Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-02-10
A~TRaNGE Story.

How u Conf. d+rt- soldier from Tea
n@--se BecHme Very EI"n-HI. Re.
m-SaI to 'nIif.-nis 18th y fae-is
Arar HIM.
San Francesca SKA iner igrh
When the Confederate army, under
General Lee, was forced back from the
trenches at Petersburg by the Federal
army. President Davis hurriedlv ordered
about fifteen million dollars. the property
of the banks of Virginia and Of the Cou-
federate States, TO be placed on trains at
Richmond and sent South. intending to
convey it TO the trans-Mssis-ippi Depart
ment, il possible, there n make final
stand. The treasure was carried down 10
Charlotte, North Carolina. where the rail-
road ended At this place it was decided
to leave the money belonging to the Bank
of Virginia in keeping Of their officers.
The rest Of the money belonging TO the
Confederate States was placed In wagons
and the retreat continued. The hrigades
Of Generals Basil Duke aud Vaughan.
who had succeeded in escaping from East
Tennessee and had arrived at Charlotte
few days before, were placed. under the
orders of General John &. Breckenridge.
20 art as an escort to the treasure, and the
command proceeded south until Green's
boro. Washington county, Georgia. vas
reached. At this point information was
received that the Federal General, viii
son, had captured Macon, few miles
distant, and in the line OF retreat TO the
.rans-M Mississippi Department. The news
sooa got among the men. They became
demoraliZed. and rush was made for the
wagons containing the treasure. Ii was
speedily divided among them, the officer.
being unable TO restrain the men. Among
the lucky ones were two soldiers belong.
ing to Company Il, Third Tennessee
Mounted Infantry, OF Naughan's brigade
from MunrOe county, Tennessee. One o
them was named Albert Stevens. aud tn,
other we will call j. r. Jones. They hal
charge OF a wagon containing one hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars in gold
and when the panic spread among the sol
diers and the cry was "salve qul peut,
they retained their presence of mind auC
drove off in the woods, where they diyid
ed the money, making some scyenty-fy
thousand dollars apiece aud separated
Stevens taking his to his home in Tcnne-
see, where he buried, it, confiding il
hiding-place to his mother. very oil
lady. Finding that il would be- daugerou
the unsettled condition of things there
the people being equally divided on ia
question of the war, he went 10 Georgia
where he found Jones, who had bought
small place and was quietly waiting unit
IL would be safe for him 20 return hOmC
Stevens stayed aw lille with Jones am
then went of to another part Of Georgi
10 visit some relatives; before going, how
ever, he informed Jones about the hidin
OF his money and hi, MOTHER knOwledg
OF its whereabouts. q, -OOH a. Steven
was gone, JOne. mounted his horse an
made a Decline for Tennessee. to th
place where Stevens lived. Arriving Their
he presented hi comrades mother with
forged letter, purpOrting 10 come frOu
her sOn. directing her TO deliver the mon
ey to Jones, which the old lady did
Jones then started direct for California
Arriving here he purchased Il large trac
Of land in MendocinO county, land bcin
very low at that time, and has sine
amas~ed q large fortune iu addition 10 hi
ul-gOtten gains. and Is now highly r.
spccted and a member Of the church.
IN the course Of time. Stevens, havin
ascertained that il would be safe, .tarte
for home, possibly dreaming Of q futur
life OF ease and comfort ON some blncgTas
farm-raising TAI cattle and blOOdc
horses-this being your average kentuck
ian's or Tennesseean's idea Of an carthl
paradise. On reaching home be sooi
found out his loss. Buckling on his revol
Yer, he secured the entire South and Yves
in search Of his faithless friend, yowing (,
shoot him ON sight, and only recently a.
oertained mis- whereabouts. lie Is now il
correspondence with a prominent lawye
OF this city, and an attempt will shOrtl,
be made 10 bring Mr. Jones 10 acooun
through the courts.