BRADDOCKS TREASURE UNEARTHED

[jeff of pa]

Clipping From unknown 1885 newspaper.
=========================
FINDING TREASURE TROVE
Three-quarters of a million in gold unearthed at Braddocks.
Special Despatch to the Press

PITTSBURG, jan, 12 - A report reached the city late to-night that, while digging a cellar at Braddocks, which is located on the site of the battle-field, on which General Braddock, lost his life, P. J. Hartnett discovered an Immense iron chest. a wagon was procured and the box taken to the National Bank building. after considerable effort; the box was opend. it was litterly jammed with gold.
the bank officials estimate the contents at $750,000.00 . on top of the gold was the following, some of the letters have faded.

" Att c d Indians, Must h? gold. Army not p? d? we must all p r sh.
signed)? ? ? ? ? Brad? ?k."

Telegraph communications with Braddock's is cut off for the night, and whether this story is true or false cannot be assertained? to-night.

==================================

IF story was True An old Treasure Legend People Have Looked for, For Years, Is HISTORY now.

Anyone Still Searching, May Want to Check Newspaper Archives for Follow-ups.

 

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[jeff of pa]

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[jeff of pa]

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[jeff of pa]

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[warsawdaddy]

I am not familiar with the legend of Braddock,however,750,000.00 seems too great of a payroll in those days for one area especially. Was it bullion or coins?

 

[jeff of pa]

I am not familiar with the legend of Braddock,however,750,000.00 seems too great of a payroll in those days for one area especially. Was it bullion or coins?

Well First Off the Original PayRoll Would Have Been 1755 Prices What ever it was.

It was Then Supposedly Estimated at 1885 Prices By the Bank.

Just as What Would It Be worth Now If Unearthed Today & Not Back Then ?

Being Troop Payment in 1755 (PRE-US Mint) I would Imagine British Gold Coins

The BATTLE & Hastely Buried Payroll Is Very Well Documented, in Braddocks Journal, In The PA Archives In Harrisburg. sorry I can't Quote The Ref. I don't Have The Book I read About it In.

But the Book is "REPORT Of The Commission To Locate The SITE Of The FRONTIER FORTS Of PENNSYLVANIA". Volume 2 (WEST OF SUSQUEHANNA)

As I said Concerning The NEWS CLIPPING, Fruther Research to Authenticate the Find Would Be Necessary Tho.

 

[JerV3]

Great Stuff Jeff. I am very familar with the battle of braddock. I live close to it about 25 minute drive. I have been down to the area witch is a bad area. And all the land has been built over with houses. Some really old churches down there. I would love to research it some more and have a small aersonal of detectorist help in the aid.

I still think there are finds to be made from this area. Either by going door to door and gaining permission to hunt yards or by following the trail out of the neighborhood and into some of the more denser woods around the area. Your lucky there's a tree left in braddock. And there are alot of old abandoned steel plantations along the river.

I never heard of the gold being found. I did read stories that in the early 1900's people scoured the area for it. I beleive it was found also now that i have read your article.

I would love to find some stuff from this battle. It's just very difficult to place were they were and what is there now. Were I feal it is it's all houses. At the local club here last year I was told the braddock historical society had a peice of land that they felt needed investigated. They were trying to work a deal with the archeologist to help them find the artifacts. Don't think it ever happened though.

Thanks for the great info. If you know enough get down here on a weekend. And me you and my brother and maybe if you got a buddy we could go look around and get permission. We could possibly find some great stuff.

The historical society told me they pay good for artifacts from this battle. He actuallly told me to go door to door offer a few bucks to the owners because it's a poor neighborhood and see what I could find. But like I said you need a group to hunt this area. 3 or 4 people and you would be alright.

HH Jeremy

 

[jeff of pa]

I may Take You up on that One Weekend Jer, Now that Fall is Almost Here , Should Be some Great Weekends.

HAVE you Ever Taken That Frontier Forts Volume 2 Book Out at Your Library ?
? You Could Probably Use The Inter Library System & Get A Copy If Your library dosn't have it.

