The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-02-25
a Tale or Treasure.
The Sacramento Union of the 2ls

| The Sacramento Union of the 2lst
tells this singular story:
When the Confederate army. un-
der Gen. Lee, vas forced back from
the trenches at Petersburg by the
Federal army, President Davis hur.
riedly ordered about $4,000, 900, the
property of the banks of Virginia and
of the Confederate States, to be
placed on trains at Richmond and
sent South, intending to convey it to
the trans Mississippi Department, il
possible, there to make final stand.
The treasure was carried down to
Charlotte, n. G., where the railroad
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 be.
longing to the Confederate State.
was placed in wagons and the retreat
continued The brigades of Gems.
Basil Duke and Vaughan, who had
succeeded in escaping from East Ten
nessee and had arrived at Charlotte
a few days before, were placed, un-
der the orders of Gen. John c.
Breckenridge, to act rs as an escort
to the treasure, and the command
proceeded south until Greensboro,
Washington county, Ga, was reached
At this point information was re-
ceived that the Federal Gen. Wilson
had captured Macon. a few miles
distant, and in the line Of retreat to
the trans Mississippi Department.
The news soon got among the men.
Among the lucky ones were two
soldiers belonging to Company B.
Third Tennessee mounted infantry of
Vaughan's brigade, from Munro
county, Tennessee. One of them
was named Albert Stevens, and the
other we will call J. +. Jones. They
had charge of wagon containing
sl50,000 in gold; and when the
panic spread among the soldiers and
the cry was ''sauve qui pent,' they
retained their presence of mind and
drove off in the woods, where they
divided the money, making some
$4,000 apiece, and separated, Ste-
yens taking his to his home in Ten
nessee. where he buried it, confding
its hiding place to his mother, . very
old lady. Finding that it would be
dangerous for him to remain in Ten
nessee, owing to the unsettled condi-
tion of things there, the people being
equally divided or the question Of
the War, he went to Georgia, where
he found Jones, who had bought a
small place and was quietly waiting
until it would be safe for him to re-
turn home. Stevens stayed awhile
with Jones, and then went to another
part of Georgia to visit some rela-
tiyes. Before going, however, he in
formed Jones about the hiding of his
money and his mothers knowledge
of its whereabouts. AS soon as
Stevens was gene Jones mounted his
horse and made bee line for Ten
nessee, to the place where Stevens
lived. Arriving there he presented
his comrades mother with forged
letter, purporting to come from her
son directing her to deliver the
money to Jones, which the old lady
did. Jones then started direct for
California. Arriving here he pur-
chased large tract Of land in Men
docno county, land being very low
at that time, and has since amassed
large fortune in addition to his H.
60 ten gains, and is now highly re-
spected aud member Of the church.
In the course OF time, Stevens,
having ascertained that it would be
safe, started for home, possibly
dreaming of future life of ease and
comfort on some bluegrass farm
raising fat cattle and blooded horses
this being your average kentuck-
ian's or Tennesseean's idea OF an
earthly paradise. On reaching home
he soon fouGd out his loss. Buck
ling on his revolvers, he secured the
entire South and West in search Of
his faithless friend, vowing TO shoot
him on sight, and only recently sscer-
tanned his whereabouts. He is now
in correspondence with prominent
lawyer of this city, and All attempt
will shortly be made to bring Jones
to account through the courts.-.San
Francisco Eran,iner.
There has been an earnest effort
made during the last three years, to
secure some indemnity from Con-
gress to settlers on the Des Moines
River lands for the great loss they
have sustained by reasons of the fail
ure of the government titles under
which they have held their homes.
This effort was commenced by Gov
ernor Carpenter who has faithfully
followed it up by every means in his
power; but it has been mainly urged
in Congress by the Hon. Jackson Orr,
of the House. 1t has also had the
verv warm and hearty support of
Messrs. McCrary and Wilson, of the
House, and of Messrs. Wright and
Allison, of the Senate. All Of the
delegation from this State have been
as active as possible in furtherance
of the effort. At the last session Mr..
Or, succeeded in getting a bill
through the House providing for the
payment to the settlers Of a little
more than 100000, but this bill has
been unfavorably reported upon by
the Senate Committee on Public
Lands, and this virtually seals its fate
for this session.
Deacon Orrin Bugbee, who died al
Lebanon, N. H. January goth. and
Samuel Sanborn, who died at Meriden
January 2lst, each 81 years, had
their lives insured on the same day