CONFEDERATE GOLD IN DANVILLE, VA.

[ECS]

CSA President Davis and cabinet arrived in Danville, on April 3, 1865, and while there some records were burned, but CSA Major E S Hutter saved CSA Sec of State Judah P Benjamin's personal copy of Vattel's LAW OF NATIONS, which was used as a CSA code book by Benjamin. Hutter's cousin was James Beverly Ward, the agent of copyright and publisher of the 1885 BEALE PAPERS.
April 8, 1865, Davis and cabinet took a train to Charlotte, NC and on the 12th, arrived in Chester, SC. From there they took a wagon to Abbeville, SC arriving on the 19th (WHITE HALL Plantation of the Marshall/DeBruhl family), with back and forth trips to Washington, Ga.
A portion of the CSA Treasury was at Chennault's Plantation in Washington, Ga, where it was attacked and an alleged $250,000 was taken. It was claimed that John C Breckinridge was involved.
At the same time, an ambulance and another heavy wagon containing the property of Jefferson and Varina Davis was on its way to Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation in Archer, Florida, and on May 10th, Jefferson Davis and his nephew, CSA Capt John Taylor Wood were captured at Irwinville , Ga.
Wood bribed a Union soldier with two $20 golden Eagles to turn the other way while he escaped, and joined up with Breckinridge, whose wagon contained gold specie and Mexican silver dollars in wooden kegs, and were joined by Benjamin near Middleburg, Florida, where they boarded Hubbard Hart's JAMES BURT riverboat on Black Creek. The James Burt passed Union occupied Palatka on the St Johns at night (CSA spy, Lola Sanchez provided that intel and was given 500 Mexican silver dollars), then onto to Oklawaha to the landing at Silver Springs.
The Davis baggage train which was headed by his Van Benthuysen brothers-in -law, arrived ay Cottonwood, May22, where word was received of Davis capture.
Yulee's 15 yo son, C Wickiliffe and CSA Lt John D Purviance, Co G, Fla 10th Reg, buried two of Davis trunks on the plantations property. Nannie Wickiliffe Yulee sent boxes of CSA papers to the Florida RR station master at Waldo, then went to stay with her husband's Benjamin cousins in Ocala, where Judah P Benjamin was already there.
Breckinridge and Wood stayed at the home of CSA Brig Gen Robert Bullock(wounded at the Battle of Utoy Creek Dec 1864), cousin of Teddy Roosevelt's mother.

 

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[franklin]

CSA President Davis and cabinet arrived in Danville, on April 3, 1865, and while there some records were burned, but CSA Major E S Hutter saved CSA Sec of State Judah P Benjamin's personal copy of Vattel's LAW OF NATIONS, which was used as a CSA code book by Benjamin. Hutter's cousin was James Beverly Ward, the agent of copyright and publisher of the 1885 BEALE PAPERS.
April 8, 1865, Davis and cabinet took a train to Charlotte, NC and on the 12th, arrived in Chester, SC. From there they took a wagon to Abbeville, SC arriving on the 19th (WHITE HALL Plantation of the Marshall/DeBruhl family), with back and forth trips to Washington, Ga.
A portion of the CSA Treasury was at Chennault's Plantation in Washington, Ga, where it was attacked and an alleged $250,000 was taken. It was claimed that John C Breckinridge was involved.
At the same time, an ambulance and another heavy wagon containing the property of Jefferson and Varina Davis was on its way to Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation in Archer, Florida, and on May 10th, Jefferson Davis and his nephew, CSA Capt John Taylor Wood were captured at Irwinville , Ga.
Wood bribed a Union soldier with two $20 golden Eagles to turn the other way while he escaped, and joined up with Breckinridge, whose wagon contained gold specie and Mexican silver dollars in wooden kegs, and were joined by Benjamin near Middleburg, Florida, where they boarded Hubbard Hart's JAMES BURT riverboat on Black Creek. The James Burt passed Union occupied Palatka on the St Johns at night (CSA spy, Lola Sanchez provided that intel and was given 500 Mexican silver dollars), then onto to Oklawaha to the landing at Silver Springs.
The Davis baggage train which was headed by his Van Benthuysen brothers-in -law, arrived ay Cottonwood, May22, where word was received of Davis capture.
Yulee's 15 yo son, C Wickiliffe and CSA Lt John D Purviance, Co G, Fla 10th Reg, buried two of Davis trunks on the plantations property. Nannie Wickiliffe Yulee sent boxes of CSA papers to the Florida RR station master at Waldo, then went to stay with her husband's Benjamin cousins in Ocala, where Judah P Benjamin was already there.
Breckinridge and Wood stayed at the home of CSA Brig Gen Robert Bullock(wounded at the Battle of Utoy Creek Dec 1864), cousin of Teddy Roosevelt's mother.

