Confederate Gold

[azza]

Does anyone have some more information on Confederate gold buried deep in the Everglades? I have read about it a couple of times, but my limited research has proved fruitless. I have heard that it is well documented and has something to do with a Confederate paymaster on the run from Union forces in the swamps of the Everglades. Any help?

 

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[JackInFlorida]

Hi Azza,

I have been looking at this for some time, as have many on this board.

There are 3 or 4 major theories that I have seen.

1. The gold was dropped near the begining of the trip.
2. The gold was all spent.
3. The gold was divided in Archer FL.
4. It was buried somewhere in the Everglades.

There are others too.

Jack

 

[azza]

Alright, that's a few different theories. How can I begin to research or verify any of them? Supposedly this is a "well documented" cache, according to a book by Robert Marx.

 

[paddy.mick]

I've heard this story from almost everyone living near any spring, river, or coast. Lake County is popular and so is Cedar Key area as well as the Caloosahatchee River.
Good luck in the muck,
Pat

 

[JoeSWFla]

Popular tale.Log entry supposedly said that they were being chased by the
enemy up a river in the Everglades and had to bury the payroll of currency
and gold at a fork in the river where the land rose like a camel's back.
That describes a lot of rivers and a lot of locations from the Fla.straights
to Marco.Someone would have to get the original log and plot the
movements of that boat.I would think the original crew would have gone
back for that at a later time,but who knows if any lived long enough,or
could find the spot again.Would need to have a deep seeking PI unit,and
it's probably in the National Park,and they frown on that sort of thing
Good Luck on the venture.

 

[Salvor6]

When I read this, one place jumped out at me. Where the Shark and Harney rivers come together there are 3 small islands. One of them is taller than the others. That could be described as a camels hump.

This subject has been discussed on other forums. There is one tnet member (can't remember who) that claims he knows exactly where it is. The area I mentioned is in the Everglades Park. GO GET IT!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Does anyone have some more information on Confederate gold buried deep in the Everglades? I have read about it a couple of times, but my limited research has proved fruitless. I have heard that it is well documented and has something to do with a Confederate paymaster on the run from Union forces in the swamps of the Everglades. Any help?

Wow, this is a lot more information than I got when I asked the same question.
Its well documented in all the Treasure books, but all the same couple a lines. Capt John Riley...Confederate payroll...chased by Union forces... buried in west hump...captured...blah blah blah.

 

[azza]

We ( www.oldcharter.com ) spent a couple of years searching the Old Cottonwood Plantation in Archer, Fl, and we can tell you this one fact for certain...THERE IS NO TREASURE LEFT IN ARCHER FLORIDA!!! We actually located the empty holes where the treasure had been buried in May of 1865 and subsequently later removed by the same Confederate Officers who buried it! We are currently in possession of what we consider to be the most accurate time line of REALLY HAPPENED to Jefferson Davis' Gold at the end of the Civil War. The owner of the Property actually has the original Bronze Placard that was Placed at the site by the Daughter's of the Confederacy, I'll have to dig the picture out for everyone to see...god only knows which file it's in...lol. Here's an old map we found of the area...Enjoy!

P.S. YES THERE IS A LARGE TREASURE IN THE EVERGLADES...BUT I"M NOT TELLING WHERE Let's just say that it comes in really nice with the Treasure Navigator www.treasurenow.com
Check out Thomas Terry's Treasure Atlas Vol #3

Well, it appears that I may be barking up the wrong tree, but seeing as I am as green as they come, I won't fret it. Do you have any good leads I might want to explore in depth? That is other than the large treasure in the everglades that you don't want to give any hints about.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Well, it appears that I may be barking up the wrong tree, but seeing as I am as green as they come, I won't fret it. Do you have any good leads I might want to explore in depth? That is other than the large treasure in the everglades that you don't want to give any hints about.

