Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. By the early 1800s, the gang set up a hideout in Rocky Springs and, supposedly, buried tens of thousands of dollars in stolen gold and silver between the church and cemetery at Little Sand Creek near Rocky Springs. Here's how this gold war began, according to a Pittsburg Post-Gazette article about a 1983 story in Lost Treasure magazine. In Danville, the officials handed out a lot of the gold in exchange for Confederate money to help the soldiers when all hopes of saving the Confederacy were lost," Ricketts said. 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. Alabama. Here we go! It definitely would be worth taking a metal detector to the beach. One of Georgia's most lingering and possibly lucrative mysteries is that of the lost Confederate gold. The Confederate escort unit got away, but when they reported to whomever they were supposed to report to in the east and were asked about the gold shipment, they told him about running into some yankees and that it had been hidden to keep the yankees from getting it in case they were killed or captured. The first was given to the Presbyterian Church, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, in trust for the maintenance and education of white orphan girls of Brantley County. The American Civil War may be about to start up again and not for any of the reasons you might think. circa 960. In the waning days of the war, in April 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis fled Richmond with a trainload of what was left of the Confederate treasury . Sharps had a nephew named Grady Sharps who witnessed his uncle go into his 100 acres of forest that he owned south of Whites Mill. A battle took place on one of his plantations in central Alabama in October 1779 and the plantation was destroyed. One of the eight treasures of the Sasanian king Khosrow II. In April of 1862, Union Army Brigadier General Orsmby M. Mitchel left Nashville, Tennessee and moved his small army southward through Shelbyville toward Huntsville, Alabama. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. . The town of Louina lasted from 1834-1902. Near Demopolis is an area named White Bluff. He also interviewed local historians and librarians in Washington, Georgia, none of whom had heard of the golds connection to Brantley County. Win McNamee/Getty Images. He waited there until spring and set off to sail back to France at the beginning of April 1725. The combined hoard is believed to be between $500,000 and $600,000 in gold, the combined values of the Richmond Bank & Confederate . La Bellone ran aground at the entrance of Pelican Bay in September of 1724 which is on the east end of Dauphin Island. The wreck is still there and its treasure is waiting to be recovered! Mr. Sharps would take a shovel and sack with him on these treks into the woods. The brakeman subsequently threw him off the moving train. A town was named after her that once was one of the largest towns in Randolph County Alabama. May 17, 2014 at 12:00 am. Back in the 1800s that made for a huge town. January 6, 2022 / 11:11 AM The 1907 theft included the removal of a diamond star, pendant, and the collars of five knights of the Order. Henry refused to tell the soldiers where the treasure was and was beaten again. Rumor has it that with Lafitte spending so much time at Fort Morgan he could have buried a worth of $10,000,000 there. Heirloom Seal of the Realm. Subscribe Today! The belief that Confederate gold is buried in Wilkes County has persisted since the end of the war. It was said that many riders were so overloaded that they later discarded or hid large quantities of the coins all over Wilkes County. The FBI initially claimed it had no files about the investigation. After all, the mysterious doesn't always have to be serious. Clemens owned many slaves so he was worried they would tell any soldiers that came by where the buried treasure was. . Louina was forced to leave Alabama during the Trail of Tears and sold her trading post Isham T. Weathers. General Lee advised Davis that he had until 8 p.m. to load the gold, valuables and cabinet members onto two trains which would travel southward on the only line still open between Richmond and Danville, Virginia. The Irish Crown Jewels, stolen from Dublin Castle over a century ago, are still out there for treasure-seekers to find today. According to most news accounts and his website, hes been fighting for the right to dig there ever since. As soon as they spent all the gold and silver they came back for more. La Bellone didnt make it and sank near the entrance to Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island. That is a crazy amount of money even by todays standards. Moving to the southwest, Parker and the wagons zigzagged across the South Carolina-Georgia state line several times to evade capture. Explore Alabama - ALABAMA TREASURE LEGENDS Table of Contents: Alabama Treasure Legends, Legend of the Lost Confederate Gold, Old Flint River Settlement Gold, $30000 in Gold Coin Buried in Bridgeport Alabama, Loot Buried by Levi Colbert in Buzzard Roost Alabama , Rumors of Buried Treasure in . Still feverish, Castleton took over and made a number of course changes, including a plan to build a raft and float down the Susquehanna River to Harrisburg. 2nd Alabama Cavalry said: 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. Expand. It happened between the Confederate Armory which was not over run during the war and present day, Wall Street . Worth roughly $100,000 in 1865, when it disappeared, it would be a small fortune in today's dollars--around one million dollars. You see the Civil War was going on and many plantation owners were worried that their wealth would be looted if Union soldiers came around. In conclusion, historical research has determined only $70,000 of the gold belonging to the banks in Richmond is missing, but not lost, as it was accounted for in the robbery during its shipment back to Richmond. This ended in the Trail of Tears that forced the Indians out. Jean Lafitte the French Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan, Alabama. He and his friend decided to head out to recover the treasure. Egill Skallagrmsson 's silver. In the 1966 Spaghetti Western film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the . In April 1953, he and his three brothers were the first children from Brantley County to derive benefit from the Mumford funds at the Thornwell Orphanage in Clinton, South Carolina, after their father died from a heart attack in 1951 at age 47. 