Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-01-03
What has become of the thousands

What has become of the thousands
upon thousands of dollars, in gold
eagles and double eagles, sent from
st. Louis seventy-f1ve and 100 years
ago to pay the Sac and Fox Indians
for the lands which they had ceded
to the United States, millions upon
millions of acres. and to pay the
United States troops under command
of Col. Zachary Taylor, subsequently
President of the United States, at
Fort Mckay during the famous Black
Hawk War?
The belief that this golden treasure
lies buried in various parts of the
State of Iowa has led hundreds of
persons to dig industriously for more
than half a century. The discovery
within the last fortnight of $45, 900
in gold in one part of the State and
a map giving the whereabouts of
$4,000 Of Black Hawks fortune in
another, says the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. has set hundreds all over
the State to searching the records
and digging the ground. After a
lapse of century the fortune, for
the first time, now seems a3.ut to
be discovered.
That gold by the thousands Of dol
lars, aggregating far more than
100000, was sent from st. Louis to
the Northern Indians. both before
and after the Black Hawk War in
1882, is undeniable.
In 1904, as a result of the treaty
negotiated in st. Louis by William
Henry Harrison with five Sac and
Fox chiefs, an annuity of $1,000 was
granted to the tribe, and was paid
for more than quarter of century.
In 1880 no less than $4,000 was
sent from st. Louis to Col. Zachary
Taylor at Fort Mckay, Iowa, to pay
the regular soldiers whose presence
was necessary in the Territory of
Iowa because of Black Hawk and his
anticipated outbreak. That fortune
in gold was buried by Zachary Tay-
lor's command, and the men who
knew of its whereabouts were killed
by the Indians.
In 1892, following the Black Hawk
War. treaty was made with Keokuk
and other Sac and Fox chiefs by Win
field Scott and Gov. Reynolds of H.
linois, by which the Indians were
given a lump sum Of $4,000 and
an annuity of $4,000 for thirty
years. Aside from buying whisky
and rifles, the Indians had no way
to spend the money.
A dozen other instances might be
cited Of money sent into Iowa Terri
tory to pay red men and white that
has mysteriously disappeared. Just
within the last few days have the first
traces been found of 1t. Iowa has
gold mines which the plow Of the
farmer may turn up any day, bring
ing fortune to the lucky man.
Frank Blint owns farm in the
heart of what half century or more
ago was the famous half-breed tract.
Deciding to deepen cistern which
had been on the premises for many
years he went industriously to work
with pick and shovel. Hardly had
he turned up dozen shovelfuls of
the long undisturbed earth when his
shovel rang on metal. A few min
utes work disclosed an old iron pot.
Digging it loose and bringing it to
the light, Blint was dazzled by the
golden stream which poured forth.
Exactly $45,0O0 in gold eagles and
unearthed. 1t could have come from
no other source than some family of
wealthy half-breeds, unable to spend
their generous patrimony.
The same week in which this por-
tion of the vast treasure was discov-
cred clues were found to another
portion undoubtedly buried not fifty
miles away near where Black Hawk
and his companions spent their last
days after the disastrous close of the
rebellion and their journey down
the Mississippi to Jefferson barracks
and then, in charge of Jefferson
Davis, across to Washington and
New York.
Tearing down the old Bonnifield
log cabin, near Fairfield, one Of the
oldest buildings in the Oldest part, of
the State, the workers found an ink
horn and quill case, resembling much
in appearance a razor case, and a
musty old pocketbook which con-
tanned a newspaper clipping bearing
the date June 25, 1928, and letter
The last two were so faded that
magnifying glass was necessary to
read them, and even then parts of
the letter were beyond deciphering.
The paper is yellow and torn where
1t had been folded and the ink with
which the letter was written is badly
faded. AS nearly as it can be made
out the letter runs in this manner:
Frisco, June 21.-My Dear Will
time to think money which
Is buried near the old Bonnifield
house. You know what l am, found
out from Black Hawk
over from Illinois. l looked
but never thought until l nearly got
out here. About that there map, it
weren't where the lines cross, but in
the middle. Now, don't you tell any
one, but try this here plan. MAP
fvllows.)
"You see we allus made the mis-
take of digging al crossing marked
A. That other Indian mat Jim