I am a new member and have been researching a mysterious Brown County, Texas resident who was known to have ridden with Quantrill's Raiders. My grandmother used to tell me stories about him as we passed his big old farmhouse in the 1960's. When I read the Brewer book, "Rebel Gold", these memories resurfaced and I realised there was a very good possibility that some of the KGC caches or even a depository may be in this area of central Texas. The farther I get in my research the better that possibility seems to be. While I am a veteran metal detector hobbyist, I am quite new at this KGC thing so I am hoping that some members here have some information regarding possible KGC treasures in the Brownwood, Brown County area of Texas. Brownwood is located 90 miles southeast of Abilene and 140 miles northwest of Austin. I would certainly appreciate any information you might share with me on this topic.
Does anyone know of any online websites that show some of the signs and symbols carved on rocks or trees by the KGC ? I have searched on Google and Ask Jeeves but have not found anything helpful there. I have read Bob Brewer's book, "Rebel Gold", and it was the most useful source so far.
floyd manns site might help....i think its kgcknightofthegoldencircle.com .......also ancient lost treasures forum has plenty pics posted on kgc symbols/marks.......g
Thank you for your ideas. I have found Floyd to be extremely helpful to me and have also had success on Ancient Lost Treasures message board. Please keep the suggestions coming as I have located several signs and symbols here in central Texas, that I believe are treasure-related, but have yet to be able to identify them.
post some good close up photos and we will see if we can help out more.....if its one thing we love here its pictures of trees and rocks..........gldhntr
Hi gldhntr. I have discovered many symbols carved in rock but I only sketched most of them as I didn't have my digital cam with me then. I did photograph one of the most interesting ones, which I will try to post here, but it is nearly impossible to see the detailed carvings. I made another trip to this rock and outlined the carvings in chalk but I have not uploaded the outlined photo on to my computer yet. The carvings show a cross in the center of the rock (the center of the cross is just above the brown spot of moss near the center of the rock), 2 short vertical lines in the lower right-hand quadrant, a very small and intricate small unenclosed circle in the lower left-hand quadrant, and a larger unenclosed circle in the upper right-hand quadrant. The carvings are obviously very old and time-worn. I first discovered this carved rock about 20 years ago and remembered it when my enthusiasm was re-fired by Brewer's book, "Rebel Gold", and so it took me and 2 friends quite a while to find it again.
Texas Jay
My research into the mystery surrounding the life and death of Bloody Bill Anderson of Quantrill's Guerrillas has led me in many directions so I have created a new group where those interested in Civil War history as it pertains to Bloody Bill's story can share our thoughts, facts, and hopefully can learn the truth which has been lost over the past century and a half. You can join our group by going here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodybillandersonmystery
~Jay~
Texas Jay, I hope the rock hasn't been moved and direction lost? I'f I was to find those marks on a rock, I'd take it to mean. =
Follow the long shaft of the cross for direction. The small circle to mean a hole. And the two vertical lines to be distance. What unit of distance?
But they didn't have M/Ds when it was buried, For there to be a marked stone there like that likely there was, if it hasn't already been removed? So I'd take a M/D and work out from the stone the way the long arm of the cross is pointing for a good distance and see if I couldn't get lucky. Have a good time!
Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.
Hi Monk and Doc. I have made a couple more trips to the site of the carved rock in photo. Since this particular area, where the rock is, was well-travelled by Spanish, Indians, and many others over the centuries, I really don't believe this carved rock has anything to do with the KGC. It is apparent that this rock was carved many, many years ago as it has been worn by rain and the elements but, the best I can tell, is that it has not been moved. Just a short distance, maybe 10 or 12 feet from the top of the rock, I found a larger rock, mostly buried, that had been chisselled out in a curved shape to a depth of about 10 inches. Someone had dug the dirt from this hole and it was piled, perhaps years ago, beside the rock. I have photographed it as well but still have not unloaded my digital camera. It is with the clear picture of the carved rock with the signs outlined in chalk to make it much easier to read. I have been very busy with other projects lately but will post the new pics here when I have time.
~Jay~
Hi Doc. Thank you for posting the results of your research on the KGC. I apologize for not replying sooner but we had a terrible hailstorm here in Brownwood last night. Some of the hailstones were the size of tennis balls and my little, formerly pretty, Toyota Corolla looks like it was attacked by a madman with a hammer! Luckily, unlike some of my neighbors, my windshields were spared but my Mom's roof, nearby, was torn up by the storm. Initially, it was Brewer's book that got my juices flowing regarding possible treasure sites in my area of central Texas. Visiting some new areas and re-visiting some old ones, that I had discovered several years ago, has not revealed any signs or symbols known (or at least to my knowledge) as KGC signs. I am not ruling that possibility out, however, but it is the search that is the most fun to me so it really doesn't matter if any treasure I may find is KGC or not. Like most of us, I could sure use some extra money these days so finding any size treasure is worthwhile to me. Here in central Texas, it is rattlesnake season so that will prohibit me from doing a lot of exploring until late fall but I am using this time to metal detect in yards and parks and to negotiate permission to hunt and recover some of the "bigger" treasures that I hope to find on private property.
~Jay~
I finally transferred the photo of the carved rock, pictured in an earlier message, this time with the markings made more visible using white chalk. There is the cross in the center, 2 verticle lines in the lower right quadrant, a disconnected small circle in the lower left quadrant, and a large disconnected circle? in the upper right. While I don't believe this rock is KGC-related, it is in an area that is known to have been frequented by Spanish, a huge Indian population, Texas Rangers and others travelling through the area. Since it is in a heavily-populated rattlesnake area, I will not be going there again until the weather gets cold.
Yes, thank you Jerry. I will read this book as soon as I can find time away from my research into Bloody Bill Anderson and my spring and summer detecting projects. The author is known for his expertise in the field of treasure hunting and I am sure this book will be very educational.
~Jay~
Hi cdhtexas. Thanks for replying to my message. I don't think I ever made it clear who the mysterious man was that my grandmother Longley told me about. He was Colonel William C. Anderson otherwise known as Bloody Bill Anderson. It turns out he was the father of my great uncle Storm Anderson. I invite you to join my research group where we have accumulated more information on this famous guerrilla leader than anyone has done before.
This is the Summary of Purposes that I posted, in our Yahoo group, as a guideline for our important investigation into the controversial life and death of Bloody Bill Anderson.
***
Bloody Bill Anderson
Summary of Purposes
I began this investigation in the spring of 2006. My goal was to
learn if Bloody Bill Anderson died as a result of a Union ambush in
October, 1864 near Orrick, Missouri or if he escaped, returned to
Texas, and settled at Salt Creek in Brown County in frontier central
Texas as William C. Anderson. To recruit interested people to help
with this ongoing research, I created a Yahoo group called Bloody
Bill Anderson Mystery. I am convinced that Colonel William C.
Anderson of Brown County, Texas was Bloody Bill Anderson of
Quantrill's Guerrillas. Our group's job is to now prove that Colonel
Anderson was Bloody Bill to the historical community. To keep our
investigation headed in an orderly and productive direction toward
the ultimate proof, DNA analysis, I am proposing an outline to guide
our efforts - Summary of Purposes.
1. Bloody Bill Anderson's genealogical background. Since
traditional historians, in over 140 years, have failed to adequately
document Bloody Bill's family, any serious investigation into the
life of this important Southern leader must strive to correct the
sketchy and contradictory family tree of this heroic man. We need to
discover and document several important facts concerning his original
family.
a. We will attempt to reveal the most basic things about Bloody
Bill's parents that historians have failed to substantiate until
now. This includes the full names of the parents, how they died, and
where they died.
b. We will attempt to also determine the full names of Bill's
paternal and maternal grandparents. This step should be as far back,
into Bloody Bill Anderson's family, that we need to go in order to
create an accurate family tree from which we will ultimately locate
verifiable relatives from which we can screen and choose candidates
for DNA testing that will prove our case.
c. Traditional historians have done a pitiful job of even
determining, for certain, who Bloody Bill's siblings were. We will
attempt to determine who these brothers and sisters were, how many
children each had, where, how, and when they died and where they were
buried.
2. Historians Dr. Richard S. Brownlee and Shelby Foote referred to
Bloody Bill Anderson as "William C. Anderson" which exactly matches
the name of Colonel William C. Anderson of Brown County, Texas. We
will attempt to determine what documents these respected
historians/writers used to determine his name. Prior to these men's
books, published in the late 1950's and early 1960's, I have found
none that give a middle initial for this important man.
3. We will carefully examine and document Bloody Bill Anderson's
life up until late October of 1864 when the ambush occurred.
a. Study Bill's early years before his involvement in the Civil
War.
b. Examine important war-time events that influenced Anderson's
life. These will include his joining Quantrill's Guerrillas, the
1863 Kansas City jail collapse that killed his beloved sister
Josephine, the 1863 Lawrence Raid, the Battle of Centralia in
September 1864, and the highly controversial October 27, 1864 Ambush
that traditionalists claim killed Bloody Bill Anderson. We will
question the authenticity and origin of every piece of "evidence"
that traditionalist historians/writers have claimed, these many
decades, were taken from the guerrilla, the Yankees claimed was
Bloody Bill Anderson, who was riding Bill Anderson's horse that day
of the ambush.
4. Chronicle Bill Anderson's arrival in Texas after October 1964.
a. Search for letters, diaries, public documents, or other written
accounts of Bill Anderson after the Civil War.
b. Seek to locate Bloody Bill Anderson's relatives who may have
moved to the same area of frontier Texas where Anderson settled.
5. Identify Bloody Bill Anderson's close confidantes that knew of
his Civil War past before he publicly announced his true identity in
1924 to newspaperman Henry C. Fuller.
6. Study the underground Confederate government, the Knights of the
Golden Circle.
a. Examine the KGC's role and members in early-day Brown County
and Brownwood, Texas.
b. Research Colonel William C. Anderson's involvement with this
highly secretive group.
7. Identify as many of Colonel William C. Anderson's direct
descendants as possible.
a. Conduct and record interviews with every living direct
descendant.
b. Seek to locate public documents, photographs, diaries, letters,
Bibles, and any other written documents that shed light on Bloody
Bill Anderson.
c. Compile a family tree for Colonel Anderson with contact
information for the living and locations of burial and other
pertinent information for the deceased.
8. Participate on all Internet websites where the life and death of
Bloody Bill Anderson is discussed.
a. Ask tough questions about the many contradictory statements
that traditionalist historians/writers have made about Bloody Bill.
b. Require those who believe Bloody Bill Anderson was killed in
1864 to PROVE the origins, authenticity, and validity of every piece
of information, every photograph, and every item from they claimed
were taken from the ambushed guerrilla's body and Anderson's horse
after the October 1864 ambush.
c. Promote our group on all historical and genealogical websites
you participate on. Always keep in mind that we will need interested
and credentialed professionals, from numerous fields, to donate their
time and expertise to our investigation as we move forward. You can
use our group's Invite feature to personally invite people to join us
in this worthy research.
9. Document and record as much as possible information about Colonel
William C. Anderson's life after the Civil War.
a. Determine who Bill Anderson's closest associates were during
the 60 years he lived in Brown County, Texas.
b. Document important events in Brown County and Brownwood history
and learn the parts Colonel Anderson played in these events.
c. Examine Bill Anderson's participation with Jesse James and
other significant people after the Civil War.
10. Conduct and encourage DNA tests to prove, once and for all time,
that Colonel William C. Anderson was Bloody Bill Anderson.
a. Compile a list of as many relatives of the historically-
accepted Bloody Bill Anderson as possible.
b. List as many confirmed living descendants of Brown County's
William C. Anderson as possible.
c. Screen willing descendants and verify that they are legitimate
bloodline relatives. There will be absolutely no room for error in
this crucial phase of our investigation.
d. Locate, contact and persuade the responsible government
agencies and credentialed historical organizations to conduct an
exhumation of the grave, at Richmond, Missouri, and strongly
encourage them to prove or disprove the traditionalists' belief that
the grave contains the body of "Capt. William T. Anderson".
