The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-16
DEPARTED DUCATS.

THE CONFEDERATE TREASURY.
A DOUBTFUL POINT RECEIVES ELUCIDATION-
WHAT BECAME OF THE CONFEDERATE GOLD
AND SILVER WHEN LEE SURRENDERED.
The Sentinel of some time ago gave ro-
lost treasure of a part of the confederate
army with one or two soldiers who obtained
the booty as fortune. The account was
taken from California paper, and this story,
coming to the attention of correspondent
of the Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution, mas elected
the following reply, directed to Col. X. y.
Clarke, of Atlanta: L belonged to Gen.
Vauphn's brigade. When the
president, his cabinet and general officers.
then in consultation near the Savannah
river, agreed to divide out the money
on hand to the noble little army that
was willing TO follow Davis. their great
leader, to the last ditch beyond the MssiS-
sippi and even fortiiy on the west bank of
the Rio Grande river, of the Mexican line,
the amount OF confederate money, after
sending several Thousand to Augusta to be
expended tor the use and benefit of our sick
and wounded soldiers, amounted to little
over one hundred thousand dollars. All the
officers and troops present received SIS %
each, in gold and silver. The Virginia Bank
funds were turned over and were all the time
in charge of their own bank officers. They
Vs.
some fifteen or twenty miles, by their Off
GERS, and there deposited for safe keeping
I would guess something over 800, 0Oe
President Davis and his cabinet then struck
out for parts unknown. General Vaughn,
being our senior commander, received orders
from the proper officer to make the best
terms of surrender that he could with Gen.
Upton. then in command of the United
States forces, with headquarters at Augusta,
and on the 18th day of May, 1866, the
whole command surrendered. After
things around Washington, Ca, got
0uiee the Virginia Bank officers procured a
permit from the federal commander to take
back to Virginia the bank funds with a
small guard and four or five wagons. The
first night they encamped at the house of
the widow where the confederate gold had
been divided, near which a number of
Vaughn's soldiers lingered-afraid to return
to their homes. News soon spread in the
neigh borhood of the arrival and camping of
the train. Fourteen of the Tennes-
see bows and one Alabama boy
from Johpson's army were soon
mounted, dressed some of them with
BLUE YANKEE COATS.
Yaugan's command were generally
clothed with Yankee uniforms. The little
company moved up in military style, an ex-
captain in command. They demanded in
the name of the United States government
the surrender OF the funds, claiming land
perhaps believing) them to be confederate
funds still, the officer giving his name as
| Colonel Brownlow, OF General Gillem's or
Stoneman's command. The parties in charge
of the gold surrendered without firing
shot. All the men were placed under
guard, marched Oft some distance and
| placed in charge of a small force. The balance
took possession of the treasury and broke
open keg after keg and box after box.
When they found one containing silver coin
they passed it by, but when one contained
the yellow eagles they appropriated them un-
til all were satisfied. Then the guard was
relieved and the others filed their sacks
They then left the bank officers looking and
feeling very blue, and believing they bad
been handled by some others, not Colonel
Brownlow's command, with orders from
command had, a short time before, robbed a
citizen on the South Carolina side
of some 100000 in gold, belonging
to some minor heirs in or near Abb
beville, s; c., and large amount
at Greenville, S. c., belonging to a South
Carolina bank. A lieutenant and his squad
at the time were met by some of Vsughn's
men, and were charged and put to rout,
some of them captured, and on them were
found Ii watches and other property taken
! from citizens. The confederate squad, I'M
der "COi. Brownlow," left with their gold
tied up in corn sacks and blankets-some OF
| the boys took off their pants and drawers
| and tied it up in their legs-some of them
| took whole boxes unbroken. They, as
soon as out of sight, disbanded and each
one went his own way, and to dispose OF
his own treasure,
| SOME HIDING 1T
about in fence corners, in the swamp and
old fields. When done, each one repaired to
his home or to where they were boarding.
except three, who were more judicious
These three had added to their number one
other, aud their gold was divided, and not
being able to carry all, one box was thrown
in the run of q branch under a bridge. The
box had not been opened, the party be-
lieving it contained only $1,000 in
silver, but the men who got it out
told the writer it contained over 81 900
in gold. It was divided among
three outsiders, who were relations ia
part to the three who placed it there, and de-
scribed the place by maps and instructions.
Afterwards, some two days or more, the
j writer went with some of the same parties
and others, with the same map, and hunted
over the same ground. The whole face OF
the country had been scratched and dug up,
but still we fou I'D few silver quarters in
the brush, and an empty box near a pond,
The pond was secured and scraped, and in it
an old wheat sack was found with $500 or
5000 in silver, IL was considered Tree prop