Anyone ever hear of these lost Confederate Gold caches in Alabama?

Pistolero

Jr. Member
Sep 27, 2005
28
3
Millbrook, Al.
Hello all,
I was not sure whether to post this on the Treasure forum or Treasure Leads forum. So I reckon I will post it on both! Anyway, I have a couple of stories about lost Confederate gold:

(1) Has any of y'all ever read or heard of the Confederate detail (unknown number of soldiers) escorting $250,000.00 in gold from out west somewhere to the east coast in 1864 being attacked about two miles east of Tallassee, Alabama near or crossing a little creek? While they fought the commander detailed a couple of men to hide the gold just in case they lost and were captured. The Confederates got away or won the little skirmish or what have you but the men who hid it had been killed. It was never recovered. The only clues were that it was buried right at a sharp bend in the little creek near a split rail fence. Anyone ever hear of it? It sure would be neat to find that gold?

(2) Years ago, in the mid '80s, an elderly man told me that when he was a kid an elderly man had told him that as a younger man he had had been a Riverboat captain in the Civil War era. In early 1865 when the Yankees under Gen. James H. Wilson were burning Selma, and it was pretty much a given that they were coming to Montgomery next, the local polititians and civic leaders had two steam barges loaded with all of Montgomery's (the Capital of Alabama) money, gold, valuables, and even silverware and jewelry from shops and private owners. The boat's captains had orders to go, one downstream and the other upstream on the Alabama River, and to select a suitable place to hide or skuttle their boat to be retrieved later. That way it would keep the city's and the county's, and bussiness and people's, wealth and valuables out of the thieving hands of the yankees.

Well this elderly old river captain told the then young boy that the one boat was never seen again, but loyal to his trust and the Southern Cause he took his boat (I forget whether he went upstream or down) and not finding a suitable hiding place, with bands of yankee thieves, Southern deserters and scalawags roving the countryside, he scuttled his boat right on a point where a creek emptied into the Alabama River. He figured it would be easy to come back and find. He then made his way back to Montgomery. But later, after the war was over and yankees had settled down to just a good old occuppying force, he was sent back to find his boat. He never did and never could.

Now I figure the boat that was never seen again either sunk, was taken by union "foragers", southern thieves and robbers, or sunk or perhaps even the captain headed west to homestead, a rich man indeed. We will never know. But the one boat the old man spoke of is somewhere in the Alabama River, loaded down with wealth. Wouldn't it be neat to find it?

Has anyone ever heard either of these two stories? Man would I like to find some of that gold and what have you! Take care,
Pistolero
Millbrook, Al..
 

carajou

Jr. Member
Jan 9, 2005
55
29
Murfreesboro, TN
I have not heard of both of these stories.

Currently, I am investigating two Civil War-era stories that had to do with captured Union payrolls. One had supposedly taken place in Alabama, but the details of the incident suggest an area near the towns of Booneville and Belleview, Tennessee, and a feature named "Keel Mountain". The other took place at or near a "Dollar Hill", also in Tennessee.

I am going to discount the first one, even though I saw a mountain near Belleview that looked like an overturned boat with a keel. The reason for it is I searched the Official Records of the Civil War and did not find a single incident of a skirmish taking place in that area. For the other, a small battle near Parker's Crossroads took place at the end of 1862 involving General Forrest could have supplied the payroll incident for Dollar Hill.

Go to EHistory.com or the Cornell University library to access the Official Records for your stories. If such incidents took place, then you have a basis to ensure your treasure stories are real.
 

B

Bo Hott

Guest
I have also researched the legend of Keel Mountain, I agree the O.R.'s don't mention anything about the skirmish. Keel Mountain is located in Madison County in Alabama not in Belleview, Tenn. I have hunted the area with only minor finds but there was alot of activity in the area. So I can't totally discount the story.
 

carajou

Jr. Member
Jan 9, 2005
55
29
Murfreesboro, TN
I got the Keel Mountain story from a treasure hunter in west Tennessee, and it was a small, one-paragraph statement. The location was described (by him) as being in northern Alabama, between the towns of Bellview and Booneville, at or near Keel Mountain. He was specific about the state, but Bellview and Booneville are marked as being in Tennessee. From there, I am assuming the Bellview back then is Belleville today, just with a name change. The mountain I saw that looked like an overturned boat is just to the east of Belleville, off US 231.

It's possible in this story that, if true, the individuals who buried the payroll could have left clues designed to toss searchers off the trail, i.e. bury the treasure in Keel Mountain, Alabama, but move the mountain's location north to Tennessee, figuratively speaking of course.
 

CapnJuan

Greenie
Feb 15, 2007
10
0
Birmingham, Alabama
Detector(s) used
Whichever I can find to beg, borrow or pirate.
I have talked to the guy who wrote what you found on #2. This was not actually supposed to be an article. It was an E-mail he sent to someone and it found it's way to being an article on several sites. That was some years ago but since then the guy has found out from several old timers that the story they heard about this boat was that it was a grain or cotton barge that began taking on water and was beached.

Additionally, I know some history of the river. At one time there was logging that went as far up the Coosa as North of Lincoln on the Logan Martin Lake. So it could have been a barge used to move logs. An old map I saw years ago of the river showed tons of wreck sites all up and down the river.

There is also a little issue with dredges that might very well have destroyed or buried the boat.

Now if all that does not discourage you and you have a mind to dive for it, That is some of the darkest and can at times be some of the most treacherous waters in Alabama so make sure you bring some really good lights with you and an experienced Dive Buddy.

You never know it could be laying there laden with the treasure of the Ole South just waiting to be found!

Of course then again you will need to check the laws on treasure hunting in Alabama. I heard that the law has been changed but back around 2004 it was written so strictly that if you picked up garbage on the river bank it could be construed as stealing from the Alabama Historical Society and yes they would prosecute. Google Steve Parker and Alabama Historical Society and I think you will find some articles about their prosecution of him.
 

Old Dog

Gold Member
May 22, 2007
5,860
397
Western Colorado
I think it was a New York District Judge who made a precedence of the fact that...

"Ignorance of the law, is no excuse."

always know what the laws are Buddy.
Never count out the stupidity of politicians on any level.

OD
 

growdude

Jr. Member
Dec 26, 2004
78
16
I live n the the ala state line and have pulse and gpr if anyone is interested in searching
 

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