The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-02-12
A WAGON LOAD OF GOLD.
The Strange Dry OF an Ex-CODfeder-
ate's Riches -NemesIs After Him tn
California.

ate's Riches Nemesis After Him i'm
! California.
San Francisco Examiner.
| When the confederate army, under
! Gen. Lee, was forced back from the
trenches at Petersburg by the federal
! army, President Davis hurriedly or
dered about fifteen million dollars, the
property of the banks of Virginia and of
the confederate states, to be placed on
trains at Richmond and sent south, in
tending to convey it to the trans Missis-
sipDi department., if possible, there to
make final stand. The treasure was
carried down to Charlotte, North Caro-
lima, 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 belonging to the confederate
states was placed in wagons and the re-
treat continued. The brigades of Gen
erals Basil, Duke and Vaughan,
who had succeeded In escaping
from East Tennessee and had arrived
at Charlotte a few days before, were
placed, under the orders of Gen. John
@. Breckinridge, to act as an, escort to
the treasure and the command pro-
ceeded south until Greensboro, Wash
ington county, Georgia, was reached.
At this point information was received
that the federal general, Wilson, had
captured Macon, few miles distant,
and in the line of retreat to the trans
Mississippi department.. The news soon
got among the men. They became de-
moraIized, and q rush was made for the
wagons containing the treasure. It was
speedily divided among them, the off
GERS being unable to restrain the men.
Among the lucky ones were two soldiers
belonging to company B, third Tennes-
see mounted infantry, of Vaughan'e
brigade from Monroe county, Tennes-
see. One of them was named Albert
Stephens, and the other we will call J.
I. Jones. They had charge of wagon
containing one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars In gold; and when the panic
spread among the soldiers and the cry
was "sauVe qui peut, they retained
their presence of mind and drove off
IN the woods, where they divided the
money, making some seventy-fve thou
sand dollars apiece and departed,
Stevens taking to his home in Tennes-
see, where he buried it, confding its
hiding place to his mother, a very old
lady. Finding that it would be dan
gerous for him to remain in Tennessee,
owing TO the unsettled condition of
things there, the people being equally
divided on 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 return home. Stevens STAYED
awhile with Jones and then went off to
another part of Georgia to visit some
relatives before going, however, he
informed Jones about the hiding of his
money and his mothers knowledge of
it's whereabouts. AS soon as Stevens
was gone, Jones mounted his horse and
made bee-line for Tennessee, 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 Cal
ifornis. Arriving here, he purchased
large tract of land in Mendocino county,
land being very low at that time, and
has since amassed a large fortune in
addition to his ill-gotten gains, and is
now highly respected and a member of
the church.
In the course of time, Stevens, hav-
ing ascertained that It would be safe,
started for home, possibly, dreaming
of q future life of ease and comfort On
some bluegrass farm-raisiDg tat cat
tie and bIooded horses-this being your
average Kentuckian's' or TenDesseean's
idea OF an earthly paradise. On reach
ing home he soon found out his loss.
Backing on his revolver, he secured
the entire south and west In search of
his faithless friend, vowing to shoot
him on sight, and only recently ascer-
tanned his whereabouts. He Is now IN
correspondence with a prominent law
yer of this city. and an attempt will
shortly be made to bring Mr.. Jones
to account through the courts.