A FLORIDA KGC LEGEND

[L.C. BAKER]

Wouldn't it make more sense to bury it on an island if it was a pirate treasure? That would seem a lot safer than the mainland.

L.C.

 

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[ECS]

If Baird did find a pirate treasure chest it most likely would be filled with Spanish real's and escudo's. Those were legal tender in the U.S. until 1850. It would be very easy to liquidate those coins in 1897. I talked with the last person to conduct an excavation there last summer. Don Patterson believes it is pirate treasure.

Salvor6,I agree that if Baird found a pirate chest,it would have been filled with Spanish reals and escudos,and possibly specie from other nations and maybe jewels.Piracy had come to an end in Florida by 1830,so the deathbed
pirate" with the Scandanavian accent who gave Baird the treasure map would have been in his late 70's in 1897-but keep in mind,all versions of this story originated with Baird,and have been repeted and embellished in many publications.
Reals and escudos would indeed lead one to believe it to have been a pirate treasure,but no where is an inventory given of what was it Baird's chest,or the actual size of the chest for that matter.
Also,there is no definitive proof that Baird recovered a chest at Fowler's Bluff,only,once again,by what he claimed-it may have been found eleswhere.
From 1897 to the 1920's,what was called "Baird's pirate eagles",circulated in Alachua and Marion county,all were pre Cilvil War,without the "In God We Trust" motto.
Jefferson Davis did issue "Letters of Marque" to several private vessels,and the Union considered the Confederare blockade runners as "pirates".
When one looks at the KGC/Suwannee River gold legend I posted above,it is quite possible that Baird's "pirates" were Confederate,and in 1897,many CSA veterans were still living.Also,during the 1890's,many Florida newspapers had stories on pirates and buried treasure,including those by Adrian P Jordan,editor of THE PUNTA GORDA HERALD,and those of TAMPA TRIBUNE society editor,Mary Louise Dodge,who invented the Gaspar legend so Tampa could have its own style "Mardi Gras" festival.
Since Baird,there have been several digs at Fowler's Bluff,as you mentioned,but what has been found?
While I can not definitely state that it was a KGC treasure,neither can anyone definitely state it was pirate treasure based on Baird's word.
As for the pre Cilvil War gold double eagles-they came from somewhere.
Coincidence?

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Salvor6,I agree that if Baird found a pirate chest,it would have been filled with Spanish reals and escudos,and possibly specie from other nations and maybe jewels.Piracy had come to an end in Florida by 1830,so the deathbed
pirate" with the Scandanavian accent who gave Baird the treasure map would have been in his late 70's in 1897-but keep in mind,all versions of this story originated with Baird,and have been repeted and embellished in many publications.
Reals and escudos would indeed lead one to believe it to have been a pirate treasure,but no where is an inventory given of what was it Baird's chest,or the actual size of the chest for that matter.
Also,there is no definitive proof that Baird recovered a chest at Fowler's Bluff,only,once again,by what he claimed-it may have been found eleswhere.
From 1897 to the 1920's,what was called "Baird's pirate eagles",circulated in Alachua and Marion county,all were pre Cilvil War,without the "In God We Trust" motto.
Jefferson Davis did issue "Letters of Marque" to several private vessels,and the Union considered the Confederare blockade runners as "pirates".
When one looks at the KGC/Suwannee River gold legend I posted above,it is quite possible that Baird's "pirates" were Confederate,and in 1897,many CSA veterans were still living.Also,during the 1890's,many Florida newspapers had stories on pirates and buried treasure,including those by Adrian P Jordan,editor of THE PUNTA GORDA HERALD,and those of TAMPA TRIBUNE society editor,Mary Louise Dodge,who invented the Gaspar legend so Tampa could have its own style "Mardi Gras" festival.
Since Baird,there have been several digs at Fowler's Bluff,as you mentioned,but what has been found?
While I can not definitely state that it was a KGC treasure,neither can anyone definitely state it was pirate treasure based on Baird's word.
As for the pre Cilvil War gold double eagles-they came from somewhere.
Coincidence?

Confederados (Rebels/familes, who went to Brazil, SA after the Confederate War) MAY have come back to America, (Fla & "Gulf States); speaking Spanish, burying THEIR great wealth/riches with "Spanish coins"... using "Spanish Signs" to confuse English-speaking Americans, etc... It would be IMPORTANT to see "who" really came back, etc. Confederados created PLANTATIONS "down there"... several REBEL towns have been mentioned. There is even a SCV group or two for the REBEL Spanish-speaking descendants... TODAY!

 

[L.C. BAKER]

Brazil represented a new frontier to many of them and a safe haven for more than a few. I wonder if they held meetings down there and kept the dream alive until about 1867 and then kinda slipped back in the USA under the radar so to speak.

L.C.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

SOME of 'em did...

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Look into AMERICANA, Brazil - SA.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Further I & R indicate some Spanish-speaking Confederados/families settled in TEXAS, ("hot-bed" of KGC "activities") in the 1880's/1890's... PROBABLY, becoming WEALTHY/RICH Ranchers... dunno.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

It sure seems like a lot of them retired to that area. They were heroes there. Ben Ficklin has a town named after him in Texas. It is pretty much a ghost town now I believe. You Texas K.G.C. Hunters should give that area a good going over, I would If I lived there!

L.C.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

AGREE!

