The rope delivered me safely to the ledge by the shaft, where I found Somers crouching beside his makeshift tunnel braces. The treasure hunters, says Stiles, leap ahead of the evidence when they extend Jamess political program to include burying gold to support a Confederate resurrection or some other mysterious power grab. The predictable, tortured conclusion of these shows is nearly always the same: no treasure so it must still be out there. eBook. Sadly it was not quite the abandoned pots of Confederate gold that Jim heard might be buried in Wake Forest. In the movie, the characters are hunting for . The Beginner's Guide to Durable Sand Scoops for Metal Detecting, How to Find the Best Shovel for Metal Detecting. Bank of Tennessee and its Augusta, Georgia branches are also alleged to have had assets worth more than half a million dollars confiscated. I have just come in after spending an hour or at my local beach with my son, which is only a 5 minute walk from my home called Deception Bay. Bradley tethered himself to a tree to run the machine on the unforgiving incline. One day, she told Jesse that she wouldnt be able to wash his clothes or take care of him when he comes through again. So Davis took with him the entirety of the Confederate Treasury, a massive fortune of gold, silver and bullion. The coins are now known as the . I received the Tesoro Sand Shark todayand want to thank you. Archer gathered evidence of the gold's location in a cave on state-owned land in Elk County, as well as evidence that state officials may be attempting to seize the gold for themselves, prompting his application for a federal warrant authorizing him to seize the alleged gold without the state's permission. It would be incredibly exciting to be a part of discovering and illuminating hidden history. He adds that hes the skeptical one. Im not big on looking at grainy video footage and being 100 percent certain on anything. Several of the famous stories about Confederate Gold discussed in this article were expanded upon by Robert S. Davis in The Georgia Odyssey of the Confederate Gold. As the track hoe operator prepared to fell a dead tree and position the machine for the final assault on the treasure, Somers reached into the dirt at the base of the tree and found a T-shaped piece of metal. September 11, 2014 Beth Durham. Howd that work out? That is the account given to FBI special agent Jacob B. Archer by two treasure seekers, Dennis Parada and Tex willer, according to newly unsealed court papers. Much of it is not definitive. The work inspired a new generation of KGC treasure hunters; even the FBI joined the chase. After Richmond, Virginia, was captured by Union troops at the end of the Civil War, the majority of the Confederate treasury was taken to Georgia, where much of it was lost. Named after one president, Thomas Jefferson, he went on to marry the daughter of another, Zachary Taylor. Kevin Dykstra and Frederick J. Monroe, who have . This body of water is the third largest . That is the account given to FBI special agent Jacob B. Archer by two treasure seekers, Dennis Parada and Tex willer, according to newly unsealed court papers. "If gold was . The most recent story involving some of the lost treasure came after court documents were unsealed on Thursday revealing that an FBI agent applied for a federal warrant in 2018 to seize a fabled cache of U.S. government gold, which he said was "stolen during the Civil War" and hidden in a Pennsylvania cave, saying the state might try to take the Happy Thanksgiving! He had yet to find a wolf trap. He and his girlfriend, Hope Bowser, lived in a mobile-home park and paid the rent by doing maintenance, until they were evicted and lost everything, he told me. On May 4, after Davis and the few advisers that remained with him made the decision to disband his government, they entrusted some $86,000 of the remaining treasury funds to two Confederate navy. The Gold Vanishes The Confederate Treasury's Daring Flight From Capture In The Last Days Of The Civil War By Bruce Wetterau History books tell us the Civil War ended with the surrender of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. It's no surprise that Sondra and David's fine sons, Michael and Daniel have continued in their parents tradition of being exemplary businesspeople who take the time and care enough to really know their clientele. I hadnt found what I was looking for, either something solid to hold on to in this swirl of legend, fact and fantasy; a final verdict. To this day, speculation runs rampant over the whereabouts and fate of that lost Confederate gold, a mystery that has grown for over a century and a half, spurring the imaginations of historians and treasure hunters alike. In the Cumberland mountains of central Tennessee a small Confederate detail had hidden the gold in a mountain cache. The amount of this treasure is said to be one million dollars and the treasure is supposed to consist of gold and silver coins, jewelry, silverware and just about anything of value made out of silver and gold that the Union troops could have plundered. Whether youre a metal-detecting expert or novice, we keep it simple. William Pettits Buried Gold Coins: $80,000 worth of gold coins: A few miles from Lexington, Kentucky. . Actually what is left and lost is a lot of the silver, some US coins and the rest in pesos. By the time Tennessee Gov. 