The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-02-06
TONS OF GOLD.
The Spells CT Twenty Egcsl Churches of
Grenada EHopeIessiy Lost
I.s.ter II, IL I.-s a..raIns Ems.

Grenada H"peIessiy Lost
Letter in the Les Angeles Express.
NV attention was called to an article
in yesterdays Herald, copied from the
! Herald of New York, concerning a, vast
amount of treasure alleged to have been
buried in Nicaragua by the great flibus
ter chief, VIM. Walker, who was publicly
executed at Truxillo, in Honduras, in
October, 1859, nearly twenty years ago.
The writer hereof knows something of
that treasure, and personally examined it
snd in lieu of FIVE mule-lOads there were
fVe'tons of it. II is well known that the
most horrible chapter in that most hor-'
rible of wars was the burning and pillag-
ing of Grenada by General HenningseD,
under Walkers orders, in November,
1886. The churches-some twenty or
more, immensely rich in plate and Jewels
were secretly and systematically des-
peiled, and their great booty was sd ely
slowed away on a Lake Nicaragua steam
er before the doomed city was given up
to pilage. What became of that in
mense spoil has been mysterious secret,
and was so regarded by the fiHbusters at
| the time. 1t was worth millions. To
allay suspicion as to its true disposition,
Walker gave out that it was shipped TO
New Orleans to be disposed of on accoun
of his government, and that the proceeds
thereof would be used in purchasing mil.
tary supplies.
That spoil was buried, and, to my own
personal knowledge, the officers who had
it IL charge and commanded the squad
that guarded it now lives in San Bernar>
dino. He informs me (and we have fre-
quently discussed the mstter) that,
under the immediate supervision of
Walker, he and five other officers and
about twenty men buried that treasure
in the village of St. George on Lake
Nicaragua, under a room in the house
wherein the booty was so sacredly guard
ed. Walker exacted the most solemn
oath OF secrecy, l ing substantial gra-
tuities and prom fu ture rewards to
the whole party they would faithfully
regard the score the hidden church
spoil of the burned city. Inside OF a
month the whole party who were in the
secret, save my friend and informant and
two or three of the officers therein en-
gagged, were sent away on feigned expe-
ditiOn; were given out as deserters were
pursued by large party OF cavalry, and,
by Walkers order, shot to man when
overhauled by the pursuing party, Soon
q GREATER, at a desperate battle fought
at St. George on the 18th cay of Janus
airy, 1851, the last man of the party who
assisted in burying the church-sp spoil,
save my friend of San Bernardin0, va
killed, ard in such way as to confirm
in the mind Of my informant the opinion
chat all had been killed by Walkers
order, and that the general intended to
be the only custodian OF the secret of the
hidden treasure. Although my inform
ant was q faithful and trusted officer.
high in Wslker's favor, still the prompt
ard tragic ending of his comrades and
shaers in the dread mystery produced
such an impression on his mind that be
at once deserted. He carried the secret
with him and yet has it, and he is the
only man living who knows where the
Grenada booty lies hidden, and he
doesn't know. And why not?
Well the spoil was buried in Deem
Der In January the enemy by q forced
march possessed themselves o St. George,
Walker toOk position at Rivas, three
miles distant, and, within the next
three months utterly exhausted his
army in his vain endeavors to repossess
himself OF the magnificent village that
contained this immense wealth. In the
| terrible conflicts that ensued the Tillage
] was raZeO 10 lne VTOuDu. 1uts Inc
writer hereof knows, because he fought
through all OF those engagements. Walk
er, exhausting his strength at St. George.
as before stated, and having fought his
last offensive battle on the 23d Of March,
was besieged at Rivas, and in May fol-
lowing was forced to capitulate, was
expelled the country, and in his second
endeavor to re-enter it was captured by
a party of British marines on the Rio
Nero in Honduras was turned over to
the Hondurisn authorities; was tried,
condemned and shot, as stated at the
beginningof this brief sketch. No other
meHber OF his expedition was shot-not
even the Lion Sam or his cousin Ned
because neither of them was there.
Captain -, our San Bernsrdino man,
on deserving, made his wsy to Panama,
and, few years later, induced the owner
of a schooner to accompany him to San
Juan del Sur (St. George being twenty