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Further I & R indicate some Spanish-speaking Confederados/families settled in TEXAS, ("hot-bed" of KGC "activities") in the 1880's/1890's... PROBABLY, becoming WEALTHY/RICH Ranchers... dunno.

Betcha Cow Cavalry (CSA) of Fla. became KGC Cattle Ranches of TEXAS! "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'... keep the Doggies Rollin'... RAWHIDE!"

 

[senior deacon]

Just my two cents but the early days of the K.G.C. it was centered in the Eastern part of the state. Right after the war most of the activity was in the same place. For me I would look at this area first. The piney woods of deep east Texas is a easy place to hid about anything in. Woods,swamps,lake,hills,and valleys all covered by a trees. No wonder bootleggers never got caught in this territory.

Senior Deacon

 

[ECS]

Betcha Cow Cavalry (CSA) of Fla. became KGC Cattle Ranches of TEXAS! "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'... keep the Doggies Rollin'... RAWHIDE!"

The largest landowner in Florida and the 9th largest in the US are the family owned Lykes Brothers Corp.
This corporation of cattle ranches in Florida and Texas,citrus,sugarcane,insurance,land investment and banks began in Florida in the 1870's by Dr Howard Tyson Lykes.
Dr Howard Tyson Lykes married Almeria Belle McKay,daughter of CSA Capt James McKay,the CSA Commissary Agent of South Florida at CSA Fort Meade that handled the "Cow Calvary".McKay was also a CSA blockade runner and aided CSA Sec of State Judah P Benjamin at Gamble Plantation in his escape from the Union to the Bahamas.
Lykes inherited several of McKay's business concerns,including cattle and shipping,which became the Lykes Steamship Line with offices in Tampa,Galveston,and Havana.
As the Lykes family grew,so did their holdings-615,000 acres in Florida and Texas,and a 15,000 acre cattle and sugarcane ranch in Cuba,La Candelaria,which was nationalized after the revolution.
Growing up in Florida,we ate a lot of Lykes hotdogs and lunchmeat-a legacy of the CSA Cow Calvary.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

The largest landowner in Florida and the 9th largest in the US are the family owned Lykes Brothers Corp.
This corporation of cattle ranches in Florida and Texas,citrus,sugarcane,insurance,land investment and banks began in Florida in the 1870's by Dr Howard Tyson Lykes.
Dr Howard Tyson Lykes married Almeria Belle McKay,daughter of CSA Capt James McKay,the CSA Commissary Agent of South Florida at CSA Fort Meade that handled the "Cow Calvary".McKay was also a CSA blockade runner and aided CSA Sec of State Judah P Benjamin at Gamble Plantation in his escape from the Union to the Bahamas.
Lykes inherited several of McKay's business concerns,including cattle and shipping,which became the Lykes Steamship Line with offices in Tampa,Galveston,and Havana.
As the Lykes family grew,so did their holdings-615,000 acres in Florida and Texas,and a 15,000 acre cattle and sugarcane ranch in Cuba,La Candelaria,which was nationalized after the revolution.
Growing up in Florida,we ate a lot of Lykes hotdogs and lunchmeat-a legacy of the CSA Cow Calvary.

THERE you go! GREAT info... THANKS!

 

[L.C. BAKER]

It seems Dr. Lykes came from a strong Celtic bloodline! How fitting!

Lykes Steamship Lines came to Galveston in the year 1907, but its Celtic connection came many years before. In 1875, Howell Tyson Lykes married Almeria Belle McKay, the daughter of Captain James McKay who was born in Thurso County, Caithners, Scotland. Captain McKay emigrated from Scotland to England, to Quebec, to Missouri, to court his boyhood sweetheart, Matilda Alexander, who was also born in Scotland, but whose family moved to America.

Chapter VIII Twentieth Century Texas

Great Stuff E.C.S. you are on them like a bloodhound!

L.C.

 

[ECS]

I have yet to find a map with a ft brook in the Ocala area, now tampa has ft brooke though.

A 1850's map located on the bottom of this page shows Fort Brooks,Fort Gates,Fort King,and Fort Fowle (a mile east on the Oklawaha from Fowle was the location of Marshall Plantation and Holley's Farm.
Index3

 

[ECS]

I have in laws in Ocala and use to live there. Believe me when I tell you I am going to go looking up that way, ECS, having your research skills I will be happy to share anything I find with you. A few questions for all,... where could we find old maps or layouts of the old barns on Yulee plantation. Where is the location of Ft brook exactly.

Did you ever get to look in Ocala or Marion county?

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Did you ever get to look in Ocala or Marion county?

Ocala is BIG! OOF/CSA...

 

[ECS]

Ocala is BIG! OOF/CSA...

Its the reason why Benjamin, Breckinridge, and Wood used it as part of their escape route from the Union, and why Ocala/Marion county was one of the Florida counties placed under martial law during the early years of Reconstruction. When one realizes that Yulee and Benjamin, both KGC, had cousins in Ocala, you can piece together the several connections.
Incidentally, the Benjamin house still stands in Ocala, and is now a real estate office.

 

[Sandman23]

Does anyone on here think there are any CSA coints to be found in florida today?? Thanks for your time!!!!

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Does anyone on here think there are any CSA coints to be found in florida today?? Thanks for your time!!!!

LOL! Look for OLD Mexican, Brit, & French coins (part of CSA Treasury)...