The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-04-13
THIS TREASURE is LOST.


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Snow HILL, April 6.-In the early
ante Revolutionary days. when the East.
ern Shore of Maryland was little else thar
a wilderness, the narrow beach lying be
tween the Sinepuxent Bay and the At.
lantic Ocean then practically unknown,
afforded an excellent rendezvous for pir-
ates and marauders of every class. AT
that time the beach was covered with a
thick pine forest, and was divided by
several inlets, which connected the bay
and ocean with a sufficient depth of water
| for small vessels. About 1850 or 1860
one Charles Wilson, of South Carolina,
taking advantage of the means of con
| cealment afforded, made a spot known as
Woody Knoll" his headquarters, and
there he and his lawless crew for a num-
Der of years lived and piled their trade
of piracy. For many years the vessels of
all nations suffered from the depredations
of these cut-throats, which at last became
so frequent and daring that England took
decided action to break them up and
capture the miscreants, if possible Cap
tain Kidd, then an officer in the English
navy, afterwards the famous freebooter,
was detailed for this duty and fitted out
by the Admiralty with frigate and in
structed to capture Wilson, dead or alive
For three years Wilson eluded Kidd, but
finally his Slnnn tho nafianoa
in an engagement with a richly-laden
merchantmen, the Swallow, of Glasgow,
over which, however, he was victorious,
and, after numbering all on board, he
the sloop. Shortly after this affair he
was chased by Kidd. Wilson attempted
to reach his stronghold by way of one of
the inlets. The water proving too shall
low for the Swallow, Wilson ran the
vessel on a bar, where, after desperate
resistance, he was captured, taken to
England. and hanged. Among his papers
Was found chart, together with a letter
directed to his brother, George Wilson.
describing a spot on the beach, as follows:
There are three creeks lying one hun
inlet above Chincoteague Island, which
is at the southwark end of the peninsula.
AT the head of the third creek to the
northward is a bluff facing the ocean.
with three cedar trees growing on it about
one and one third yards apart. Between
these trees l buried, in iron bound chests
ten in number, bars of silver and gold,
diamonds and other jewels, to the amount
of more than two hundred thousand
pounds sterling"
The letter went on directing him to go
to Woody Knoll, secretly, and remove
the treasure. This letter may now be
found among the archives of the British
government.
At Winter Quarter, settlement on the
beach situated north of an old inlet, the
second above Chincoteague, are three
creeks making up from the bay into the
swsmpy levels toward the ocean. At the
head of the northerpmost creek is bluff
facing the ocean, and upon the top are
three large cedar stumps, their positions
corresponding with the chart. Every
where may be seen immense stumps and
decayed trunks of trees, positive evidence
that the spot Was once covered with
pine and cedar forest. AS the directions
of the letter and chart were never fol-
lowed out, there remains but one link to
complete the chain of circumstances, and
that is the finding of the treasure. This
legend has long been current among the
residents of the beach, and some of the
older heads have gone so far as to make
excavations, but owing to the amount of
quicksand their efforts proved fruitless.
Report says a prominent citizen some
years ago discovered a chest partially
buried in the sands, but not being able to
raise it alone, he marked the spot and
went to the mainland for help. That
night storm arose which lasted three
days, completely celebrating all marks,
and SO changing the beach that he was
unable again to find the spot. Thus was
lost not only the treasure, but, also, the
missing link to highly interesting leg
end.