It Lists All the Forts Also & Has Some Great Info taken From Journals & Local Historians Back in 1885

Including a Map & Info on Where The Lead Plates Were Buried By the Frenchman de Beinville to Mark Their Territory in 1749 .

 

[JerV3]

Any weekend let me know before hand. I have a really good book that has alot of forts in it. It's called forts on the western frontier. It was just published like ten years ago. It gives exact directions to over 30 forts. I visited a few already but they were to overgrown. Some weren't natural land anymore. I did find one and was able to hit a small section in front of the foundation and found a nice old domed shaped button with a solid shank attached. But couldn't go any further due to the overgrowth.

I know there are still finds at these fort sites. Some of the better one's are on farmer's property and you need permission. I know we don't live next door to one another but if your free on a detecting weekend and can get away come on down. I'll provide my knowledge to get us around and we'll see if we could get permission for some places.

That battle of braddock gets me going. It would be a dream come true to find some of the foot steps of the troops. And actually find some of the relics. The area is right in my city. You would think there are still some stuff hidding over in that area.

Thanks for all the info.

HH Jeremy

 

[jeff of pa]

http://akvalley.com/history/forts/celoron/celoron.html

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/1pa/1picts/frontierforts/frontierforts.htm

 

[Oroblanco]

Greetings,
Not to cast aspersions on the newspaper report, but there is a rather glaring red herring in it: Braddock's little message, with the note saying that telegraph communications had been lost. Telegraph had not been invented in the 1750s, so this might point to a spurious report. It could be true, and the part about telegraph communications being simply an error on the part of the author of the article. Still, I would be suspicious because of it, and would not quit searching for that payroll! Happy hunting...
Oroblanco

"We must find a way, or we will make one. " --Hannibal Barca

 

[jeff of pa]

Greetings,
Not to cast aspersions on the newspaper report, but there is a rather glaring red herring in it: Braddock's little message, with the note saying that telegraph communications had been lost.? Telegraph had not been invented in the 1750s, so this might point to a spurious report.? It could be true, and the part about telegraph communications being simply an error on the part of the author of the article.? Still, I would be suspicious because of it, and would not quit searching for that payroll!? Happy hunting...
Oroblanco

"We must find a way, or we will make one. " --Hannibal Barca

I wondered about that Myself.? This Clipping Was Supposed to have been written in 1885 about a note written in 1755.? THe Date Of TELEGRAPH THEY ARE REFFERING to is "1885", Meaning They Didn't Get The Full Report on the Find, Because Of Telegraph Being Cut OFF.

WAS THE TELEGRAPH INVENTED BY 1885 ? the "BRADDOCKS" they are Reffering to here is A TOWN/City

SO ONLY "RED HERRING" If Telegraph Not in Existance in 1885

 

[jeff of pa]

STORY STILL POSSABLE "telegraph was invented by Baron Schilling in 1832"

 

[Oroblanco]

Greetings,
Sorry didn't realize the "Braddocks" mentioned was a town, and not the general. The next step would be either to check the newspaper archives for the original article, and / or check old census records to find if such a person as P. J. Hartnett lived in the right area in the right period of time.

I am naturally suspicious of reports of treasures found, having heard a number of really wild claims which were unfounded when checked. Treasures DO get found, Braddocks payroll may well be among them. It would help if we could see the actual newspaper article. Happy hunting...
Oroblanco

"By all means marry; if you get a good wife you will be happy, if you get a bad one you will become a philosopher." --Socrates

 

[jeff of pa]

UNFORTUNATELY, What I have Is a BOOK of NEWSPAPER Clippings.

Titled "DEATH & CRIME in old PENNSYLVANIA.? 1885."

Lists Newspaper Clippings, Of Murders and Suicides,Robberies, Disasters & Mayhem, & Yes A few Treasure Found Stories. the Book is Supposedly Photo-copied From A Scrap Book, of clippings

So ALL I realy Have to Go on Is the DATE JANUARY 12, 1885.

 

[jeff of pa]

THE STORY ON THE NET
Claims it's in CANNONS
http://www.friendsoflittlerockyrun.com/folklorethree.html

http://www.township.north-huntingdon.pa.us/history.htm

 

[Oroblanco]

Greetings again,
Just ran a search with the 1880 census and found no P. J. Hartnett or Hartnett, P.J. anywhere in the state of PA, and none for 1890, but did find one in Wisconsin for 1900. Not being listed either in the census previous to the discovery nor the one after does not make the report automatically false, since the person might have moved into the area after 1880 and left before 1890, but it is also suspicious. Perhaps Hartnett took the money and moved to Wisconsin, where he was recorded as living in 1900?

Old newspaper records are excellent for research, but there are known occurances of false tales being published, though this usually happened when there was no exciting news to report. The incidents of false reports was most common in the 1880's and 1890's so one must keep that grain of salt handy when researching newspapers from the period. The newspaper report alone is not enough substantiation in my opinion, without at least some supporting evidence from other sources (census, marriage records, birth/death records, bank accounts etc) - as a general rule unless two supporting evidences can be found, the report should be filed as -tentative- until more surfaces - in my opinion. Interesting though, would save a lot of wasted time looking for a treasure that is already recovered - however the region is still promising for battlefield relics etc so not entirely wasted. Happy hunting...
Oroblanco

"Whoever said that the dead do not come back to life has never been here at quitting time." --anon

 

[SomeGuy]

A journalist in 1885 would probably know the difference between "weather" and "whether".

 

[jeff of pa]

A journalist in 1885 would probably know the difference between "weather" and "whether".

LOL, I Rechecked, A Journalist in 1885 DID. Unfortunately A Moderator Here Didn't :P

I edited It, Thanks

& I agree Alot More Research Is Needed, Especially Local Papers For the Week After The Date Of The Clipping at the Very Least.

 

[Oroblanco]

Just a last thought here, the fact that Hartnett found the treasure while excavating a cellar is actually evidence supporting the report; for if Hartnett had indeed only recently moved into the area, and was building a new home, it makes sense that he would have been digging out a new cellar for his new home. That would explain why he is not listed in the 1880 census, but does not explain why he is absent in the 1890 - perhaps the farm was not a success, or perhaps with his new-found riches he simply pulled up stakes and moved, to Wisconsin?

I live in PA but at the opposite end of the state, so cannot easily drop in at the local county courthouses - if someone had the time it would be relatively simple to check the records of deeds for the years running 1880 to 1886, which should cover the period when Hartnett would have been living there. Heck you could almost skip 1880, but it is possible Hartnett purchased land that year but was not recorded in the census since he was not living on it yet. I have done this quite a number of times while researching lost treasures (I am a writer) - most people would be shocked at the number of lost treasures that are true and remain undiscovered to this day.

There is an email newsletter called the Explorator, and every week it has a number of reports of new treasure finds, usually they cover Europe, Asia etc but include some of the more spectacular North American discoveries.

Sounds like an interesting book you have there! My wife and I are moving back to Arizona in a month or I would be hunting myself a copy of that. It very well might turn up some new leads for you! A side note is in order here too - if indeed Hartnett did discover Braddock's payroll, and can be traced to live in Wisconsin some 15 years later - it is also quite possible that Hartnett might well have buried his own treasure which could be searched for! That is, unless he managed to spend $750,000 in 1880's money in the years before he died, or had invested it somewhere else; even so, it is possible Hartnett might have stashed some portion of the proceeds on his home.

Happy hunting...
Oroblanco

Remember the words of the experts...
"Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax. " --English scientist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." --internal memo, Western Union 1876


One last thought here - it is still possible to find smaller treasures even if Braddock's payroll was found, since individual soldiers did make a habit of burying their money before a battle; such small caches may not be as exciting as a full payroll for an army, but is still worth a considerable sum.