A whole lot of that information is incorrect but I am not going to try and correct all of it.
Davis and party arrived in Danville, Va on April 3rd. The treasure train left Danville on April 8th and Davis and the rest did not leave until April 10th arriving in Greensboro the same day. They stayed in Greensboro for about a week or more. A.J. Hannah's, "Flight into Oblivion" gives a good record of the time sequence but ECS your time line and the parties are way way off.

Those three trunks sent to the Waldo Train Station which Yulee owned were the personal effects of President Jefferson Davis. There is an inventory of the contents of those trunk in my CD book I copyrighted about 2000. There remained another trunk which was buried and it contained the gold among other things of President Jefferson Davis and this trunk has not been recovered.

 

[ECS]

Franklin, we are both aware that there are slightly different accounts of Davis, Benjamin, Breckenridge, and Wood's flight from the Union, and what became of the Confederate Treasury during that flight.
What is known is that some of that which Davis had was recovered by the Union forces that occupied Gainesville from Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation, Benjamin had enough to have one of his blockade runners take him from Ellenton, Florida to the Bahamas, and then book passage to England, and Breckinridge and Wood, after leaving Ocala, and going upriver on the St Johns River in a captured lifeboat from the USS COLUMBINE, then highjacking a Cuban fishing boat to Cuba where they stayed with Lola Sanchez's relatives before also booking passage to England.
NOTE: Yulee's RR ran from Fernandina to Cedar Key, and the Union had burned Yulee's docks and depot at Cedar Key, and occupied that town, and set up pickets from Gainesville expecting Benjamin to use Cedar Key as his escape route- this has created a legend of a Yulee blockade schooner, the ABBEY BEE, having a portion of the CSA treasury and being sunk by the Union.
Now whatever remained in that keg of Mexican silver dollars from which Lola Sanchez was given, was buried at CSA Fort Brook (Orange Springs) which was near the Sunnyside Plantation of Florida CSA Capt JJ Dickson and Pearson's machine shop that built the brass cannons that were used to fire on Union Fort Meyers.

 

[franklin]

By your own statement you say would was at the capture of President Jefferson Davis. He offered the Dutch soldier one $20 gold coin but the Dutch soldier reisisted and Wood had to give him two $20 gold coins. But each member of the cabinet and the President's personal staff and body guards were given about $1500 in gold each to get to the Trans-Mississippi that is what they used to get out of the country. They carried no wagon loads of gold or Mexican Silver. Micajah Clark carried that and he buried it at Park's Ferry or near there. The only large amount of gold that was carried into Florida was the $25,000 in gold sovereigns. The book of A. J. Hannah's, "Flight into Oblivion" again gives the best detail of what happened to that $25,000.