Here is a list of some of the books I have completely read during
this investigation. While reading them, I have taken extensive
notes, both handwritten and Xerox, and I have posted much of this
noted information in our Messages Archives for our members' use. To
retrieve and read these excerpts, members are encouraged to type in
either the book's full title or the author's full name in the
Messages Search box located at the top of our group's messages list
on our homepage:
1) "Wildwood Boys" by James Carlos Blake, novel based on historical
facts, hardcover published in 2000 by William Morrow, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers Inc., paperback published in 2001 by
Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
2) "Rebel Gold" by Warren Getler and Bob Brewer, previously
published as "Shadow of the Sentinel", copyright @ 2003, Simon &
Schuster, Inc., paperback published in 2005.
3) "Frontier's Generation" by Tevis Clyde Smith (Sr.), published by
the author, Brownwood, Texas, Greenwood Press, 1931, First
Edition, "Price 50 Cents".
4) "From The Memories of Men" by T.C. Smith, Jr., 1954.
6) "Brown's Henry Ford" by Lex Johnston, Great Grandson of Henry
Ford, included in "In The Life And Lives of Brown County People",
published by The Brown County Historical Society.
7) "The Story of Cole Younger by Himself", Introduction by Marley
Brant, originally published 1903, re-published in 2000 by Minnesota
Historical Society.
8) "Branded as Rebels", compiled by Joanne Chiles Eakin & Donald R.
Hale, 1993.
9) "INSIDE WAR - The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the
American Civil War" by Michael Fellman, Oxford University Press, 1989.
10) "The Blue And The Gray" by Henry Steele Commager, 1982, (Two
Volumes in One).
11) "Jesse James Was His Name" or, "Fact And Fiction Concerning The
Careers of The Notorious James Brothers of Missouri" by William A.
Settle, Jr., 1966, Columbia, Missouri, University of Missouri Press.
12) "Reminiscences of one who suffered in the lost cause" by Charles
Hewitt Hance, published 1915.
13) "Quantrill And The Border Wars" by William Elsey Connelley,
Pageant Book Company, New York, 1956, originally published 1909.
14) "Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas Border" by Donald L. Gilmore,
2006, Pelican Publishing Company.
15) "The Civil War Story of Bloody Bill Anderson" by Larry Wood,
2003, Published by Eakin Press - Austin, Texas.
16) "Quantrill and his civil war guerrillas" by Carl W. Breihan,
1959.
17) "Bloody Bill Anderson - The Short, Savage Life of a Civil War
Guerrilla by Albert Castel & Thomas Goodrich.
18) "Three Years With Quantrill" by John McCorkle.
19) "A Dynasty of Western Outlaws" by Paul I. Wellman, University of
Nebraska Press - Lincoln and London, 1961, Reprinted Bison Book, 1986.
20) "The Killer Legions of Quantrill" by Carl W. Breihan, Hangman
Press As Presented By Superior Publishing Company, Seattle,
Washington, 1971, First Edition.
21) "Noted Guerrillas" or "The Warfare on the Border" by John N.
Edwards, Press of Morningside Bookshop, 1976, originally printed 1877.
22) "In The Life And Lives Of Brown County People" Books Nos Ten,
Eleven, and Nineteen, published by the Brown County Historical
Society.
23) "The Nice and Nasty in Brown County" by Ruth Griffin Spence,
1988.
24) "Something About Brown" by T.R. Havins, 1958, Banner Printing
Company, Brownwood, Texas.
25) "Freemasonry in Brownwood" by Donovan Duncan Tidwell, 1966.
26) "McInnis Funeral Home Records Brownwood, (Brown County) Texas
1910-1942" compiled by Hazel Ellis Wetzel, 1985.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
