CONFEDERATE GOLD IN DANVILLE, VA.

[franklin]

Have you ever seen any "Lee" trees, or heard of them possibly being used for a trail heading?

L.C.

No sir I have not.

 

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[Kace]

Have you ever seen any "Lee" trees, or heard of them possibly being used for a trail heading?

L.C.

If you mean Lee as Robert E Lee... then yes I have.

Kace

 

[L.C. BAKER]

If you mean Lee as Robert E Lee... then yes I have.

Kace

Seen one, or heard of one being used as a trail marker, or both? Just curious.

Thanks, L.C.

 

[Kace]

Seen one, or heard of one being used as a trail marker, or both? Just curious.

Thanks, L.C.

I've seen the original Robert E Lee Tree along with the Grant and Roosevelt Tree.

Down here some of the older folks call a Really Large Tree a 'Lee Tree'....

I've never heard of them specifically being used as trail markers though...except when giving directions, they'll say something like "Just past the Lee Tree you'll see the old Johnson place" type of stuff.

Kace

 

[ECS]

YEP! Rebs burned LOTS of stuff in Danville, Va. "in the last days"...

My great grandfather was 1st SGT 10th NEW JERSEY, saw action at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Gettysburg, and during late April-early June, 1865, was a part of the Union occupying force in Danville.
After mustering out and returning home, he bought a city block in Paterson, NJ, with brownstones that housed his extended family-uncles, cousins, etc,.
I don't really know where that money came from, but I am sure the Union army didn't pay THAT WELL.

 

[Kace]

My great grandfather was 1st SGT 10th NEW JERSEY, saw action at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Gettysburg, and during late April-early June, 1865, was a part of the Union occupying force in Danville.
After mustering out and returning home, he bought a city block in Paterson, NJ, with brownstones that housed his extended family-uncles, cousins, etc,.
I don't really know where that money came from, but I am sure the Union army didn't pay THAT WELL.

Sounds like someone found a nice cache!

Is that property still in your family?

Kace

 

[L.C. BAKER]

As I have read, when Lee moved into the North with his men, there was a Bur Oak planted at every campsite they made. In some cases, I believe they were a little more special. They were called "Lee Trees" Some of them have historical markers like this one near Rainelle West Virginia. I think they were all placed on high points with a good view of the immediate area.


File:Lee Tree Marker.jpg - West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

L.C.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

The stories differ with the trees it seems. https://www.richmond.com/news/local...cle_a51a2665-512d-5db6-9c0a-256039db0cc8.html

 

[L.C. BAKER]

Franklin do you know the truth of what took place during the time that Jeff Davis stayed in Danville for a week after fleeing Richmond in April?

L.C.

 

[Kace]

As I have read, when Lee moved into the North with his men, there was a Bur Oak planted at every campsite they made. In some cases, I believe they were a little more special. They were called "Lee Trees" Some of them have historical markers like this one near Rainelle West Virginia. I think they were all placed on high points with a good view of the immediate area.




File:Lee Tree Marker.jpg - West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

L.C.

I've always been told that Lee camped on the highest point he could....Hence Lee's Summit where Younger's are buried.

The folks that want to distance themselves from the confederate history of the town say the city (originally settled as Strother) was named for Dr Pleasant LEA. Makes No Sense...Look at the spelling. All the old timers from way back say it's named for Robert E LEE camping on the Summit.

This town has the highest summit in Jackson County... Storm Spotters use the area a lot looking for tornadoes now.

There are a lot of really old and very large trees in that area.

Is there something in particular you're looking for on a Lee tree? I'll run over there and look for you if there is. Time could be ticking fast as new sub divisions are popping up.

Kace

PS...There are not any historical markers in the Summit area here.. I just read your attachments. I have found mini balls there and a cannon ball at a battlefield site about 7-8 miles from there.

When a new city council came in composed of outsiders they dismantled Cole Younger's home and promised to rebuild it at another location... it sat in plain site right off a highway coming into town and said they wanted the land for a subdivision... then they changed the name of the annual town festival from Cole Younger Days to Old Time Days or something similar saying it wasn't right to honor an outlaw...ugh. However they wanted the cemetery to get Historical Status and used his name to do that. Gotta Love Outsiders that want to change history.

 

[Kace]

As I have read, when Lee moved into the North with his men, there was a Bur Oak planted at every campsite they made. In some cases, I believe they were a little more special. They were called "Lee Trees" Some of them have historical markers like this one near Rainelle West Virginia. I think they were all placed on high points with a good view of the immediate area.


File:Lee Tree Marker.jpg - West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

L.C.

A Bur Oak is a type of White Oak... so the stories might not be all that different.

Kace

 

[franklin]

Franklin do you know the truth of what took place during the time that Jeff Davis stayed in Danville for a week after fleeing Richmond in April?

L.C.

Pretty much. What do you want to know?

 

[ECS]

Sounds like someone found a nice cache!

Is that property still in your family?

Kace

No, the brownstones were all sold piece by piece after my grandfather and those of his generation passed away as my father and his brothers and sisters had all moved on to the suburbs- but when I was 3-4yo, the alleys between buildings and backyards was my domain as I raced in a pedal powered car.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

I was just looking for similarity among trails for a confirmation mainly, and fishing for any stories you gentlemen may have heard about. There are things that are the same on our trail as other trails we have read about, but in our case sometimes it is the same method done a different way. Does that make any sense?

