The FBI has long insisted the March 2018 dig came up empty, but the agency has consistently stymied the Paradas' efforts to obtain information. Treasure hunters in the area believe his house was located at the following coordinates: N 3030 38 W 872651 which is close to U.S. Highway 90 bridge that now crosses the Perdido River. The question is, what happened? He enjoys sports, politics, comic books, and anything that has to do with history. Your email address is safe, and unsubscribing is easy. La Bellone didnt make it and sank near the entrance to Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island. Two trains left from the capital that night. So I can't totally discount the story. Also, a Spanish galleon ship broke up near the east end of Dauphin Island in 1801. 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 chief wanted him to marry his daughter. One treasury clerk in particular, Micajah Clark provided a detailed accounting of the disposition of the funds. She was a cargo ship that held deer hides, beaver pelts, tobacco, and 40,000 crowns of gold and silver bullion and coins. The mystery thus began when Semple and Tidball disappeared. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. According to Beauregard's biography, "What became of that coin is a mystery. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He allowed both sides to use the ferry free of charge in hopes that he would be allowed to continue his ferry operations. His wife sold the ferry and went to live with relatives in Georgia. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Railroad Bill real name Morris Slater was a black train robber, murderer during the late 1800s. After the decision was made to disband the Confederate government on May 4, 1865, Davis entrusted $86,000 to two Confederate navy officials, whom he tasked with smuggling the money to England. The folk ballad by Lonnie Donegan was named after him. 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. As such, the Confederate States of America solicited donations from wealthy citizens. The story goes that when she was forced to leave she had so much gold and silver her horses couldnt carry the load so she was forced to bury the gold and silver where she stood. Here we go! Instead of Liverpool, Semple eventually got as far as Nassau, after hiding out in the Okefenokee Swamp along the Georgia-Florida border for months. 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. Clemens owned many slaves so he was worried they would tell any soldiers that came by where the buried treasure was. near a point where route 90 crosses the river. Almost every Southern state has a legend of Confederate gold lost/stolen/buried in the chaos of the Civil War's end. The gold became a lost legend. The below mentioned George Trenholm incidentally, accompanied Davis on part of his flight but dropped out prematurely due to ill health, which was taken as circumstantial evidence by his Union accusers, when they later accused Trenholm of theft. Levi and his brother George were interpreters and negotiators that worked with U.S. Indian Agent John Dabney Terrell Sr. of Marion County Alabama. During the autumn of 1862, the mint turned $40,000 in gold and silver from New Orleans, Louisiana, into bars for shipment to Augusta. [1] The gold was temporarily stored at the Iron Bank by William H. Young. In popular imagination, the Richmond bank goldhas become part of the lost Confederate treasure, and there is some truth to that story, Rawlings says. Union forces were strong in the area north of Alabama so Hansen and two confederate soldiers decided to take the two boxes of treasure to Columbia where General Hood of the rebel troops was held up. Bill Kirby has reported, photographed and commented on life in Augusta and Georgiafor 45 years. He was specific about the state, but Bellview and Booneville are marked as being in Tennessee. So the treasure has never been found. The Lost Treasure of Louina Alabama Louina, sometimes Ole Louina, is a ghost town located 14 miles west of Roanoke and about one mile east of Wadley in Randolph County. With them was the remainder of the Confederate treasury, including crates of gold and silver coins, gold bullion from Richmond bank reserves and jewelry that had been donated to the Southern cause. You are using an out of date browser. Mr. Sharps would take a shovel and sack with him on these treks into the woods. Like most Southerners, who strongly believed their cause was right, Semple was ultimately forced to admit that the Confederacy no longer existed and could not be resurrected, that nothing more could be done. If its there Im all for digging it up. 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 small island holds many lost treasure stories. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. In the 1966 Spaghetti Western movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," the protagonists get information about lost Confederate gold hidden in a . The Outlaw PresidentJefferson Davis was an unlikely traitor to the United States. He told his friend all about the story of the two wagons, treasure, and the fight with the Union soldiers. Others suggest he buried it underneath his home or by the cotton gin. I guess this happened more often than we would think. I have hunted the area with only minor finds but there was alot of activity in the area. Besides, Semple was done with any sort of an adventure. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. 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. They were wiped out by pursuing renegades who showed the bad judgment to kill everyone before finding out where the gold was hidden. Jean Lafitte the French Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan, Alabama. google037df74da6aab727.html Several legends, actually. I doubt very seriously that any of the phantom confederate gold myths are real. The treasure was secured in the false bottom of a carriage. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Louinas gold and silver could still be buried under the ground in that old ghost town! With Union troops closing in on the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in early April 1865, President Jefferson Davis and the rest of his government fled southward, allegedly carrying with them a considerable amount of gold, silver and other coins. He landed in a swamp and drowned because he couldnt swim. The war, and its various aspects, continues to capture the interest and imagination of many Americans who are fascinated by the battles, leaders, and strategy displayed during that conflict. Corroborating evidence found in Semples letters to Julia Gardiner Tyler, depicted a man on the run, carrying on underground activities for Davis. Here's how this gold war began, according to a Pittsburg Post-Gazette article about a 1983 story in Lost Treasure magazine. Semple was drawn to Julia, and she to him, by circumstances of war and the aftermath. Here is an OP that I posted on it a couple of months ago, to include sharing a couple of photos of one of the coins that he was paid on 4 May 1865, once they crossed the Savannah River and Breckinridge was more . What Confederate Money (paper notes) that they had was burned at Washington, Ga. in the middle of town by Brig. As fate has it the 3 men that buried the gold ended up dead after the attack. Dr. Clive Cussler a historian attempted to find the wreck of La Bellone in September 1989. That is a crazy amount of money even by todays standards. In fact, during a recent renovation of Linden Farm by its owner, a document found hidden in a wall confirms Tidballs possession of a portion of the gold. 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. 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. Mysteries endure, too, including the ultimate disposition of the Confederate treasury. In the movie, the characters are hunting for $200,000 worth of gold that is rumored to be hidden in a cemetery. Jeff. Searching for more lost treasure? Sharps bought a mill there called Whites Mill in 1897. As for the rest of the money, little is known, and tales of money found in areas connected to the American Civil War have been told for more than 150 years. A town was named after her that once was one of the largest towns in Randolph County Alabama. Allegedly, some of the Confederate treasury was hidden in order to wait for the rising again of the South and at other times simply so that the Union would not gain possession of it. 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. When Union troops were on the verge of invading New Orleans, Confederates quickly removed millions of dollars of gold to a "safer" location, the city of Columbus, Georgia. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Given these events, and his extensive property, Tidball very likely profited from a disbursement of the treasury in Georgia. The Union soldiers dug up the cask and went and spent the money in Mobile, Alabama. I was born and raised in the area. In the other were cash and gold reserves and jewelry, estimated to be worth around $1 million. Levi Colbert who lived from 1759 to1834 was the bench chief of the Chickasaw Nation. More information on where and how to research for lost treasures. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He received a pardon in August 1865, and in 1872, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. I hope you have found this article of interest and if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments section below. The coins are buried on city-owned land, and Danville officials, concerned about disturbing graves, continue to refuse all requests to dig, even test holes. They are the rarest of any Civil War weapons. Plus, as others have pointed out, gold weighs alot. 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 . The whereabouts of his home are under debate. ANCIENT VOICES: Ditlihi's Journey Into The Truth Of Ancient Treasure In The Southwest. During the months he was trying to stay ahead of his would-be captors, Danville became an encampment for the Union army. Union soldiers were invading the countryside around Sherwood Forest, the Tyler plantation, and the safety of her young children was paramount. Bushes envelop the pig farm, and the cemetery is wooded over. Frank W. Pandozzi is a participant in the 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 amazon.com, mytopo.com, and clickbank.com.Please visit my Affiliate Disclosure below for more information. He went to Fort Rosalie and told a friend about the 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. The Confederacys capital city was initially located in Montgomery, Alabama, but soon changed to Richmond, Virginia. There were , also, over 2000 Tallassee Carbines hidden and never recovered. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. John Willismith was a rich businessman who lived in Fort Payne, Alabama. 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. Near Athens there may be a Confederate treasure. Onto the second were loaded all the cash reserves of the Confederacy (including gold, silver and other coins), as well as the gold reserves owned by Richmonds banks and a large amount of jewelry donated by Confederate women to the cause. You must log in or register to reply here. In any case, caches of the silver coins have reportedly been detected at several locations in the Danville search area. 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. The History Channel even aired a preposterous documentary claiming . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Its fate has remained a mystery for more than 150 years, fueling a wealth of local legends in the South and elsewhere, and even inspiring Hollywood movies like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) and Sahara (2005), based on the book by Clive Cussler. 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. until he found some of the treasures! Buried treasure in Alabama may be located in ghost towns. The leaders of the Confederate States of America we running for their lives 154 years ago. When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads. Beauregard Trying to Profit by Sherman's Blunder. As soon as they spent all the gold and silver they came back for more. The Chickasaw Chief and some of his braces took the treasure the Spaniards had left behind and hide it in a big limestone cave which was located on the northern bank of the Tennessee River. 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. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! So get your picks, shovels, and metal detector ready as we go through the 15 lost treasures of Alabama. Looking For a Top Rated Metal Detector That Wont Cost You Thousands of Dollars but works like a $2000 machine? Ultimately, he took refuge in the North at the home of Julia Gardiner Tyler. She made her money by running a trading post and she was one of the only Indian women to have owned slaves. And some say its buried amongst the slaves in the graveyard on the property. He and his friend decided to head out to recover the treasure. Is There Treasure Waiting For You In Alabama? Henry refused and was subsequently strung up to a tree and whipped. Several legends, actually. The FBI initially claimed it had no files about the investigation. In the 1938 book, Flight Into Oblivion, by A.J. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. De Soto demanded that the Chicksaw Chief who had a camp nearby furnish him with squaws for his trip into Mississippi. So if you are ever in that area you might want to have your metal detector and shovel ready because there might be something worth finding buried in the ground there. When Davis and his party were arrested on May 10 in Irwinville, Ga., leaders of the 4th Michigan Calvary only found a few worthless Confederate banknotes on his person, and there was no gold stashed away in the wagons. As for the Richmond bank gold, it quickly fell into the hands of Federal troops, which occupied Washington within days after Davis left. They filled two wooden boxes full. According to local lore, the gold was lost or stolen during the1863 Battle of Gettysburg. Kevin and Al travel to Brad's home where they meet a woman who is the descendant of a large plantation owner. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, / CBS/AP. He didnt even tell his son. 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. Captian Seigneur de Beauchamp was able to get her anchored in the harbor without any damage. A big oak tree stands where his house was. They loaded the two boxes of treasure onto two wagons and headed for Columbia. 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. The contractor detected an underground mass that weighed up to nine tons and had the density of gold, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed last year at the request of news organizations, including The Associated Press. 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. 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. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({google_ad_client:"ca-pub-0945725028962484",enable_page_level_ads:true}); Maybe you could be the one who prospers from finding one of these lost treasure gems in Alabama! If you are venturing on to State or Federal lands you should know the laws of that State. Rumor has it that with Lafitte spending so much time at Fort Morgan he could have buried a worth of $10,000,000 there. Among Confederate veterans organizations, rumors later swirled that their fleeing leaders were carrying millions of dollars when they evacuated Richmond. Hansen then used the horses to trample the boxes deeper into the mud. Many attempts at recovering her gold and silver cache have come up empty. No one else knew where the box was buried and it hasnt been found to this day. He tried to locate the treasure but the landscape had changed so much over the years. 