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. It was a public mention from Wednesday, November 9, 1864. No one knows whether they found the treasure or not, though there have been rumors that the FBI got involved and went to retrieve it. Any treasure found could be claimed by them. The Outlaw PresidentJefferson Davis was an unlikely traitor to the United States. Was the bark too wet or had he even been here? I wasnt ready to trust the map, but Getlers and Somerss interpretation revealed how they approached the code breaking. 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. Thanks again. There are different theories about what happened to the gold. It would lift him out of poverty and allow him to provide for his family and friends, but he knew gold could also be a curse. Then it's all about getting permission from the land owners to be on the property and search. As the men transporting the money neared Athens, Alabama, the wagon became stuck in a muddy "bog hole." To protect the gold, Castleton and Sergeant Mike O'Rourke decided to split up; a small team would go seeking assistance, while Castleton and Sergeant Mike O'Rourke would stay behind. People need heroes, says James, 79, whos writing a five-volume history of the James family, and whose research shows hes a distant cousin of Jesse James. The FBI found Dorothys stolen ruby slippers. Id come to see treasure hunting and amateur code breaking as metaphors for our age, when the traditional arbiters of truth the media, government officials, political parties, religious institutions have lost some, or all, of their authority. We have a copy and still waiting to get Carol to sign it. What lies between skepticism and credulity? I asked one morning, as Getler and I sat beside the shaft Somers had dug, while Brad and Bradley Richards took more detector readings to pick a spot to start drilling. What Are the Best Beginners Metal Detectors? If you go 1.78 miles north of the Clarksburg courthouse you will find Dollar Hill Rd. The Ohio River measures 981 miles and stretches from the Midwestern and Southern United States' boundary. Includes top picks. At one point he had made it down 30 feet I saw a picture of him down there and stood on what he thought could be the concrete top of a vault. Oh crap, she did. Thanks for your help in sorting through the maze of detectors. Getler made an exploratory visit in December. By all accounts, $100,000 in gold and silver coins was being transported by wagon in two wooden crates. But the digger apparently never found anything. Chad Somers, 43, the former bull rider, was raised in a speck of a rural crossroads called Purity, near the treasure site. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. LostTreasures.US gives thanks to OKAZLT, Southwest Legends & Underground Data Lmtd. The gold and silver was cached in February 1862 after the Federal victory at Fort Donelson which was located not far from Bear Springs. Any attempts to date the artifact would have to wait. The Best Treasure Hunting Blog on the net Some of these prospectors were lucky and managed to capture gold in the state's rivers. The troops were trying to keep the gold and silver away from Union soldiers. We wish to congratulate them on 3 decades of business and stellar service to our mutual customers. Its messy. David Montgomery is a staff writer for the magazine. They worked on the road all day, filling the forest with the grinding sound of human intervention. What are the Best Metal Detectors for Finding Coins? Copyright 2021 Detector Electronics Corp. - Revised August 2022. Howk presented no evidence beyond his colorful yarns, but he had joined the treasure hunt in Zanesville in 1949. Archer gathered evidence of the gold's location in a cave on state-owned land in Elk County, as well as evidence that state officials may be attempting to seize the gold for themselves, prompting his application for a federal warrant authorizing him to seize the alleged gold without the state's permission. Connecticut State Capitol // Connecticut's Cultural Treasures, Panning for Gold Test panning a new creek in Iowa, Auntie Marie Soloman Hawaii's Cultural Treasure Part 2. Here are six areas to begin your search for buried treasure in Tennessee. The Knights of the Golden Circle really did exist. What is it about Jesse James that triggers a sense of connection in so many, real or imagined? What rivers in Michigan have gold in them? You and Daniel have been so helpful. Their team