lost confederate gold in alabama

There are many different stories of where on his plantation the gold was hidden. On April 2, 1865, an urgent telegram came for Davis from General Robert E. Lee. From there, I am assuming the Bellview back then is Belleville today, just with a name change. Demopolis is an abandoned town on the Tombigbee River, near the intersection of rout 43, and 80. The area was founded by exiled followers of Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 1800's. Henrys wife gave in and told the soldiers where one of the wine casks was buried. JavaScript is disabled. The townspeople decided to defend Newton but were worried that if they got defeated that the towns treasury would be looted. (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.). So if youre in Randolph County Alabama look up that old ghost town that was once called Louina. The Chief agreed but he had other intentions as well. All the merchandise including the gold and silver bullion and coins sank with the ship. Jean Lafitte the French Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan, Alabama. 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. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, During the months he was trying to stay ahead of his would-be captors, Danville became an encampment for the Union army. The plantations were called Vale Royal and Springfield. In the 1938 book, Flight Into Oblivion, by A.J. Henry Allen Nunez was an early-day entrepreneur. Then, after the Justice Department ordered a more thorough review, the FBI said its records were exempt from public disclosure. 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. Knowing that he was wealthy and owned half of the town the legend has it that the gold could be buried anywhere in Fort Payne. Have fun in your search for Alabama treasure. Long story short it is said that Levi Colbert buried some of his savings from the inn and ferry operations in what is now Colbert County Alabama. So what happened to that missing Confederate treasure? 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. After he retired, Bob Brewer embarked on an adventure to find the missing Confederate gold, supposedly hidden by the mysterious Knights of the Golden Circle of the late 1800s to finance a second Civil War. They fought with the Indians and ended up taking their gold and jewels and then going onto Alabama. Is There Treasure Waiting For You In Alabama? The gold from the Richmond bank was accounted for, but was later stolen by around 20 armed men in Danburg, Georgia. La Bellone ran aground at the entrance of Pelican Bay in September of 1724 which is on the east end of Dauphin Island. Manage Settings One night two braves took the trapper, tied his hands and feet, and blindfolded him. If its there Im all for digging it up. The question that I pose. They also covered the boxes with straw and fertilizer to conceal the treasure within. The Curse of Oak Island. Finally, in the wake of the treasure hunters' appeal, the FBI said it had located 2,400 pages of records and 17 video files that it could potentially turn over - but that it would take years to do so. Here we go! Semple was also given vague instructions, which left a great deal of latitude in where he went and how he got there. Jean and his older brother Pierre stole a lot of loot over the years in and around the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1800s. I am sure some of your readers are from that area and are familiar with the Prattville, Montgomery area and of course, the Alabama River. Even into the 1930s, the pages ofThe Augusta Chronicleincluded stories of impromptu inner city treasure hunts sparked by a variety of rumors that someone had found part of a hoard hastily hiddenfrom the Yankees. One theory suggests it was stolen by the Michigan Cavalrymen. Some say he buried his gold on his pig farm. I have hunted the area with only minor finds but there was alot of activity in the area. The whereabouts of his home are under debate. So the gold could have been buried anywhere, or perhaps in different locations. The entrance of the town has a historical marker at the entrance that explains the towns history. He also contracted pneumonia and had an infection that contributed to his death. And peoples imaginations take over from there.. 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. The folk ballad by Lonnie Donegan was named after him. He took the bodies of the Confederate soldiers with him. 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. The troops were trying to keep the gold and silver away from Union soldiers. Morris was formerly a skilled circus performer and had an athletic build which made getting on off trains a breeze. The brakeman subsequently threw him off the moving train. The Union Cavalry came upon them and they were both killed. One of the clues to the former Navy paymaster and his survival after the events of May 4 were documented by Robert Seeger in his 1962 book, And Tyler, Too, which provided an in-depth look at the presidency of John Tyler and his family. 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. Well, there you have it the 15 lost treasures of Alabama. After depositing the Richmond bank funds in a local vault in Washington for safekeeping, Davis continued heading south with his wife, Varina, their children and a few others. Three children and two men drowned but the rest of the passengers were saved by a brigantine sailboat that was nearby. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They left Richmond with a bunch of money, and when [Davis group] was captured six weeks later, they didnt have it. In their book The Rebel and the Rose (2007), Wesley Millett and Gerald White tracked the path of that chunk of the Confederate treasure, part of which they believe one of the navy officials, James A. Semple, spent on his love affair with Julia Tyler, the widow of President John Tyler, as well as a failed plot to provoke war between Britain and the United States. And like all good stories of lost treasure, this one has staying power. It was never recovered. They left Richmond with a bunch of money, and when [Davis group] was captured six weeks later, they didnt have it. Two more Union soldiers were killed along with the two rebels that had been with Hansen. Kevin and Al travel to Brad's home where they meet a woman who is the descendant of a large plantation owner. A member of the society said there is no historical evidence that gold is buried in the area. If anyone heard of a spot or location where a ghost was possibly seen (and there seem to have been several reported inThe Chronicle) suspicion was they were guarding the gold. In an account he made to a Richmond newspaper in 1893, Parker recalled that the government funds placed in his charge totaled only about $500,000 in gold, silver and bullion. Still, rumors of the millions persist. He is said to have stored the gold and silver coins that he got from the Ferry goers in wine casks. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Under the headline"What Became of the Confederate Gold," Moses told the newspaper a small portion of it went to buy food for returning soldiers, while the bulk of about$40,000was turned over to the federal authorities. But with 100 acres to cover and now metal detectors back then it was never found. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! While they fought the commander detailed a couple of men to hide the gold just in case they lost and were captured. The gold became a lost legend. So with no luck finding the treasure he packed up and moved to California. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. That was generally what he had been told to do in May 1865, in what became known as the "Last Order" of the Confederacy. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Jefferson Davis, a Congressman from Mississippi and former Secretary of War, was named its president. The French officials seemed La Bellone unsalvageable and didnt attempt to recover the lost cargo. 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. When he was captured, he had his wifes shawl over his shoulders. La Bellone didnt make it and sank near the entrance to Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island. They are the rarest of any Civil War weapons. Mr. Willismith owned most of the town. Digging Deeper: Lost Treasures of Oklahoma. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Whatever they had started off with, travel expenses had steadily depleted their coffers by that time. Henry knew he could make a fortune with his ferry because the Perdido River was a popular crossing spot for people going from Alabama to Florida and vice versa. Dr. Clive Cussler a historian attempted to find the wreck of La Bellone in September 1989. [3][4], Davis did in effect take with him $528,000 in gold and silver bullion (some of it in Mexican silver coinage) when he fled the city on 3 April 1865 by train. Almost half a million dollars in reserve gold was also gathered from a bank in Richmond. 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. 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. 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. Keep in mind most of these lost treasure stories have been handed down by word of mouth over the centuries. While on the route to Columbia the wagons and horses started to get bogged down on the marshy ground 4 miles North of Athens, Alabama. 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. One day a Union Officer became privy to Henry Nune and his buried treasure. In the Cumberland mountains of central Tennessee a small Confederate detail had hidden the gold in a mountain cache. The gold and silver coins are said to be buried east of his old homestead. Many posses were formed looking for Railroad Bill. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Corroborating evidence found in Semples letters to Julia Gardiner Tyler, depicted a man on the run, carrying on underground activities for Davis. A Colorado company, hired by a private individual, performed a geophysical survey and employed pulse induction instruments to identify the locations of the silver (and a small amount of gold). Finders Keepers filed a federal lawsuit against the Justice Department over its failure to produce documents on the FBI's search for the legendary gold, which took place nearly four years ago at a remote woodland site in northwestern Pennsylvania. Wesley Millett and Gerald White are the authors of The Rebel and the Rose. He didnt even tell his son. Most importantly, Davis only has a few dollars on him when he was captured, which led to a long-running question: where did all the money and gold go? The authors were primarily participants in the evacuation of Richmond and they included Confederate cabinet officials, army officers, and treasury employees. Hidden Treasure discoveries can happen anyt . Confederate gold refers to hidden caches of gold lost after the American Civil War. 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