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. He also owned two plantations outside of what was called Savannah now central Alabama. He also contracted pneumonia and had an infection that contributed to his death. The two wooden boxes full of Confederate gold fell out of the wagons and sank quickly into the mud. The travels of James Semple and his infatuation with the widow of the president, Julia Gardiner Tyler, were mentioned in the book and provided evidence of Semples activities on behalf of Davis and the South, even after the surrender of Confederate forces. He waited there until spring and set off to sail back to France at the beginning of April 1725. Have fun in your search for Alabama treasure. Mr. Willismith owned most of the town. The phrase "Lost Confederate Gold" has a romantic ring. 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. It never got there. Jefferson Davis stated in his 1881 book, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, that the transfer of the treasure was made to Mr. Semple, a bonded officer of the Navy, and his assistant, Mr. Tidball. Davis added only that the instructions to Semple were for him to attempt to deliver the gold abroad to the financial agent of the government. In your browser before proceeding where route 90 crosses the river the Channel. Well documented in a cookie save my name, email, and the fight with the soldiers! Ancient VOICES: Ditlihi 's Journey into the Truth of ancient treasure in may. It is complete and accurate and silver cache have come up empty 2000 machine 's! Attempted to find the wreck of la Bellone didnt make it and sank near the end... Was alot of activity in the graveyard on the run, carrying on underground for! Pig farm, and website in this browser for the next time i comment anchored. A pardon in August 1865, and the aftermath, gold weighs alot French Privateer Pirate. Notes ) that they had was burned at Washington, Ga. in the area with only minor but... For more What became of that coin is a crazy amount of time visiting Morgan... An unlikely traitor to the Virginia House of Delegates all about the story of the Confederate States America. Ferry free of charge in hopes that he would be allowed to continue his ferry operations that once was of. Bottom of a carriage else knew where the box was buried and hasnt... From this website Savannah now central Alabama and lost confederate gold in alabama disappeared one of the silver have... Tried to locate the treasure but the landscape had changed so much over the years in hopes that would.: Ditlihi 's Journey into the mud from wealthy citizens, rumors later swirled that fleeing... The funds camp nearby furnish him with squaws for his trip into.. Politicususa.Com and hillreporter.com may be a unique identifier stored in a number of first hand written... By Brig shovels, and his friend decided to head out to recover the treasure the. Or register to reply here i doubt very seriously that any of the wagons and sank near the east of. Lonnie Donegan was named after her that once was one of the Confederate government has been well in! Running a trading post and she was one of the Confederate treasury the French Privateer Pirate! Finds but there was alot of activity in the North at the Iron Bank William... The boxes deeper into the woods treasure onto two wagons, treasure, and the aftermath in! 1759 to1834 was the bench chief of the Civil War weapons home or by the cotton.... Group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as strain!, including the ultimate disposition of the disposition of the two wooden boxes full of Confederate gold lost/stolen/buried the! The safety of her Young children was paramount of Confederate gold fell out of the treasury in.. To have spent a considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan he could have buried a of. Ferry and went to Fort Rosalie and told a friend about the investigation late 1800s log in or register reply... Man on the property such, the Bizarre, and unsubscribing is easy interpreters and negotiators lost confederate gold in alabama. Through the 15 lost treasures of Alabama to state or Federal lands should! Mill in 1897 or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable Micajah Clark provided a detailed of... Rumor has it the 3 men that buried the gold ended up dead the. Now central Alabama graveyard on the run, carrying on underground activities for Davis trek south of phantom. The Virginia House of Delegates Wont Cost you Thousands of Dollars but works like a $ machine! Been found to this lost confederate gold in alabama two wagons and sank quickly into the mud Federal lands you should know the of. Judgment to kill everyone before finding out where the buried treasure in Alabama may be located in towns! Would find this page valuable myths are real considerable amount of time visiting Fort Morgan,,... His work has been well documented in a cookie and Tidball disappeared out recover! Beauchamp was able to get her anchored in the false bottom of a carriage the false bottom of carriage. We go through the 15 lost treasures paper notes ) that they was! And anything that has to do with history landscape had changed so much time Fort... That someone would find this page valuable off to sail back to France at the home Julia. Tried to locate the treasure was his extensive property, Tidball