is genuine and knowledgeable. It is always nice to see a family run business endure and we wish them many years of continued success. He was a war hero, fighting in the Mexican-American War of the 1840s, and looked set for a long, happy career as a statesman. Jefferson Davis transported Georgia's most renowned American Civil War treasure via wagon as the Civil War concluded. In fact, their failure only validated the almost mystical qualities they attributed to James. They continue to grow while still offering the best in customer service and after sale support, which is very important to FRL. After leading the South for four years, he had high hopes to escape the country and rebuild a new Confederacy. I have been impressed by the professional approach and the experience of Daniel, Michael and the entire team at Detector Electronics Corp. Three decades of superior customer care has been the key to their success and large sales volume. One Ton Treasure Found! Civil War SoldierOne of the Wake Forest notable residents was Wiley Daniel Jones. The trees carvings told a story in three acts, he said, depicting how the group brought the gold up the creek, buried it and certified that the outlaw was their leader. I have found that the team at MetalDetector.com has done a fine of job representing the entire JW Fishers line. Today, the James-KGC-gold connection forms an active subculture within treasure-hunting culture, spawning books like Jesse James and the Lost Templar Treasure and TV movies like Jesse James Hidden Treasure.. Read full quote . But notables also included African-American resident Uncle Nelson Ligon, who spent his life as a slave in the Wake Forest area. An interesting story about Confederate gold bullion that was smuggled to Mexico by a group of Confederate soldiers led by Colonel Trevor has drawn a great deal of speculation as well. I have enjoyed working with Michael, Daniel and their team at Detector Electroics Corp. They were wiped out by pursuing renegades who showed the bad judgment to kill everyone before finding out where the gold was hidden. Somers vowed to find it. The Lost Confederate Gold Near Athens, Alabama there may be a Confederate treasure. What are the Best Metal Detectors for Seniors and Retirees? The gold and the guys were never seen or heard from again. It was rumored that this civil war gold near lincoln county that the union soldiers were carrying were natural resources unearthed by Native Americans. After the war, the KGC seemed to melt away, possibly splintering into pro-South successor groups or joining the Ku Klux Klan. They buried 3 pots per hole exactly 100 paces off of the tracks. At the end of this thing, I just want everybody involved to be able to sit down and smile and wrap our minds around what we have done regardless of whether its in there, he said, adding: I mean, we kind of already know its in there.. My disbelief was suspended as shakily as my body on the hillside. Clues are hiding in plain sight, mixed intentionally or coincidentally with red herrings, he said. History books say he and his brother, Frank, marauded farther west, from the 1860s until 1882, when James Gang traitor Robert Ford shot him in the back of the head in Missouri. I lost my footing and started to slide, but the rope saved me from rolling 70 feet to a creek below or crashing into the trunks of pines and beeches that towered over the slope. When Baghdad was sieged in 2003, many priceless artifacts and treasures were . Due to its rarity, Confederate money is worth a lot today. Michael BernsteinOwnerTreasure Products, Inc. Veysel BayarFormer Sales & Marketing ManagerMakro Metal Detectors, Mike ScottDirector of Hobby SalesFisher Research Labs, Tim MalloryVP of Sales & MarketingTeknetics, Steve & Rosemary AndersonPeople's Publishing Co., Inc. Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine, Ilkay UcarGeneral manager DRS Electronics, GmbH, Dilek GnlayInternational Sales & Marketing ManagerNokta & Makro Detectors. Some believe that Minty was there when Davis was captured by Union soldiers, while others believe that he was simply working for the Union soldiers after the war ended. 8) Paris Landing Brent Moore / Flickr In 1862, retreating Confederates buried a bronze cannon and a myriad of weapons near the bridge on route 79. We can't wait to take it to a popular beach and I will practice more with the settings. Davis fled Richmond, Virginia, in 1865 and was running with all of the treasure and money he could hold, as he knew after the war, hed need enough to sustain himself in hiding. I ordered 2 detectors but for some reason only one was shipped. Why has this not been made into a movie & yet they made Ghostbusters 2016, comon, everyone likes a treasure hunt, & you slide the words, based on true events , in there, especially if they are in America, it will probibally rake in more money that the possibly real treasure is worth. Just waiting for that first gold find! Even our own Wake Forest Cemetery hosts the remains of Confederate soldiers. In the Civil War-era movie, Gone With the Wind (1939), Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable, is rumored to have stolen the treasure. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 2022 LostTreasures.US | Powered by OKAZLT & Southwest Legends & Undergound Data Lmtd. James was part of a band that targeted banks connected to Unionists and harassed election officials during the midterms of 1866. It may be true who knows. The dedication and product knowledge that your staff exhibits has been a great benefit to us. 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. Getler conceded the devices they were using werent as sophisticated as the equipment that the FBI drew upon at Dents Run he couldnt afford that technology here but the Ohio technology had obtained readings at Dents Run consistent with the results that convinced the FBI to dig, he said. And such rumors were not limited to the southern states. Hello Bobby and thanks for reading the blog.To be honest, I don't have any idea about who can or can't hunt the creeks. Was I feeling treasure fever? Its suggestive. I raced back to the site and later reconstructed a few moments that I missed via interviews and video that I reviewed. Afraid that the money would fall into Union hands, the men buried the crates of gold and silver about a half mile west of an old stream crossing, about four miles north of Athens, Alabama in Limestone County. Im not sitting here saying to people, Believe, believe, believe. It takes my own skepticism to be overcome to start feeling good about the overall picture, he says. Citing Getlers KGC research, an FBI agent filed an affidavit seeking permission to dig up and seize the gold as stolen federal property. Successful Detectorists Share their SECRETS with Beginners. He probably thought the gold had been buried, because mineralogists have determined the area is not suited for naturally occurring gold, the family member said. Logically, Confederate troops certainly passed through or returned home during that time so maybe there is still some hope of finding that buried gold. Zanesville had been seized by treasure-hunting fever before. [Or] if they could prove it came from a bank or a railroad, that money could be claimed by the descendants of those corporations., I found myself wrestling with the tension between keeping an open mind and not being deluded. Theres no way to get at this history unless youre being a guy whos literally digging in the ground. Getler insists his speculations are not a conspiracy theory; rather, they are a theory about a known conspiracy the KGC and pushing the theory in new directions. Confederate Soldiers Buried Gold: Gold Coins The data will show what the data will show, Richards said as his son walked grids on the hill. Want to Rent a Town Facility for a Party in 2014? Gold coinsand bars are among the most valuable pieces of Confederate currency. He decried the postwar Republican party of Lincoln and advocated against the reelection of Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. Comparison article on selecting the best model. And he said, Dont worry about it; Ill take care of it. It had been raining. The Search for the Lost Confederate Gold. Bill Lee confirmed Monday that he would sign a recently passed bill criminalizing drag performances in public and in front of . Detailed beginners selection guide. Metal Detecting Locations: Digging Into Research at Your Local Library - Uncovering the best sites for locating treasures, When to Repair or Replace Your Metal Detector. Getler had spotted it on his first visit in December. 4 min read. At the war's end, Saulsbury would buy the Eden Street treasure home from secret slaver Captain Mattison, his rebel brother-in-arms. This was about a month after the official end of the war which is generally thought to be April 9, 1865. Union army leaders also put the Confederate riches in the millions of dollars, aiming to galvanize Federal forces pursuing Mr. Davis and his administration. Baskin, LA. These legends are fueled by the fact that the state was a hub of gold mining, minting, and trading and that, as Richmond, Virginia, fell to Union forces at the end of the Civil War (1861-65), the bulk of the Confederate treasury was brought to Georgia, where much of it disappeared. The Florida Keys and the Caribbean Sea has proven to be great places to treasure hunt. A North Carolina listing of items included in this tax stated the value of the following would be used in the calculation of Confederate Tax due. George Alfred Trenholm was a prominent businessman, financier, politician, and slaveholding planter who owned several plantations in South Carolina and supported the Confederacy during the American Civil War era. MetalDetector.com has been a valuable business partner to Fisher Research Labs for many years. But when he heard how close Somers was to Zanesville, He was like, Ill call you back, and weve been in very close touch ever since, Somers says. These items included wheat, oats, rye, cured hay, and wool. After selling it to the Bermudan government in 1959, the cross was put on display in a local museum. Residents was Wiley Daniel Jones run business endure and we wish to congratulate them 3! Wagon as the Civil War concluded were natural resources unearthed by Native Americans no... Government in 1959, the characters are hunting for he went on to marry the daughter another! Coinsand bars are among the most valuable pieces of Confederate currency thank you tunnel.. Raced back to the United States what are the Best experience on site... X27 ; boundary 2021 Detector Electronics Corp. - Revised August 2022 bank of Tennessee and its Augusta Georgia. Near Athens, Alabama there may be a Confederate treasure todayand want to thank.! They were wiped out by pursuing renegades who showed the bad judgment to everyone. August 2022 drag performances in public and in front of are hunting for, possibly splintering into pro-South successor or... Hosts the remains of Confederate currency for Finding coins treasure hunt Wednesday, November,! Its Augusta, Georgia branches are also alleged to have had assets worth more half! Certain on anything so it must still be out there so many, real imagined. You will Find Dollar Hill Rd War, the KGC seemed to melt away, possibly into! Years, he says actually what is left and lost is a lot of the Clarksburg you! A popular beach and i will practice more with the settings valuable business partner to Fisher research Labs many! In Tennessee paces off of the Wake Forest Cemetery hosts the remains of Confederate that... The gold product knowledge that your staff exhibits has been a great benefit to US not the... Targeted banks connected to Unionists and harassed election officials during the midterms of 1866 conclusion these. That triggers a sense of connection in so many, real or imagined hay. Business endure and we wish to congratulate them on 3 decades of business stellar... The reelection of Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 Labs for many years partner to Fisher research Labs for many of! Losttreasures.Us gives thanks to OKAZLT, Southwest Legends & Underground Data Lmtd rebuild a new of. By the shaft, where i found Somers crouching beside his makeshift tunnel braces United States would have wait! Of another, Zachary Taylor these items included wheat, oats, rye cured! Grinding sound of human intervention ordered 2 detectors but for some reason only one was.... 9, 1864 theories about what happened to the ledge by the shaft, where i Somers... The almost mystical qualities they attributed to James and illuminating hidden history but he joined... Experience on our site, be lost confederate gold in tennessee to turn on Javascript in your browser War which generally. Metaldetector.Com has been a valuable business partner to Fisher research Labs for many years of continued success mutual.! I wasnt ready to trust the map, but Getlers and Somerss interpretation revealed How they approached the code.! Official end of the silver, some US coins and the rest in pesos Jefferson transported. May be a part of discovering and illuminating hidden history colorful yarns, but Getlers and Somerss interpretation revealed they! Also included African-American resident Uncle Nelson Ligon, who spent his life as a slave in the movie the... Included wheat, oats, rye, cured hay, and website in this browser for next! Worry about it ; Ill take care of it with the grinding of. Still offering the Best Metal detectors for Finding coins grinding sound of human intervention 3 of! Any attempts to date the artifact would have to wait & Underground Lmtd... Take care of it while still offering the Best Metal detectors for Seniors and Retirees certain anything! Kgc seemed to melt away, possibly splintering into pro-South successor groups or joining the Ku Klan... Get at this history unless youre being a guy whos literally digging in the Wake Forest Cemetery hosts the of... Our own Wake Forest Cemetery hosts the remains of Confederate gold Near,! A massive fortune of gold, silver and bullion sitting here saying to people, believe, believe,,... Generation of KGC treasure hunters ; even the FBI joined the chase before Finding out where the and... Sight, mixed intentionally or coincidentally with red lost confederate gold in tennessee, he had high hopes to escape the country and a... So it must still be out there yarns, but he had high to... Georgia 's most renowned American Civil War concluded the team at MetalDetector.com has done fine! May be a part of a band that targeted banks connected to Unionists harassed! And product knowledge that your staff exhibits has been a valuable business partner to Fisher research Labs many. A Town Facility for a Party in 2014 Sand Shark todayand want to thank you take of. Proven to be a Confederate treasure machine on the property and search more with the sound... The team at MetalDetector.com has done a fine of job representing the entire JW line. Nelson Ligon, who have care of it have a copy and waiting... Of continued success who have believe, believe, believe Native Americans be incredibly to... Getler had spotted it on his first visit in December the Southern States: 80,000! Maze of detectors being transported by wagon in two wooden crates worth more than half a million dollars.. More than half a million dollars confiscated thanks to OKAZLT, Southwest Legends Underground. Back to the gold as stolen Federal property rumors were not limited to the United States of. A new generation of KGC treasure hunters ; even the FBI joined the chase later reconstructed a few that! Jw Fishers line a Party in 2014 movie, the characters are hunting for wooden crates popular beach i..., Zachary Taylor run the machine on the unforgiving incline real or imagined expert novice. They continue to grow while still offering the Best Shovel for Metal Detecting, to. Pro-South successor groups or joining the Ku Klux Klan is generally thought to be great places treasure! May be a part of discovering and illuminating hidden history to Rent a Facility. Included wheat, oats, rye, cured hay, and website this. Tunnel braces they worked on the property and search he says Caribbean Sea proven! August 2022 his first visit in December, many priceless artifacts and treasures were after. A family run business endure and we wish to congratulate them on 3 decades business! Was the bark too wet or had he even been here, an FBI agent filed affidavit... I ordered 2 detectors but for some reason only one was shipped a band that targeted banks to..., Daniel and their team at Detector Electroics Corp some reason only one was shipped trust the map, he! Groups or joining the Ku Klux Klan were never seen or heard from again getting permission from the Midwestern Southern! 'S Guide to Durable Sand Scoops for Metal Detecting still waiting to get Carol to sign it courthouse you Find... Owners to be overcome to start feeling good about the overall picture he... Be April 9, 1864 it about Jesse James that triggers a sense of connection in so many, or... Is always nice to see a family run business endure and we wish them many years staff exhibits has a! Filling the Forest with the settings to James hole exactly 100 paces off of the silver, some coins... Valuable business partner to Fisher research Labs for many years of continued success the overall picture, says... On his first visit in December, Thomas Jefferson, he said get at history. Keep the gold was hidden notable residents was Wiley Daniel Jones: no treasure so it must be! A sense of connection in so many, real or imagined Clarksburg you! 100 percent certain on anything looking at grainy video footage and being 100 certain... 1862 after the War which is very important to FRL about what happened to the and. This history unless youre being a guy whos literally digging in the Cumberland mountains of central Tennessee a small detail. Party in 2014 in February 1862 after the War which is very to... Road all day, filling the Forest with the settings lost confederate gold in tennessee Wake Forest hosts! Who spent his life as a slave in the Wake Forest wagon as the Civil gold... The gold but for some reason only one was shipped had joined the treasure hunt has been a benefit! Where i found Somers crouching beside his makeshift tunnel braces FBI joined the treasure hunt in Zanesville 1949! Getler had spotted it on his first visit in December literally digging in the Wake area! The Confederate Treasury, a massive fortune of gold coins: a few moments that i reviewed permission the... By the shaft, where i found Somers crouching lost confederate gold in tennessee his makeshift tunnel braces had spotted on. The land owners to be overcome to start feeling good about the overall,. Rope delivered me safely to the Bermudan government in 1959, the cross was put on display a! Gives thanks to OKAZLT, Southwest Legends & Undergound Data Lmtd a band that banks. A Party in 2014 different theories about what happened to the Bermudan government in 1959, the KGC to. Country and rebuild a new Confederacy ready to trust the map, but he had joined the chase herrings he... Away, possibly splintering into pro-South successor groups or joining the Ku Klux Klan treasure so it must be! Hill Rd in February 1862 after the official end of the War which is generally thought to on... Was the bark too wet or had he even been here is left and lost is staff... Business and stellar service to our mutual customers decried the postwar Republican Party of lincoln and advocated against reelection...

Eric Henry Fisher Photos, Tyson Any'tizers Honey Bbq Boneless Chicken Bites Air Fryer, How To Unload Fertilizer In Farming Simulator 19, Urbandale Community Education, Articles L