The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-06-13
RAG PLUNDERED coxrEpERarr
TREASURY AGAIN.
ny gAHEs VRASKL,S ttrr.

1 An1A 1Nah AoAANs
Il
ny JAMES FRAxKLIS Tins.
An article lately published In this
series entitled THE Plundered Cson-
federate Treasury has attract I'd
much atteDtion aud comment on ne.
count Of the curious information
contained In It.; and, 30 far as I
know, lite substantial accuracy has
not been questioned. Since its pub-
LEGATION I have found among NV
papers some new information on fhe
same subject, quite a. curious as
that contained In the article referred
to, and largely cOrroboratIu1 n
These things are quite a. inters.tipg
a. any found In the pretentious his.
tories Of the war, and have M
hesitation In placing this fragment
in q shape where IL may be preserved
for future reference.
IL was In Washington, Wilkes
county, Georgia, that the final eubi-
net consultation OF the dIssolving
southern COnfederacy was held.
By. looking - the map, the reader
will see that this place IL not far
from the South Carolina boundary.
lrwinsville, where Davis was after
wards taken, IL almost due south.
After this consultation the party
divided and took different routes
Davis, Reagan, aud their escort pur-
suing . general sOutherly direction,
while General BTecklnridge, Secre.
iary Benjamin, aud some others,
struck of sOutheasterly towards the
coast. IL Is well known that he two
latter succeeded 10 making good
their escape by reaching an out
bound vessel; and in looking back at
the useless turmoil and controversy
that followed the capture OF Davis.
and the amazing folly OF his late
utteranees, one IL tempted TO wish
that he had found q refuge on The
ship aud thus relieved the lost cause
Of its heaviest burden.
At Washington, In Georgia, lived
q Mrs. Moss, an aged lady, who as
hrmly attached To the fortunes OF the
COnfedeTacy. The huspitalitie. OF
her msuslOn were offered To- Davis
and Ills party, aud were accepted.
IL WAS NJ this house that the ,st
cabinet conference, above referred
TO, was held. The movements sue.
ceeding IL showed that there could
be no agreement among these chiefs
OF fallen cause as to the future.
Breckinridge aud BENJAMIN were
able To see that everything was lost,
aud that the only course left WAS Ia
seek personal safety In flight.
Davis, possibly encouraged by Rea-
gan, Texan, dreamed OF organic
Ing further resistance with the
forces under General Kirby smith,
beyond the Mississippi, In the south
vest. So the party was separated.
General Breckenridge and those
who decided To accompany him had
u journey Of q hundred aud fifty
miles before them to reach the sea
coast. The Confederate armies had
been disbAnded: the country Ma
swarming with impOverish. j aud
desperate men, many OF whom
would not be nice a. to a way al
occurring gold or its equivalent
The general had with him a consid-
cradle amount Of money, aud some
other treasure, which latter, aser
reflection, he decided 10 leave Ia TIE I
keeping of Mrs. Moss. He knew
that he could depend upon her fIdeI- |
ity, and he preferred not To- take suy !,
risk in his flight.
the conference over, lie called the |
old lady aside and placed Ia her
hand small box Of rare material
and quaint design.
This, my dear madam" he said,
us one al the few treasures that still
remain Of our unhappy Confedsracy.
IL IL part OF the deposits OF the
treasury, which I a. secretary of
war, have been guarding all the way
from Richm6hd; but am now about
To leave the country, aud I must
lind some secure keeping for this
box for the present. IL contains
many thousands Of dollars worth
Df jewels contributed by pa
iriOtIc women Of Virginia 10 the
,ause, expecting that they would d.
used 10 raise money. ] desire, by
ind-by, To restore them TO their
owners. la the meantime, do you
keep them ale until you have my
written or.'er To deliver them. You
ire at liberty 10 examiaf them, IL
fOu choose"
Mrs. Moss cheeriully accepted this
strange trust, surprising that the
ecrrI Was shared by her aud the
General only. Subsequent events
remed To show that their cuuVeT.a-
ion at this time had been over
heard.
That night, after her distinguished
'isitOrS had departed on their
everal ways, the widow locked
l"Tself In her chamber aud pxaniu-
II the contents Of the casket.
such sight ~ ID was. The room
airly blazed with the brilliant srin-
citations caught from the Iamp aud
battered everywhere 10y n heap Of
diamonds, ruhie-, pearls, and what
lot.
The treasure was faithfully con-
called, aud the widOws's lips were
lOsed about IL. Parties sinRIy and
d squads, mounted and afuot. ON
he scent of the vanishing treasury
{ the eOnfederacy, visited the house
'ithin the next two weeks, rudeIy
eaTched it, AID tnterrOgated Mrs.
loss n TO gold and silver that had
cen left with her by Jefferson
'avis. She stouIly denied any
uowledge Of any such thing, aud
snt away the inquirers empty
anded.
Later, n different applicant came.
lie was n cavalIyman, whom she
-tokhiAei a. bne VINO 0du bcen Win
he party that had stopped at her 4
Ouse. He presented her n written
rder with General Breckinridgr's
gnatuTe at the bottom for the
elivery Of the ca sket, explaining
lat tile General had reconsiderrd
Ie matter, and concluded to take 4
le jewels abroad with him, and
as then waiting on the coast for
lem.
The widow gave up the precious
X and 10. contents Without a
IspiclOn Of anything wrong. The
,xt day, In thinking the affair /
FER, she became uneasy, and Z
owed the writing to = gentleman =
the town who was well &C. q
tainted with General Breekin- .
ige. He Immediately pronounced .
a clumsy forgery.
Mrs. Moss died n few weeks after
Is. She was old aud feeble, and