Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-08-02
TALE OF A LOST FORTUNE.
A Mystery Of History Connected with
Fort Crawford Treasure Has
Never Been Found.

i>SvSs OSSu VouOs
In the year 1880 Zachary Taylor,
then colonel in command OF fort
Mckay. now known as Fort Crawford,
at Prairie du Chien, was busy keeping
order in his western community, al.
ways turbulent through constant out.
breaks Of the indians. His band oi
men was always on the alert fol
trouble, and few nights were spent in
complete repose. An early morning in
spection of the earthworks might
unsuspectinRly reveal dead sentinel
outside the walls of the stockade, his
scalp missing and his life blood color.
ing the ground upon which he lay.
Black Hawk was taken for just what
he was. sly and crafty chief who
stopped at nothing to accomplish his
ends in the way of murder and rapine
on the advancing pioneers.
The tale Of the lost thousands has its
beginning in the middle Of the Black
Hawk war. The fort over which
Colonel Taylor had command was
prepared for an attack at any time.
Scouting expeditions were sent forth
from time to time to scour the sur
rounding country, but the willy natives
were rs well on the qui vive and battles
were almost always resolved to back
woods scrimmages. A small scouting
party. if not constantly on the alert
ran every chance of being surprised
at an inopportune moment. the next
moment killed, and their only message
to their comrades would be their
CHASTITY scalped heads, the work of
Black Hawk.
One day in 1880 four bags of gold
were received at the fort to be used
in the payment of the United States
soldiers on duty at the st0ckade. The
gold was in coins of big denomination
and the amount of the consignment
reached to $3.50. 200. This was the
largest amount of coin ever shipped
to western point and the utmost
secrecy attended its shipment and it's
care after it had reached its destlna-
tion. Colonel Taylor. when appraised
Of it's arrival. took all possible pains
for its safe keeping until such time
as the Indians would again be driven
away.
Calling together the command. he
chose from them four of the bravest
and most trustworthy of them. and
after informing them Of the Importance
Of the mission with which he was
about to intrust them, he gave them
each bag of gold, with instructions
to carry them to safe place which
they should select and there hiae them
from the eyes of the Indians. An
attack being feared at any moment. as
we'll as the resulting loss Of the gold,
the four men went at once their way
" ith the four bags Of gold in their
possession.
Hardly had they left the stockade
when well planned attack was made
and after repulse many Of the brave
defenders were found dead in their
tracks. The battles and skirmishes
were kept up for many DAYS and at
the conclusion Of the hardest fighting
an expedition was sent out in search
of the four men to whom had been
intrusted the bags Of gold. After
three or four days of strict search.
the bodies of the men were found
stark and dead.
Not the smallest suggestion of the
whereabouts Of the gold could be
found about the place where the men
had lost their lives in the defense Of
their trust but after q thorough search
one Of the members Of the party was
rewarded by finding scrap Of paper
near the body Of one Of the men, Mer-
ciere. Upon this scrap Of paper was
scrawled the intelligence that the
money had been buried in the highest
point of the bluffs across from the
place where they were found. 1t is
supposed that the poor fellow upon
finding that his minutes were num-
bared wrote the few words ON the Bit
of paper and. throwing ii in the
bushes in the hope that his comrades
would find it, he bravely met hii
death.
| At the close Of the hardest of the
lighting, parties were sent out IL
search Of the money but the -four
bags were never found. The mel
had evidently fulfilled their trust
carefully as q result they buried th'
money so we'll that not the slightes
sign of disturbance of the soil coult
be found at any point about the bluR
Hundred Of people have worked b,
the day in an effort to locate . trac
Of the thousands of dollars buried Il
the lonely blum but all efforts hav
been unavailing and the gold yet lie
where 1t was buried BY the brave fel
lows who took their lives in their hand