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. Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it? Confederate gold refers to hidden caches of gold lost after the American Civil War. 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? 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. General Dukes Brigade. No one else knew where the box was buried and it hasnt been found to this day. Several legends, actually. The chief said that he could have all the treasure if he would marry his daughter. Bushes envelop the pig farm, and the cemetery is wooded over. Alabama, The Heart of Dixie as its nicknamed was the 22nd state to be admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. Near Athens there may be a Confederate treasure. "From the outset, it seems as if the FBI is doing everything it can to avoid answering the question of whether they actually found gold," Weismann said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Check it out today its available on Amazon! He is said to have stored the gold and silver coins that he got from the Ferry goers in wine casks. The town of Louina grew to 2,500 residents with 30 homes, two churches, two schools, eight stores, and even a Masonic Lodge. 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. A big oak tree stands where his house was. The legend of the Confederate gold is referenced in many films. #1. This story takes place around Florence, Alabama. By the end of the war, nothing remained in the coffers of the Confederate treasury except for its incalculable amount of debt. The FBI claimed their 2018 dig came up empty, but treasure hunters Dennis and Kem Parada aren't so sure. They never made it. The gold and silver coins are said to be buried east of his old homestead. If you are venturing on to State or Federal lands you should know the laws of that State. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Original: Feb 28, 2018. First published on January 6, 2022 / 11:11 AM. Military money pokes. He wanted to trap game on the tribal land so he asked the chief permission. Those products, whether pictures of a service or a product contain links to the seller.What companies do I work with and promote?I work with 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 these websites.I also promote Solo Build It Site Built It, because it's the product I used to build this website. . Louina by all accounts was a wealthy Indian woman. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. There's a book out called " Confederate Gold" I haven't read it but it may give some clues. This little island has been cut off from the outside world until just recently when a bridge was built that goes from the mainland of Alabama across the Mississippi Sound to Dauphin Island. He ran an inn and Ferry that became known as Buzzard Roost in 1801. Confirmed. Two treasure hunters are hot on the trail of $2 million worth of Confederate gold bullion that went missing in the 1800s. Moreover, he was unable to find any mention of the name Mumford in any record of the period. He tried to locate the treasure but the landscape had changed so much over the years. Because it was in a state park, they were told to stop looking. The plantations were called Vale Royal and Springfield. Until next time Happy Treasure Hunting! Her book alleged that New York native and Confederate sympathizer Sylvester Mumford was present at the Confederacys final cabinet meeting in Washington, Georgia, and claimed that Jefferson Davis divided the gold among those present and instructed them to use the money as they felt best. This is the tale of what happened to the Confederate Treasury. The townspeople decided to defend Newton but were worried that if they got defeated that the towns treasury would be looted. Manage Settings CBS News affiliate WTAJ-TVreported members of the Elk County Historical Society say they believe the gold is just an old wives' tale. circa 990-995. Railroad Bill finally met his doom when a $500 reward was issued for him dead or alive. 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. var FIX=FIX||{}; Levi Colbert who lived from 1759 to1834 was the bench chief of the Chickasaw Nation. You are using an out of date browser. He told his friend all about the story of the two wagons, treasure, and the fight with the Union soldiers. Apparently in 1865, $100,000 of gold and silver was put into two large metal boxes by . 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. The Stolen Lost Confederate Gold: A Historical Analysis of Duluth, Minnesota's Development Abstract: This paper explores the historical claim that Duluth, Minnesota was built using stolen lost Confederate gold. $13,000 in gold. Your email address is safe, and unsubscribing is easy. Also called hard currency. pistelero, everyone knows that confedereate gold was made and distributed throughout the south, and some stories about hidden treasure are real. One version had all but Connor getting killed by robbers. In his quest, he is joined by treasure hunters and 'The Curse of Oak Island' brothers Rick and Marty Lagina. His wife gave in again and told the soldiers where another cask was buried. I would keep a close I on the eastern shore of Dauphin Island. WJAC and other Pennsylvania and national news outlets reported that dozens of FBI agents, along with Pennsylvania state officials had arrived in Dents Run, 27 miles from St. Marys. The area itself was founded followers of Napoleon Bonaparte who . Mystery Gulf Coast shipwreck. Jean Lafitte the pirate supposedly buried gold coins on a beach in what is now Bayou la Batre. It seems tales about long-lost Civil War gold will not go away, even though for the last 156 years people have looked unsuccessfully across the country for it. Hansen ended up killing one of the Union scouts. rjcox / flickr. 