 

[ECS]

What Breckinridge and Wood carried into Florida by wagon most likely came from the "raid" at Chennault's Plantation, and there are accounts of the amount of gold species and CSA bills and personal property of Jefferson Davis that the Union in Gainesville recovered from Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation.
At Fort Dallas (Miami), Wood gave the young daughter of the commandant a $20 dollar gold coin which shows he wasn't concerned with running out of money during his flight from the Union. Remember, after staying with Lola Sanchez's relatives in Cuba, they were able to book passage to England- the same with Benjamin, who was able to book passage to England from the Bahamas.

 

[franklin]

What Breckinridge and Wood carried into Florida by wagon most likely came from the "raid" at Chennault's Plantation, and there are accounts of the amount of gold species and CSA bills and personal property of Jefferson Davis that the Union in Gainesville recovered from Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation.
At Fort Dallas (Miami), Wood gave the young daughter of the commandant a $20 dollar gold coin which shows he wasn't concerned with running out of money during his flight from the Union. Remember, after staying with Lola Sanchez's relatives in Cuba, they were able to book passage to England- the same with Benjamin, who was able to book passage to England from the Bahamas.

Not even close to being a possibility? Breckenridge and Wood were entering Florida from May 4 and traveled until reaching Cuba sometime in June. The robbery at Chennault Crossroads was on May 26th. Being able to book a passage to England cost between $75 as a minimum and $150 as a maximum.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

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 Vallandigham'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 was buried on May 4, 1863.

I believe some were retrieved from the South in the Spring of 1866, and they were relocated and some used to invest that same year.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

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.

Do you know the exact date that took place?

L.C.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

A whole lot of that information is incorrect but I am not going to try and correct all of it.
Davis and party arrived in Danville, Va on April 3rd. The treasure train left Danville on April 8th and Davis and the rest did not leave until April 10th arriving in Greensboro the same day. They stayed in Greensboro for about a week or more. A.J. Hannah's, "Flight into Oblivion" gives a good record of the time sequence but ECS your time line and the parties are way way off.

Those three trunks sent to the Waldo Train Station which Yulee owned were the personal effects of President Jefferson Davis. There is an inventory of the contents of those trunk in my CD book I copyrighted about 2000. There remained another trunk which was buried and it contained the gold among other things of President Jefferson Davis and this trunk has not been recovered.

Lay out the incorectness and let us decide what is right. I would like the truth without a "story" or an authors speculations if you have it.

Thanks L.C.

 

[franklin]

Do you know the exact date that took place?

L.C.

The exact date of which thought? The timeline covers about three months.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

By your own statement you say would was at the capture of President Jefferson Davis. He offered the Dutch soldier one $20 gold coin but the Dutch soldier reisisted and Wood had to give him two $20 gold coins. But each member of the cabinet and the President's personal staff and body guards were given about $1500 in gold each to get to the Trans-Mississippi that is what they used to get out of the country. They carried no wagon loads of gold or Mexican Silver. Micajah Clark carried that and he buried it at Park's Ferry or near there. The only large amount of gold that was carried into Florida was the $25,000 in gold sovereigns. The book of A. J. Hannah's, "Flight into Oblivion" again gives the best detail of what happened to that $25,000.

Lets don't get sidetracted on petty details here, the direction of a bullet cannot be detured by it's color. Keep it simple and direct if we can.

Thanks to you both L.C.

L.C.

 

[franklin]

I believe some were retrieved from the South in the Spring of 1866, and they were relocated and some used to invest that same year.

There was $1 Million in gold captured from the CSA trying to secret it out of the USA in 1867 near Baton Rouge, LA.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

To be clear, I am tracking the movement of the gold by the K.G.C. I have established the man in charge of the first movement and I am trying to fit him into what is said to have happened in the South during those final days. I can put him in the right place at the right time with the right equipment to move it.

L.C.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

There was $1 Million in gold captured from the CSA trying to secret it out of the USA in 1867 near Baton Rouge, LA.

Do you know who was doing it?

 

[franklin]

Do you know who was doing it?

