The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-29

1
these entries:
Greenbacks ,UOu
told ......................... 4,zVu
Silver er.... ....... $50
10Ldl.s.. pOt ,zO0
JACKSON, Miss, May 10, 1S63.-We
certify the above to be true and com
plete inventory of contents of money
chest captured by US from Gen. McPher-
sons command on May l.
ALF. BOLToN,
ID. T. GRAVES,
HENRY ARMsTEAD,
JACOB SCHULTZ.
On the next page was the following
memorandum:
Money chest captured near Hankin--
sons ferry on Big Black river, and
buried by US at point two miles due
northwest of Perry's, at foot of live oak
tree, twenty PAGES south OF Abrams
stable, on Big Black.
Then came another entry:
Bolton and Schultz killed at Cham
pion Hill fight, May 16.
And another:
Graves died in hospital at Vicksburg,
June "a, leaving me sole owner buried
chest. Am badly wounded in leg; doc
tor says must amputate, and no chloro
form in Vieksburg. | will probably die
and don't care. However, make this
last will and testament. Leave buried
treasure to man finding, condition he
hunts grave of Celia Manderson, Catho-
lie cemetery, New Orleans, and erects
thereon a suitable monument, with
name and epitaph 'Built by the hands
of her dead lover" No trouble to find
chest if memorandum above consulted.
If curse dying man has weight here or
hereafter, leave it upon him who fails to
observe my wish.
HENRY ARMsTEAD.
VIcKsBURG, June 26, 1868.
The matter did not strike me as any
thing more than romance for the time
being. l felt sure that no one would
carry around an old case of that kind
without knowing its value, and for more
than year never thought for mo-
ment of examining into the matter. 1t
happened, though, last. Mardi Gras,
that was down in New Orleans, and
out Of curiosity went out to the Cath
ole cemetery and asked the sexton
to show me the grave of Miss Celia
Manderson. / remembered about the
date of her death; it was August,
1865. He pulled over the dusty old
records of mortality and at last
found the name he sought. Her
grave was single unmarked mound,
uncared for, lonely and desolate. Evi-
IDENTIFY. il the treasure had been found,
a dead mans curse was waiting upon the
finder. I could not imagine that any man
could be base enough to rob love entomb-
ed, and the absence of that monument
persuaded me that his money still lay
in its hiding place in Big Black. | at
once made up my mind to make the
search, and the next day / took passage
to Grand Gulf, the nearest point on the
Mississippi to the Big Black. / got to
the ferry at nightfall aud secured accom-
mOdatiOns az 4 house near by. The next
morning took the role of land
hunter and inquired for Amram's
place. The good old lady, hostess,
threw up her hands and asked me
where had ever heard of that,
gone since before the war. "The
last log of their house was burned
when Grant went through. You'll find
the old stone chimney 4 standing about
two miles up the road. soon located
the Amram place by the great, staring
chimney, and the hollow where the sta
bles stood ] also fixed. There was no
live oak or any tree in sight but a rot
ting stump. which / took to be the spot
indicated. had forgotten to bring
spade. and search finally developed an
old rusty .bayonet sticking ii a log on
the river bank With this dug at the
stump long and spainfully, finally un-
covering the corner of q chest. In an-
ether half hour ] had the box ont and
epen and there the money was before
me. It was too bulky a load to carry,
but made shift to get most Of the gold
and greenbacks to the house that night,
having first put what could not carry
into another cache. On the third day I
was ready 10 20 with my tfeasure-troTe,
and, having literally paid ny hostess
and the darkey, took the boat for New
Orleans. richer By nearly 1000 than
when I landed 8 couple Of days before.
n my stateroom had time to examine
my find The paper money rms All IN
q excellent state Of preservation, moth
ing more than 3 little nlildew being
percepfible There was So, 900, the
great majority being IL $40 bills, the
rest iii 800 and small bills and LID frac.
fional currency. The gold, 81 which
there was s. 800, instead Of g 800, was
ii so pieces There vas card in the
shape 0i voucher for 81 900 az the
ooId stating that Il had been t. ken for