Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-01-31
Confederate Gold

FROM the AtnenS (fIa.) Banner.
1t will be remembered that at the close
of the late war a number of wagons,
loaded with gold and silver, belonging
to the confederate government and Rich
mond banks, were robbed by struggling
soldiers in Wilkes County, near Wash
ington. There are men now living near
Athens who common report says got a
finger INTO the pie, and from the way
they bloomed out, paying in specie for
large land and stock, gave good ground
for suspicion. As the money would have
doubtless fallen into the hands of the
Federals, no one blamed the boys for
taking this means to get their hard
earned pay. Men who were present at
the sack1ng OF the wagons say the SOL
d1ers, after loading up haversacks, peck
cts and every other receptacle on hand
with the precious metal, hid quantities
of it in the woods near by, while wag-
on load of the bullion was dumped III
a creek that ran near the scene of the
robbery. One soldier who was greedier
than the rest, took oft his pants, tied up
both legs, and hus made pair of sad
dle-bags by which he was enabled to
carry off a vast quantity of gold. The
writer was living IN Elbertop at the time
OF this robbery, and remembered that
the the day after this commission two
soldiers stopped at his fathers house for
the night, after first seeing that he was
a Mason, and gave into his keeping more
gold than negro man could lit. The
next morning they left for Madison
County and we heard Of them passing
through DanielsvIlle. The day after the
robbery parties who visited the place
say that both sold and silver were scat
tered along the road like leaves and a
large amount was picked up. Since that
time there has been almost a constant
search for TINS hidden treasure. 4 ne
gro barber Ill Washington stated that he
knew where a box of the bullion was
hidden, and for time he was petted and
tasted on all hands, even detectives
from the Richmond banks coming out to
work up the case. But If was soon dis
covered that his story was all hoax.
People have come from long distance
TO search for this gold and the woods
around the scene has been every square
foot secured time and again. couple
OF years ago a man named Cohen, who
had bought the land where the robbery
was committed, conceived the idea of
turning the bed of the creek before men
toned, with the confident hope of un-
covering the untold wealth hidden be-
meath the waters. 1t was stupendous
undertaking, and required months of
hard labor; but he received not nickel
for his pains. The bed OF the stream
was carefully searched, but neither gold
or silver was found. This seemed to
have thrown a damper upon the search
ers, as we have heard Of no late attempts
to find the hidden wealth, although there
will doubtless be fools enough in many
generations TO come to keep up the ex-
element. In all probability there was
gold buried here, as the soldiers could
not have carried it all off, but they
either afterwards returned for it them
selves or secreted 1t so securely that 1t
will never be found. Mr.. FL. L. Gran
ford, of Athens, was a guard with these
wagons for time, but left them few
days before the robbery was committed.