The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-08-25
DIVISION OF C. S. A. COIN.
What Became Of the Gold and Silver
Shipped from Richmond.

natl Southern Railroad, gave a CORES
pondent Of the Courier-JOurnal the fol-
lowing interesting story, the details Of
which have never been printed, and for
the truth of which he and Judge FAX
in, also Of Chattanooga, both vouch.
Judge Shepherd was an officer in
Vaughn's brigade, as was Judge Eakin
and they were both with the army at
the time the incidents of narrative oc-
cured:
"When the Confederate Govern
ment abandoned Richmond as its capi-
tai, all its archives and treasures were
sent, under strong military escort, to
Charlotte, y. G.. The banks of Rich
mOnd sent away their treasures under
the protection OF the same escort. Pres
ident Davis and his Cabinet also came
to Charlotte and established temporary
headquarters.
Before they reached Charl )tte Rich
mond and Petersburg had fallen and
Lee had surrendered, and in a very few
days Sherman and Joseph f. Johnston
had agreed upon an armistice by their
celebrated paper, under which il was
proposed that peace should be made
and the seeding States should re-
sumo their relations to the Govern
ment.
''rhis treaty, if it had been carried
/ ont yn-outd haxa ab.-ia+a1 raoanafruc-
ton, under what is known as the Re
construction acts of Congress, for it
covered the entire subject of rest0rl-
ton Of peace and return of the South
ern States to the Union and Of their
Senators and Representatives to Con-
gress. This armistiee was rePUdiated
by President Andrew Johnson and his
Cabinet on the ground that these mill
tary commanders had exceeded their
power in undertaking 10 settle the
terms OF which theerring States might
resume their political functions with
the general Government.
at may be admitted that these Cen
erals went a little further than they
had the right to 90, but it can not be
denied that they displayed u profound
craftsmanship in their comprehensive
| yet terse settlement of a question which
afterward 50 sorely disturbed Congress,
50 nearly caused the conviction upon
| impeachment of the President, and so
completely bankrupted the Southern
States.
''Mr. Davis, being advised that Pres
ident Johnson had brought an end to
the armistice, and repudiated the Sher-
man-JOhnston treaty, Immediately be-
gan efforts to prevent the capture of
himself and the treasures of the Con-
I federacy; the gold and silver of the Con-
federacy and that Of the Richmond
banks was loaded into wagons, and the
President OF the Confederate States,
with his Cabinet Ministers, started
south with it guarded by three b-i-
gades of ca Ea!ry-Dibbrelrs, Vaughn's
| and Dukes.
"When We arrived at Washington,
Ga, it became apparent to Mr. Davis
/ that lie could not with such a retinue
escape the vigilance Of The Federal cav
airy, which was rapidly closing in on
him from every direction, 50 the mon
ey kegs belonging To the Government
were opened and the silver was divided
/ among the boys, each, without regard
to rank, receiving $3.50, and they were
granted indefinite furlOughs. Mr..
| Davis and his family aud a much
smaller escort pushed on further south,
and was, few days af;erwarI captur-
e1 by tie Federals.
Meanwhile the officers Of the banks
sought the aid Of the Federal COM
manders to return their specie to Rich
mOnd, and from them obtained per-
NIT to return with it to Richmond,
and also guard of soldiers to protect
il on its return trip.
''SOme of the officers and men of
Gen. Naughn's brigade became ap-
prlsed that train of specie was being
carried North under Federal escort,
and they jumped to the conclusion
that it was the property of the COnfed-
crate Government, which the Federals
had captured. They concluded that
their four years of hard service for the
Confederacy entitled them to a share
of this gold, provided they could sue
ceeded in securing ii from the Federal
guard. With them the war was not
yet over, and they acted upon the idea
that anything was fair in war.
They organized an expedition with
the view of capturing this money, and
followed the train until a favorable Op-
portunity of attack presented itself;
they charged the train, captured and
disarmed the guard, and proceeded at
once TO knock the heads out of the kegs
containing the gold, and to fill their
forage sacks with shining twenty and
ten dollar gold pieces.
Several of them got away with as
much as $50, 600 apiece; some were con-
tent with S35, 600, and still others with
less amounts, depending upon the car
rying capacity of their forage sacks and
saddle bags.
zone fellow began to fill his sack out
of the first keg he came to, which prov
ed to be keg of silver. lie was happy
when he lugged of his bag full of sill
yer dollars, but when he met his COM
panions later in the rendezvous, where
they stopped to count their money,
and found that, while he had such a
large bulk and heavy load of money, ii
only counted up about 81 900, his COM
rades, who were goldbugs, disdaining
the silver kegs, had secured such large
sums in gold, he became greatly dis
turbed over his i'll luck and greatly
offended at the refusal of the Others 10
divide their gold with him-his pre-
dilectiOns for free silver had cost him
many thousands of dollars-and he de-
termined TO turn informer. Upon in
formation furnished by this silver king
several of the goldbugs were appre-
hended and compelled TO give up their
booty, but a number of them were wise
enough TO keep on going until they got
safe away from the scene OF their capt