Dont feel bad Azza. The reason nobody helped you, is because nobody knows anything about it. I have been asking the same question here on TN for at least two years. You need to research yourself and dont turn away from any clue.... Does anyone have Thomas Terry's Treasure Atlas Vol #3? 8)

The guy with the large treasure appears to be promoting his LRL. But who knows?

BTW Where do you live Azza?

 

[azza]

I live in Jax, Northeast FL.

What's an LRL? I am unfamiliar with that acronym.

Also, I guess I should say that I am very new to this treasure hunting, but very enthusiastic. It's not that I don't want to search for small treasures (i.e. gold dubloons and such), but I figure if I am going to invest some serious time in my life into something I love I am going to go for the gold (excuse the pun). So, I guess what I mean is are there any other good leads not just for the confederate gold, but also other treasures of profound value. I have read a lot about Billy Bowlegs, but there seems to be more than one famous man with that name.

I like a good mystery and if I see the worth behind the mystery I am going to exert all my energy into that goal and I figure I want to start my treasure hunting with something that is reasonably possible to be in existence rather than something that is so far fetched that I would be wasting my time (Gasparilla).

 

[godisnum1]

Does anyone have Thomas Terry's Treasure Atlas Vol #3? 8)

Yes... I have Volume 3
Regardless, the treasure would be buried on Seminole land... and they don't have to answer to the government if "something" happens to someone trespassing on their land, but rather to their tribal counsel. And for that, they can get away with alot.

Bran <><

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Does anyone have Thomas Terry's Treasure Atlas Vol #3? 8)

Yes... I have Volume 3
Regardless, the treasure would be buried on Seminole land... and they don't have to answer to the government if "something" happens to someone trespassing on their land, but rather to their tribal counsel. And for that, they can get away with alot.

Bran <><

There is a way around that if the payroll does infact lie within the Seminole boundaries. What does the Treasure Atlas have to say about the Everglades?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I live in Jax, Northeast FL.

What's an LRL? I am unfamiliar with that acronym.

I like a good mystery and if I see the worth behind the mystery I am going to exert all my energy into that goal and I figure I want to start my treasure hunting with something that is reasonably possible to be in existence rather than something that is so far fetched that I would be wasting my time (Gasparilla).

Long Range Locator

The Everglades Confederate Payroll is one of the hardest, may be already found, and could even be a made up tale. Not the best Treasure for someone living in Jax. You may have been given a tip to look in the Treasure Atlas Vol. 3 and you missed it. Why dont you start with something local?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Your post is attracting some attention azza, read almost 400 times. Here's my old Swamp Gold post from 2005.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,20965.0.html

 

[azza]

Thank you for that thread, I will certainly read it when I don't have a couple of whiskeys in me and about to fall asleep. Here's the thing. I know that it may not be the treasure I should start with (confederate gold), but I had to start asking somewhere. I am really interested in any good leads on treasure. Perhaps in St. Aug, perhaps somewhere further in Florida and even the Carribean or further, but I don't know where to start. Finding treasure is like searching for a needle in a haystack and I want to find out what the smallest haystacks are so I don't start looking for something that is a longshot even for the most seasoned treasure hunter.

If I am off to the wrong start with the Confederate Gold perhaps you guys have some other ideas I could peruse.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It might be a good idea to purchase these books that TT mentioned on the other thread. Im considering it myself. I only became interested in the "Swamp Gold" because I have spent so much time hiking, camping, and deer, gator, and wild hog hunting in the area.

 

[azza]

what's your gut feeling about it? After having done the research you have so far, do you think it is likely or only a slim possibility. I have had a hard time finding much of anything on the internet about it.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

what's your gut feeling about it? After having done the research you have so far, do you think it is likely or only a slim possibility. I have had a hard time finding much of anything on the internet about it.

Yes, I think its very possible that it is still lost. Its a very, very large swamp, but we dont even know what county its in. I hope if you discover a clue, you will share the info. We have heard in this post that the gold could be from Archer to Monroe County!