 

[L.C. BAKER]

A Bur Oak is a type of White Oak... so the stories might not be all that different.

Kace

I gathered the difference that one tree was already a big tree named a Lee tree because he sat under it for shade where they camped, and in the West Virginia story the Lee tree is one like I was talking about that was a little tree planted where they camped when they were leaving the camp to move on.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

Pretty much. What do you want to know?

How about the timeline of that week in April and what took place each day in Danville if you can fill in the blanks for us. :noteworthy:

L.C.

P.S. I would also be interested to hear what you or anyone may know about Clement Vallandigham's arrival in Richmond in 1863 and the meeting that followed shortly after with Jefferson Davis and.......

 

[franklin]

How about the timeline of that week in April and what took place each day in Danville if you can fill in the blanks for us. :noteworthy:

L.C.

P.S. I would also be interested to hear what you or anyone may know about Clement Vallandigham's arrival in Richmond in 1863 and the meeting that followed shortly after with Jefferson Davis and.......

A timeline for most of the events in Danville are listed in J. Frank Carroll's book, "Confederate Gold in Danville." I know nothing of Valladigham's arrival or meeting in Richmond, Virginia. I do know that is about the time that they started putting away treasure for a Second Civil War. I have some that were buried on May 4, 1863.

 

[Kace]

I gathered the difference that one tree was already a big tree named a Lee tree because he sat under it for shade where they camped, and in the West Virginia story the Lee tree is one like I was talking about that was a little tree planted where they camped when they were leaving the camp to move on.

I see what you mean now... I was just saying those two types of oak trees are in the same family.

I've never heard the stories of RE Lee or his men planting acorns from that tree wherever they camped if you meant that the acorns they planted were from the tree he sat by for shade.

I don't know what you're looking for in similarities to your trail in other areas or I'd look for you at the Lee trees here and at the farm. If you want to PM or Post it... feel free and I'll go over there and look.

Kace

 

[ECS]

How about the timeline of that week in April and what took place each day in Danville if you can fill in the blanks for us...

A more important timeline of who and what was decided would be after Danville when Jefferson Davis and members of his cabinet where at the Marshall family WHITE HALL PLANTATION in Abbeville, SC, and finalized their final escape plans.
Davis sent two wagons led by his brother-in-laws to David Levy Yulee's COTTONWOOD PLANTATION in Archer, Florida, while Judah P Benjamin went to Ocala , Florida where two of his cousins lived, and eventually to GAMBLE PLANTATION, where John C Breckinridge's sister was married to own of the owners who was also a Capt in the Florida CSA "cow cavalry".
Breckinridge, along with Davis's nephew, John Taylor Wood (Captain of the raider, CSS TALLAHASSEE) also traveled to Ocala, where the Marshall family had another plantation, and Wood's grandfather, President Zachery Taylor, was Commandant of FORT KING, during the Seminole Wars.

 

[franklin]

A more important timeline of who and what was decided would be after Danville when Jefferson Davis and members of his cabinet where at the Marshall family WHITEHALL PLANTATION in Abbeville, SC, and finalized their final escape plans.
Davis sent two wagons led by his brother-in-laws to David Levy Yulee's COTTONWOOD PLANTATION in Archer, Florida, while Judah P Benjamin went to Ocala , Florida where two of his cousins lived, and eventually to GAMBLE PLANTATION, where John C Breckinridge's sister was married to own of the owners who was also a Capt in the Florida CSA "cow cavalry".
Breckinridge, along with Davis's nephew, John Taylor Wood (Captain of the raider, CSS TALLAHASSEE) also traveled to Ocala, where the Marshall family had another plantation, and Wood's grandfather, President Zachery Taylor, was Commandant of FORT KING, during the Seminole Wars.

The Davis Party stayed at the Burt-Stark Mansion in Abbeville, S.C. The Whitehall Plantation was at Fort Mill, S.C., on the Catawba River about 26 miles from Charlotte, N.C. where they had a cabinet meeting in the yard and Secretary of the Treasury George Alfred Trenholm resigned. They had another meeting in Cokesbury before getting to Abbeville, S.C. Davis and party made final preparations for final escape plan at Washington, Georgia. The other plans of escape were made as they went along. At one point he back tracked several miles to rescue his wife and escort endangering more his escape. Micajah Clark acting Secretary of the Treasury at Park's Ferry traveled a different route from the Davis Party that spent the night. I wrote a story on that crossing in Lost Treasure Magazine about Park's Ferry. The gold was hidden, the wagons were burned and every teamster driver chose a mule and rode back home to upper Kentucky and Lower Indiana. The only money or funds that traveled further south was a little trunk containing $25,000 in gold sovereigns. It was divided up along the railroad tracks near the Cottonwood Plantation most was buried and Micajah later returned for the cache to help the Jefferson Davis' family while the President was in Fort Monroe Prison. There is still today about $22,500 in gold of Jefferson Davis personal money buried somewhere on the Cottonwood Plantation. General Breckenridge, Wood and Benjamin traveled separate from these two parties and carried along gold in money belts prepared in Washington, Georgia for them.