The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-15
THE CONFEDERATE GOLD.
WHAT BECAME OF TTa-THE LAST
DAYS OF THE CONFEDERACY. :
The Facts and Figures Given by the
Confederate Commissary in Charge.

Lieutenant Colonel B. J. Moses writes as
follows to the Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer: {.
You publish an extract from the Richmond
Dispatch In reference TO the Confederate gold
left by President Da7ia, at Washington,
red to has this sentence, which requires an
answer from me:
"Ilearn from an old army acquaintance of
| highest respecabillty, who was one of the
party formed here to guard 1t while being
transported to Augusta, that the returned SOL
| diers were prevented from helping them.
| selves by being told that the money was to be
used for the benefit Of our prisoners at the
North; that it reached Augusta in safety; the
guards were then paid twenty-five dollars
each for their services and discharged; and
| while 1t cannot be proved exactly what be-
came of the gold, yet 1t is certain that our suf-
fering boys In prison never heard of It."
AS I am the officer with whom that gold
was entrusted, and as am. able to prove to
the curious who desire to inspect the vouch-
ers that the gold was appropriated In exact
accordance with my orders, to the utmost
farthing, think 1t Is due to myself that this
much further should be added to what the
writer In the Dispatch terms "historio inter-
est In connection with the last days Of the
Confederacy.".
President Davis, General Breckinridge, Re
gan of Texas. and others Of the cablnet, ar
rived In Washington, Ca, with the gold; Gen.
eral Bragg was also there. and large body of
cavalry who had guarded the gold to Wash
ington, and who received a part Of their pay
in gold. had received orders to have 1s0.-
900 rations at different points, With which to
supply the returning soldiers from General j.
q. Johnston's army. The commlssary. gen
eral. j. E. st. Johns. then In Washington, had
no funds. called to see the President, but
could not see him; he was exhausted from
fatigue. then had an interview with Cen
eral Toombs, aud told him Of the necessity Of
had already started, President Davis having
left previously. General Toombs had an inter-
view with General Breckinridge; the result
was that received an order tor forty thou
sand dolars-ten thousand for the quartermas-
ter's department and thirty thousand for the
commIssary department. This was among the
last orders ever Issued by the Confederate
Government, and was sent by me to General
Toombs about year since, as historic relic,
In which he had acted 6 generous part In be-
half Of our scldiers and Is now, presume, In
his possession. followed the train and over
took 1t that night, and received sixteen boxes
of bullion, estimated to contain forty thousand
dollars returned with this to Washington,
and paid on the order of ". F. Alexander, ma
jor and assistant to the quartermaster general,
three boxes OF bullion, estimated at ten thou
sand dollars, to be opened and weighed before
two commissioned officers. These boxes were
delivered to R. R. Wood, major and quarter
master, at Washington, Wilkes County, on
the 9Th Of May, 1865. employed four young
men of tho Washington Artillery to guard the
gold that night and accompany me with 1t to
Augusta. The guard was rendered necessary
because there were great many struggling
soldiers and cavalry prowlins about Washing
ton. The next morning started for Barnett,
where would have to walt an hour or two
for the Augusta train. A number OF eavalry-
men and returning soldiers went on the same
train with US, and when we arrived at Garnett
made what was then called several ''charges"
upon the gold. These, with the guard and
kind assistance Of Colonel Sanford, now OF
Montgomery, and private - Shepherd, now
OF Texas, were successfully resisted.
When reached Augusta addressed let.
ter to General L. McLaws, commanding, and
with his concurrence entered into q cores
pondence with General Mollyneux who
received the funds In my hands.thlrteeh
boxes bullion Weighing s34, ,955-and he amply
provided for the returning troops from the
the United States Commissary Department; so
that the fund, s4,s65 in excess Of what
recepted for, was every dollar appropriated
as it was intended by the order. The excess
occurred from the tact that the bullion
when received could not be weighed, but had to
be taken Ia estimate. 1t was delivered by me
to Captain Adams, of Massachusetts, Regi.
mental Provost Marshal OF Augusta, WelgneQ
at the Mechanics Bank, Augusta, and certified
to By MIR. Hatch, the cashier, and two officers
of General Mollyneux's staff. The original
receipt is In the hands of Hon. Jere s. Black.
left 1t with him Ia the presence OF ColonelJ:. ]:
D. Waddell. present Clerk of the House OF
Representatives, as I was curious through
some one In Washington, to ascertain whether
the bullion had been accounted for to the
United States; of which fact am still unad.
vised. Another curious "hlstoric incident"
occurred about this time. The day after the
gold (that was carried away by the Confeder-
crate train) left Washington, cavalryman
threw q bag over General Toombs' fence
and galloped of. On examining 1t, the
bag Contained $4,000 In gold coin. Gen.
eral Toombs Immediately sent 1t by my
eon to the Federal Quartermaster then
stationed at Washington, to be used for pro-
visions to supply such troops as might pass
through Washington unprovlded for. could
state many amusing incidents, and annoying
ones, too, that occurred while was possessed
of the treasure; but suffice to say. In the then
condition of the country, determined to exc
cute the order With which I was entrusted, l
found $685. 900 In gold an elephant in my hands;
and was rejoiced to get rid of 1t. and at the
same time have the soldiers supplied with ra-
tions, and the Confederate Government vim
dicated from anything like adlsregard to their
comforts Respectfully, &. j. MOSES,
Late Confederate Commlssary for the State OF
Eeorpla