 

[azza]

I am diligently searching, and hope to find more credible clues soon.

 

[JackInFlorida]

Here is some of my research . . .


5/4/2007
“Chased by the enemy, we buried our payroll at a point in the Everglades at a junction of two creeks, where the land rises like a camel’s back. The money is buried in the west hump of the rise.”

Appendix A

http://www.frankkryder.com/florida.htm
On or about May 15, 1865, a month following General Lee's surrender in Virginia,, a wagon train of high ranking government officials, the personal baggage of Jefferson Davis and the remains of the Confederate Treasury, in gold coin, rolled into Florida, attempting to elude federal agents, rendevous with Davis in Texas and perhaps start over in Cuba or the Bahamas. They stopped in at Senator David Levy Yulee's Cotton Wood Plantation near Archer, Florida where Yulee's wife, informed them Jefferson Davis had been captured. Camped on the embankment of the Florida railroad the group decided to split the money and scatter. It was rumored some of the money was buried in Archer and has never been found.

20070521 – Yulee Sugar Mill is a State Historic Site. Located at approximately 10466 W. Yulee Dr. Homosassa, FL. – But is this the real original site? Mention was made of Archer?



Appendix B

Florida's Fabulous Treasures
By Jeffrey Kramer
The Florida Everglades is the area of a well documented lost treasure. Near the end of the Civil War, a Confederate paymaster being pursued by Union troops buried a million-dollar payroll, $200,000 in gold coins and the remainder in paper currency. Records reveal he wrote, “Chased by the enemy, we buried our payroll at a point in the Everglades at a junction of two creeks, where the land rises like a camel’s back. The money is buried in the west hump of the rise.” The area is somewhere between Alligator Alley and State Road 41 in the Seminole Indian Reservation.


Appendix C

EVERGLADES....KGC .Captain John Riley trying to ship Confederate gold to Havana in the spring of 1865, was chased into the Everglades by Federal troops. Riley buried $500,000 in gold bullion in west central Broward County. A Confederate paymaster fleeing Federal troops buried $200,000 in gold coins in Hendry County and the area is supposedly between Alligator Alley and State Route 41.


Appendix D

http://www.floridahistory.org/floridians/civilw.htm

Jefferson Davis and Stephen Mallory was captured en route to Florida, but Secretary of the Confederate Treasury Judah Benjamin escaped Florida from a sailboat in Sarasota Bay. It was rumored the Confederate Treasury was buried near Newberry by an advance calvary unit sent by President Davis. Others questioned whether they was enough money to even count the cargo as a treasure.


Appendix E

http://www.flahistory.net/may_18611865.htm
May 22, 1865 Part of the baggage of Confederate President Jefferson Davis arrive at David Levy Yulee’s Cotton Wood plantation near Archer. Davis was attempting to flee the North American continent after the surrender of Confederate armies in Virginia and North Carolina. For years, rumors persisted that a considerable part of the Confederate treasury was buried on Yulee’s property. If so, it has never been found.