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. Other Confederate gold, remains of the treasury evacuated from Richmond, did ultimately reach Georgia. Most if not all of them take place well into the war, and by then the confederate had serious cash flow issues. . Here are 11 hidden treasures most people don't know about: 11. The treasure was suppose to be hidden under the foundation in the creek at the old Lucille grist mill, so one moonless night he employed the help of his . That's what an FBI agent was seeking to find out in 2018 when he applied for a search warrant to dig at the site in Elk County, northeast of Pittsburgh, according to a court filing unsealed on . A man named Hardy Clemens who was a rich businessman, politician, and farmer bought a few acres of land in Coaling, Alabama on the shores of Big Sandy Creek in 1845. Having his ferry there solved this problem. In fact, when she died in 1946 at age 99 in Washington, D.C., she bequeathed almost $600,000 to the children of Brantley County through an endowment and two scholarship funds. The treasure was placed into all kinds of containers that had once been used for sugar, coffee, flour and ammunition. Well, there you have it the 15 lost treasures of Alabama. All the Confederate officials would board the first train, while the second train would hold special cargo. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The really big lost treasure is that of the Confederate Treasury in custody of Jeff Davis upon leaving Richmond, fleeing the Yankee hordes. Near Athens there may be a Confederate treasure. General Basil Duke in charge. Then, after the Justice Department ordered a more thorough review, the FBI said its records were exempt from public disclosure. An FBI agent applied for a federal warrant in 2018 to seize a fabled cache of U.S. government gold he said was "stolen during the Civil War" and hidden in a Pennsylvania cave, saying the state . All but about $70,000 was recovered and transferred to Augusta, Georgia, where ownership of the funds was tied up in court until 1893. That was some years ago but since then the guy has found out from several old timers that the story they heard about this boat was that it was a grain or cotton barge that began taking on water and was beached. The Army sent Pinkerton detectives disguised as prospectors and lumbermen to clandestinely look for the gold, but they obviously never found it. Plus, as others have pointed out, gold weighs alot. He landed in a swamp and drowned because he couldnt swim. In November 2004, they claim to have found a fire pit in Dents Run where human skeletons were allegedly discovered in 1876. Due to the moral and legal concerns about restricting the fund to white orphan girls, the church then petitioned the court to open the scholarship to all ethnic groups. So Davis took with him the entirety of the Confederate Treasury, a Juan Monroy. So they filled a strongbox full of gold coins that the town had stored up as the treasury. 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. He also owned two plantations outside of what was called Savannah now central Alabama. Still lost: King Kamehameha's burial chamber. He didnt even tell his son. Henry Nunez 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. ****************. but where did the money come from? 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This was not actually supposed to be an article. Hansen then used the horses to trample the boxes deeper into the mud. After meeting with the treasure hunters in early 2018, the FBI brought in a contractor with more sophisticated instruments. The war, and its various aspects . They picked 3 men to bury the box full of gold coins somewhere near the courthouse. By all accounts, $100,000 in gold and silver coins was being transported by wagon in two wooden crates. I did not know of this event until I had moved to California, but I have retired and have relatives and land in the area. So if youre in Randolph County Alabama look up that old ghost town that was once called Louina. He was specific about the state, but Bellview and Booneville are marked as being in Tennessee. History, that is to say old rumors, tells us that a giant cache of gold was buried within walking distance of my house. Since the gold standard was abolished in the 1930s, gold coins, aside from their higher intrinsic value and demand as collectibles, no longer have any special worth as a standard of value in world trade. 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. The chief wanted him to marry his daughter. She would then sail the goods back to France. Portions of it are believed to be in Greene & Morgan Counties of Georgia. Henry refused and was subsequently strung up to a tree and whipped. Please enter valid email address to continue. Today the town has only two homes standing that are in use. Searching for more lost treasure? The trapper returned to the Chickasaw camp and married the daughter of the chief but her father had disappeared and no one in the village seemed to know where the cave was that held the treasure. Such is the legend of the Lost Gold of Keel Mountain told first by an old Madison County man named Jeremiah McCain, who had joined up with a renegade band of rebel guerillas in early 1862. . Continue with Recommended Cookies. She questioned whether the agency is "acting in good faith.". The Nunez Ferry ran for 47 years from 1815-1919. By all accounts, he stayed by the tracks between Atmore and Bay Minette Alabama stealing from the trains every chance he got. Rocky Springs, MS 39086, USA. Postal Service in 2000 and still has family and friends in Brantley County. The folk ballad by Lonnie Donegan was named after him. One day a rebel soldier came by and Hansen decided to lead him to the lost treasure so they could possibly retrieve it. The area was then abandoned around 1830. Captian Seigneur de Beauchamp was able to get her anchored in the harbor without any damage. Lost Copper Box of Gold Coins: $80,000 in gold coins: Somewhere in the Kiamichi Mountains: Confederate Treasure Near The Ghost Town of Scullyville: Unknown: Scullyville is located about twelve miles south of Fort Smith on the Arkansas River. Then you will want to check out the Garrett AT Pro. The two wooden boxes full of Confederate gold fell out of the wagons and sank quickly into the mud. In the Civil War-era movie, Gone With the Wind (1939), Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable, is rumored to have stolen the treasure. With its rich history of lost treasure, there is no wonder that we have 15 stories pertaining to lost treasure in Alabama. . 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.