The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-02-12
{ San Francisco Examiner.

VIC AStCHeo ~'CHISStS Il GSF AtM H
California.
San Francisco Examiner.
When the Confederate army, under
Gen. Lee, was forced back from the
trenches at Peters burg by the Federal
army, President Davis hurrIedIy or,
dered about fifteen million dollars, the
property of the banks of Virginia and
of the Con.edera States, to be place d
on trains at Richmond and sent South,
intending to convey IL to the transe
Mississippi Department, if possible,
there to make fual stand. The treas
ure was carried down to Charlotte,
North Carolina, where the railroad end
Ell. At this piaUe il was decided to leave
the money b longing To the BInks Of VIr>
gInla In keeping of their officers TT g
rest of the money belor ginS To she Con-
fedeFate States was placed in wagons
and the retreat continued The Sgigadc 6
of Generals Basil Duke and Vaughan,
who had succeeded in escaping from
East tennessee and had arrived at Char
lOtte a few days before, were plac d, IN
der the Oaders of Gen John Z Breck>
inri3ge, to act as al escort tn the treas-
ure and the command proceeded south
until eensboFu, Washington couhty,
b6DEEtdy WIS EtdCuSu- AT I0l3 point
information was received that the Fed
eral General, Wilson. had captured Ma
con, few miles distant, and in the line
of retreat TO the trans Mississippi De-
partment The news soon got among
the men. They became demors lied,
and a rash was male Tor the wagons
containing the treasure. 1t was speed
lily divided among them, the officers be.
ing unable to refrain the men. mong
tn lucky ones were twn soldiers be.
longing TO Company Is. Third tennessee
M"u ted Infantry, of Vaughan's brig
AIDE, from Monroe county, tennessee.
One of them was named Albert Stew
ems, and the other we will cal John T.
Jones. They had charge of wagon
containing one hundred aud fifty thous
and dollars IN gold and when the pan
ic spread among the soldiers and the
cry Was 'ssuve qui peut," they retained
their presence of mind and drove of in
the woods, where they di.ided the mon
ey, making sumo seven y-fve thousand
dollars apiece ami separated, Stevens
taking his TO his hume ia Tennessee,
where he buried it, confding Its hiding
place to his mother, a. very old lady.
Finding tina It would be dangerous for
bim to remain 10 Tennessee, owing to
the unsettled condition of things there,
the people being equally divided on the
questl of the war, he went to Geor-
gia, where ne found Jones who had
bought u small place and was quietly
Whiting 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, be informed JON
es about the hiding of his money aud
his mothers knowledge of its where
abOuts. As soon as stevens was gone,
jones mounted his horse and made
bee-'lne for Tennessee, to the place
where Stevens lived. Arriving there
he presented his cOnrade 8 mother witch
forged RtteT, purpOrting to come from
her son, directing her to deliver the
money to Jones, which the old lady did.
jones then started direct Tor California.
Arriving here he pur, based large tract
OF land IN Mend ,cinU county, land be-
ing very low ut that time, and has since
amassed u large fortune IN addition TO
his Ill>gOtten gains, aud 10 now highly
respected aud a member OF the church
In the course oi time, st vens avIng
ascertained that it would be safe, start
I'd for home, possibly dreaming of Il
fu ure life OfE ease and comfort on sum-
bluegrass EMBARRASSING lat cattle aud
biOOded hOFses-tnIs being your aver
age keutuck IAN . or Tennesseeau Is idea
OF an earthty paradise. On reaching
hume he SOON found out his loss. Buck
ling on his revolver, secured the en-
tire SOu,h and West in search of bis
faith ,ess friend, vowIng to snOOs him on
sight, and ouiy recently ascertained his
v hrTeabuuts. lie Is now IN cOrrespJa>
dence wIth a prominent lawyer OF this
city, aud an attempt viii shortly be
naGe 10 brILg Mr.. Jones to account
through the courts.