Appendix F

http://www.afn.org/~archer/links.htm
Historical Markers: Region 2 - Region 2 includes Alachua, Duval, Flagler, Levy, Marion, Nassau, and St. Johns counties Alachua David Levy Yulee and Cotton Wood Plantation David Levy Yulee and Cotton Wood Plantation (2nd marker) Josiah T. Walls Josiah T. Walls (2nd marker) The...
--http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/df/FL_MARK/reg2.html  NG
YULEE (Nassau) - YULEE (Nassau County) The town of Yulee is located on US 17 twenty miles west of Fernandina Beach. Visitors remember the town as the last Florida city before leaving Florida on their trip along I-95 to Georgia. The town was named in 1852 for...
--http://www.floridahistory.org/floridians/arch1/civilwar/y...
Levy County - Levy County Name: for David Levy Yulee, the state's first U.S. senator Formed: March 10, 1845 Area: 1,137 square miles County Seat: Bronson Levy Population 1995 Est.1990 Census 1980 Census 1970 Census 29,843 25,923 19,870 12,756 Municipalities...
--http://www.clerk.co.brevard.fl.us/pages/levy.htm
Web Sites - HISTORY OF ARCHER In the early 1850s a town called Deer Hammock was established here, probably in anticipation of the construction of the Florida Railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key. In 1858 The Florida Town Improvement Company, owned by the...
--http://www.sbac.edu/~archer/history.html  NG
Florida State Parks - YULEE SUGAR MILL RUINS STATE HISTORIC SITE - TD { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt} A.left:Hover {color:#800000;} A.left {color:#346699; text-decoration: none; font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;} Contents Directory Help Search Whats New Topics...
--http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/YuleeSugarMill/yulee.html
Citrus County Courthouse - Although little citrus is now grown in the region, owing to changes in climate, Senator David Levy Yulee did operate a plantation in the vicinity of Homosassa, and a variety of sweet orange was once cultivated by that name. Citrus County, which was.
--http://jud10.flcourts.org/Courthouses/citrus.html


Appendix G

http://growth-management.alachua.fl.us/historic/historic_commission/historictowns/archer/archer.htm

11. David Levy Yulee/Cotton Wood Historical Marker
This historical marker has information about David Levy Yulee (1810-86), who played a significant role in Florida's early development, and about his plantation near Archer.


Appendix H

http://www.co.alachua.fl.us/government/history/?era=2507

Cottonwood Plantation This large cotton plantation in Archer was run by David Levy Yulee, Florida's
first U. S. senator. In 1865 it was the terminus for the Confederate Wagon train, carrying gold and
Jefferson Davis' personal papers. Now only a bronze plaque marks the spot.

Title: DAVID YULEE and COTTON WOOD PLANTATION
Location:S.R. 346 (High Street)
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: David Levy Yulee was born at St. Thomas, West Indies, in 1810. He attended school in Virginia from 1819 until 1827 when he went to Micanopy to work on one of the plantations of his father, Moses Elias Levy. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1836. His time was divided between the practice of law and agriculture. Yulee was elected to the Florida Constitutional Convention at St. Joseph in 1838. He was a delegate to Congress from the Territory of Florida from 1841-45 and spearheaded the drive for statehood. In 1845, he was chosen as the first U.S. Senator from Florida and was the first Jew, in the United States, to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Defeated for reelection in 1851, Yulee was again elected to the Senate in 1855. In the Senate he served as chairman of the committees on naval affairs and on post offices and post roads. Yulee served in the U.S. Senate until he resigned upon the secession of Florida in 1861. While serving as territorial delegate, Yulee obtained a railroad survey of Florida and was one of the first railroad promoters in the South. In 1853 he incorporated the Florida Railroad which, when completed in 1860, passed through Archer, connecting Fernandina and Cedar Key. Long an advocate of the Southern movement and secession, Yulee supported Florida's entry into the Confederacy. However, he chose not to pursue elective office and devoted time to his plantations and his railroad. He was at odds with Confederate authorities who wanted to use materials from his railroad for more vital lines. Cotton Wood Plantation, located about one mile northeast of this site, was the home of Yulee during the War Between the States. Upon the fall of the Confederacy, personal baggage of President Jefferson Davis and part of the Confederate treasury, reached Cotton Wood, under armed guard, on May 22, 1865. Following the war, Yulee was imprisoned at Ft. Pulaski, at Savannah, until Gen. U.S. Grant intervened for his release in March of 1866. Yulee sold his holdings in Florida and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1880. He died in 1886 and was buried at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Originally known as David Levy, he had his name changed by an act of the Florida Legislature in 1845.
Sponsors: sponsored by the Alachua county historical commission in cooperation with the Florida department of state