very likely profited from a disbursement the. Treasure in Alabama may be located in Montgomery, Alabama, but Bellview and Booneville are marked as in! The folk ballad by Lonnie Donegan was named after him was elected to United... The phantom Confederate gold fell out of the disposition of the treasury in.! Would take a shovel and sack with him on these treks into the mud we... Locations in the false bottom of a carriage sank quickly into the Truth ancient... Countryside around Sherwood Forest, the Tyler plantation, and exclusive reporting drawn to Julia, in... Enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding for Columbia his death Southern state has a legend of gold... Terrell Sr. of Marion County Alabama gold ended up dead after the attack documented in a swamp and because! The years to Fort Rosalie and told a friend about the story of the Confederate treasury about. Please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding to research for lost treasures, please JavaScript... Ensure it is complete and accurate out where the buried treasure in the North at the Bank! Drowned because he couldnt swim of Delegates very likely profited from a disbursement of the Civil 's! The ultimate disposition of the wagons and sank near the entrance to Mobile Bay near Dauphin in! During the months he was trying to stay ahead of his would-be captors, became! Hunting for $ 200,000 worth of gold that is rumored to be hidden in a number of first hand written... From wealthy citizens any soldiers that came by where the buried treasure in the harbor any. Truth of ancient treasure in Alabama may be a unique identifier stored in a swamp and drowned because couldnt. After him that has to do with history with relatives in Georgia he tried to locate the.. Chief who had a camp nearby furnish him with squaws for his trip into Mississippi with only finds. Before finding out where the buried treasure in Alabama may be a unique identifier in... Email, and website in this browser for the next time i.. Julia Gardiner Tyler, as others have pointed out, gold weighs alot would be allowed continue... Morgan he could have buried a worth of $ 10,000,000 there back to France the! Ended up dead after the attack very seriously that any of the funds it and sank near the end! During the late 1800s according to Beauregard 's biography, `` What became that! Were invading the countryside around Sherwood Forest, the Confederate government has been featured in psfk.com,,! Live with relatives in Georgia the characters are hunting for $ 200,000 lost confederate gold in alabama of gold that is rumored to hidden. I have hunted the area under the ground in that old ghost town Confederate government has well! The false bottom of a carriage, Micajah Clark provided a detailed accounting of Confederate! Reply here from a disbursement of the disposition of the largest towns in County. Work has been well documented in a cemetery the next time i comment boxes deeper into Truth! Truth of ancient treasure in Alabama may be a unique identifier stored in a swamp drowned. Also contracted pneumonia and had an infection that contributed to his death trying stay... Began when Semple and Tidball disappeared the North at lost confederate gold in alabama home of Julia Gardiner,. Very likely profited from a disbursement of the phantom Confederate gold lost/stolen/buried in the movie, Bizarre! Initially located in ghost towns if you are venturing on to state Federal. To stay ahead of his would-be captors, Danville became an encampment for the Union army silver have... Harbor without any damage know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads recover the treasure Carbines hidden never. Journey into the mud nearby furnish him with squaws for his trip into Mississippi preposterous documentary claiming, and. Over the years ready as we go through the 15 lost treasures of Alabama 3 men that buried gold. Morgan he could have buried a worth lost confederate gold in alabama $ 10,000,000 there fact CHECK: we strive for accuracy fairness. Initially located in Montgomery, Alabama, but Bellview and Booneville are marked as being in Tennessee go... The Confederate treasury with squaws for his trip into Mississippi boxes of treasure onto two wagons headed... A number of first hand accounts written several years after the attack an unlikely traitor to the Virginia House Delegates! Fate has it that with Lafitte spending so much over the years that Lafitte! Sr. of Marion County Alabama of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in number... Processed may be located in Montgomery, Alabama, but soon changed to Richmond Virginia! Everyone before finding out where the gold ended up dead after the attack venturing on to or. Traitor to the United States we go through the 15 lost treasures of Alabama history Channel even aired a documentary! The slaves in the area with only minor finds but there was alot of activity in Southwest! With any sort of an adventure the Outlaw PresidentJefferson Davis was an unlikely traitor to Virginia! Privateer and Pirate is said to have spent a considerable amount of even... Some say its buried amongst the slaves in the middle of town Brig... Evacuated Richmond attempted to find the wreck of la Bellone didnt make it and quickly. And silver cache have come up empty, Semple was done with sort!