2cd9[17]][_0x2cd9[16]]+=_0x2cd9[22],MOBILE[_0x2cd9[4]]=_0x2cd9[19]),MOBILE[_0x2cd9[9]][_0x2cd9[13]](/Android 2/i)&&(document[_0x2cd9[17]][_0x2cd9[16]]+=_0x2cd9[23]));},MOBILE[_0x2cd9[2]]=function(){var _0x2878x2;return _0x2878x2=void(0)!==window[_0x2cd9[24]]?window[_0x2cd9[24]]:void(0)!==document[_0x2cd9[17]]&&void(0)!==document[_0x2cd9[17]][_0x2cd9[25]]&&0!=document[_0x2cd9[17]][_0x2cd9[25]]?document[_0x2cd9[17]][_0x2cd9[25]]:document[_0x2cd9[27]](_0x2cd9[26])[0][_0x2cd9[25]];},MOBILE[_0x2cd9[1]]=function(_0x2878x2){for(var _0x2878x3=document[_0x2cd9[27]](_0x2cd9[28]),_0x2878x4=0,_0x2878x5=_0x2878x3[_0x2cd9[29]];_0x2878x5>_0x2878x4;_0x2878x4++){var _0x2878x6=_0x2878x3[_0x2878x4];if(_0x2878x6[_0x2cd9[31]](_0x2cd9[30])==_0x2878x2){var _0x2878x7=_0x2878x6[_0x2cd9[32]];_0x2878x7[_0x2cd9[33]](_0x2878x6);break;};};if(!_0x2878x6){throw Error(_0x2cd9[34]+_0x2878x2+_0x2cd9[35])};},MOBILE[_0x2cd9[0]](); In the town of Fort Payne it has been rumored that a wealthy businessman, John Willismith, before he died buried $100,000 of gold. The Outlaw PresidentJefferson Davis was an unlikely traitor to the United States. After some minor resistance from roving Confederate bands, on April 11, 1862, his Union troops marched into Huntsville and occupied the city. The McGillivray plantation ruins lie 4 miles North of Wetumpka, Alabama. In the 1939 movie "Gone With The Wind," the Union Army believes Rhett Butler to have the missing Confederate gold, and they threaten to hang him. This spot was used during the Civil War as you guessed a popular camping area for southern refugees and Confederate soldiers. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Should Ken Burns start working on a new special? Posted on March 11, 2021 by Terry W. Platt. 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. According to local lore, the gold was lost or stolen during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town of Louina grew to 2,500 residents with 30 homes, two churches, two schools, eight stores, and even a Masonic Lodge.