No it was in a newspaper article on "Chronicling America"

 

[ECS]

Not even close to being a possibility? Breckenridge and Wood were entering Florida from May 4 and traveled until reaching Cuba sometime in June. The robbery at Chennault Crossroads was on May 26th...

You are correct, Franklin, concerning that Breckinridge and Wood were already in Florida during the time of the Chennault raid, but Breckenridge did procure a wagon along the way and did have some kegs containing gold specie and Mexican Silver dollars.
During the week of May18, 1865, they were in Ocala at Bullock's home, and received the Union Columbine lifeboat from CSA Capt JJ Dickinson, which was transported by wagon to CSA Fort Butler (Astor) on the St Johns River. From there they rowed to CSA Fort Mellon (Sanford) on Lake Monroe, where the CSA "cow cavalry" carried the boat by wagon to the intercoastal.
May 30, they arrived at Carlisle's Landing on the Indian River Lagoon, and reached Fort Dallas (Miami) on June 6, where Wood gave Rose Wagner, age 9, that $20 gold coin. (Rose Wagner wrote a series of articles for the MIAMI NEWS, including her account of receiving this coin from Wood)
By June 11, they were in Cuba after hijacking a Cuban fishing boat, and by August 21, they were in England with a good amount of CSA treasury money.
John Taylor Wood later moved to Nova Scotia and started a successful shipping business, Breckinridge stayed in England, but returned to Lexington, Ky after being pardoned in March 9,1869.
Benjamin remained in England and provided financial assistance to several of his Confederate friends, including $12,000 his gave to Jefferson Davis.

 

[franklin]

You are correct, Franklin, concerning that Breckinridge and Wood were already in Florida during the time of the Chennault raid, but Breckenridge did procure a wagon along the way and did have some kegs containing gold specie and Mexican Silver dollars.
During the week of May15, 1865, they were in Ocala at Bullock's home, and received the Union Columbine lifeboat from CSA Capt JJ Dickinson, which was transported by wagon to CSA Fort Butler (Astor) on the St Johns River. From there they rowed to CSA Fort Mellon (Sanford) on Lake Monroe, where the CSA "cow cavalry" carried the boat by wagon to the intercoastal.
May 30, they arrived at Carlisle's Landing on the Indian River Lagoon, and reached Fort Dallas (Miami) on June 6, where Wood gave Rose Wagner, age 9, that $20 gold coin. (Rose Wagner wrote a series of articles for the MIAMI NEWS, including her account of receiving this coin from Wood)
By June 11, they were in Cuba after hijacking a Cuban fishing boat, and by August 21, they were in England with a good amount of CSA treasury money.
John Taylor Wood later moved to Nova Scotia and started a successful shipping business, Breckinridge stayed in England, but returned to Lexington, Ky after being pardoned in March 9,1869.
Benjamin remained in England and provided financial assistance to several of his Confederate friends, including $12,000 his gave to Jefferson Davis.

The CSA had a lot of funds in Havana, Cuba as well as in Nassau and in Liverpool, England. Judah Benjamin had some bales of cotton he sold and obtained a lot of money also. He could have gotten also from any of the CSA Depositories enroute. Breckenridge and Wood did not meet each other until May 24th near Madison, Florida.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

The CSA had a lot of funds in Havana, Cuba as well as in Nassau and in Liverpool, England. Judah Benjamin had some bales of cotton he sold and obtained a lot of money also. He could have gotten also from any of the CSA Depositories enroute. Breckenridge and Wood did not meet each other until May 24th near Madison, Florida.

It is where the "cross of gold" began and ends. I believe there still may be a large cache close to Havana waiting to be dug up.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

No it was in a newspaper article on "Chronicling America"

Without a source, I would have to consider that as speculation. It would be nice to know who initiated the move if it is the truth.

L.C.

 

[franklin]

Without a source, I would have to consider that as speculation. It would be nice to know who initiated the move if it is the truth.

L.C.

Here is a screenshot of the newspaper: