Dents Run Gold

[GoDeep]

apparently the FBI had enough proof to convince a Judge, or whoever they had to convince,
to send a team up there & Shoo everyone away while they Dig

Sorry I don't think "Gold Fever" applies to a Government Agency.
and I'm sure there would have been enough nay-sayers there at the agency to convince them to back off ,
if they thought the story only lead to the 70's .
perhaps the FBI has all the Pinkerton agency records in shoe boxes .

just doesn't sit well the FBI did this for 1 Agent's Gold Fever

I don't think it was just one agents gold fever. I think we also have to give credit to the FK group, their passion and persistence was no doubt pivotal in gaining the interest and support of the FBI. Then, when the FBI's ground scans revealed a dense mass consistent with gold, no doubt it reached a fever pitch as FBI agents are human too.

Interestingly, from an evidential standpoint, the Gravimeter they used does have some Achilles heals, many of which were present at the dig site. Compacted soil (it was on an old road bed), domed unground cavities(it was over a cave) and crystalline structures (often found in caves and rocks) can all negatively effect the gravimeter. Those who only want to confirm an already held belief, dismiss out of hand those facts. Some on this forum have even gone as far as to say the gravimeter is infallible which is demonstrably false.

The old adage, "You have to dig to confirm" has never been truer.

 

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[jeff of pa]

I don't think it was just one agents gold fever. I think we also have to give credit to the FK group, their passion and persistence was no doubt pivotal in gaining the interest and support of the FBI. Then, when the FBI's ground scans revealed a dense mass consistent with gold, no doubt it reached a fever pitch as FBI agents are human too.

Interestingly, from an evidential standpoint, the Gravimeter they used does have some Achilles heals, many of which were present at the dig site. Compacted soil (it was on an old road bed), domed unground cavities(it was over a cave) and crystalline structures (often found in caves) can all negatively effect the gravimeter. Those who only want to confirm an already held belief, dismiss out of hand those facts. Some on this forum have even gone as far as to say the gravimeter is infallible which is demonstrably false.

The old adage, "You have to dig to confirm" has never been truer.

Of course "You have to dig to confirm" I've used a discriminating Metal detector long enough
to Know if you block certain Trash you loose Gold.
No way around That. I Personally would not have spent money to dig there .
But I'm not convinced it was simply Gold Fever or a magazine article that convince them.

I just ain't convinced they went on what we know.

 

[vasalone]

This story was circulating around back in the 1980s about the gold at Dents run. Had some real good trout fishing there in those days.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Gold was da the LURE...? LOL!

 

[sgtfda]

The FBI searched the wrong spot. 2 bars were found near Bell Draft

 

[Ocean7]

well it's my understanding that it was A) on government property
and B) part of a US military payroll
C) they needed permission to dig
Did they really think they would get to keep property of the US military or US Treasury?
Far less 50 million in gold?
Quite naive in my book. And the FBI does as it pleases - we may not like it but
they do. So let this be a lesson to other THer's reading or watching this drama
play out. Every cache hunting book I ever read said the same basic thing -
go in, remove the treasure, replace the soil and rock exactly the way you found
it, and tell no one about it. How many people today can do that? Not many
I'd guess. Whole thing sucks but this is the way I see it.

 

[sgtfda]

Some would rather have fame than treasure. A TV show or a gold bar. I've had both. But let's not overlook the third thing. Adventure with a good friend. That is what treasure hunting is all about. Not a gold bar or a TV show.

 

[Gold Maven]

All legends aside, metal detectors indicated a large target buried there.
The FBI stopped digging when they were close, sent the finders home, and then came back and dug through the night, according to eye witnesses.
Black SUVs met an ATV at the bottom of the hill, and off loaded something into multiple vehicles, according to an eye witness.
kindly explain that.

 

[franklin]

All legends aside, metal detectors indicated a large target buried there.
The FBI stopped digging when they were close, sent the finders home, and then came back and dug through the night, according to eye witnesses.
Black SUVs met an ATV at the bottom of the hill, and off loaded something into multiple vehicles, according to an eye witness.
kindly explain that.

Probably just loading up to leave.

 

[GoDeep]

Black SUVs met an ATV at the bottom of the hill, and off loaded something into multiple vehicles, according to an eye witness.
kindly explain that.

Assuming it's true, sure, they had a ton of gear up on the hill, so it's easy to explain. Confirmation bias has you assuming it's treasure, which it may be, but it also could have a mundane explanation, like their gear.

One thing we know for sure, it was not lost civil war payroll gold. That story didnt' come about until the 1970's. There is not one shred of evidence to support it being any civil war payroll gold. If there was treasure recovered, then it was perhaps from some mobster who buried it or perhaps some robbery or recluse burying it.

 

[franklin]

Here is a little something I wrote that pertains to the missing gold.

ELK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA MISSING GOLD​

Writers with pen and paper have buried more treasures of gold, silver and jewels, than robbers and pirates ever actually did with pick and shovel. Such is the missing gold reportedly buried at Dent’s Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania during the Civil War by Yankees in 1863.

Researching and hunting for treasures is what I have done for over 60 years. You have to research, research and do more research. For thirty dollars or even a hundred dollars an article, writers have created stories of fictitious hordes and riches of treasure. Some writers actually write true stories it is up to the treasure hunter to weed the false tales from the true tales and research is the “KEY” to finding actual treasure.

Now you take the missing gold supposedly buried at Dent’s Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania which is it, a False tale or is it a True tale and is there a treasure yet to be found today.

First, we have to go to the Root of the story by researching. No records of these missing gold bars were ever heard of until 1973 when a writer, Sarah Gardner had the story published in Lost Treasure Magazine. The “Official Records of the War of the Rebellion,” never recorded this happening at Dent’s Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Later, Francis Scully picked up on the story written by Sarah Gardner embellished the story and wrote an article in Potter County, PA. webpage: https://www.coudy.com/Austin/Scully5.htm.

Also, in 1979, a story written by World Renown Treasure Hunter, Michael Paul Henson wrote a real story that he had researched since 1958. More than likely he had written this “Union Army Payroll Cache,” much earlier. This I believe is the Roots for the whole story of the Gold Missing in Elk County, Pa., known as the Dent’s Run Gold. I have researched both stories and Michael Paul Henson’s story is True and the Dent’s Run Gold Bars did not happen.

While, the story written by Treasure Hunter, Michael Paul Henson has it merits and truths. It is in the OR (Official Records of the War of the Rebellion), the soldiers in the story are in the Soldiers and Sailors Database.

The three Yankee soldiers in the Dent’s Run Missing Gold can not be found as serving in the Yankee Army by Research at the United States National Archives nor are they on the databases of the Soldiers and Sailors Database of the Civil War. Another blaring issue is regulations of the United States Military Paymasters Office. No payroll of $300,000 would have been sent out by a Lieutenant, a Sergeant and five infantry soldiers. It just did not happen. A Union Payroll of that size would have had an officer of at least the Rank of Major, a Captain, two Lieutenants, a Sergeant, a Couple Corporals and at least an infantry of 35 soldiers with repeating rifles or a Gatlin Gun, as guard.

If you obtain a Civil War Map of the areas the story mentions, and if it was copied from original Civil War Records, the names of the towns, the creeks and valleys had different names: Hick’s Run was called “Three Mouth Run,” Dent’s Run was known by “Two Mouth Run,” and Benezette was known as “Winslow.”

In conclusion, if the soldiers listed in the story did not exist, the locations had different names in 1863 and the Union Army Paymasters records say explicitly how many soldiers and officers would escort a payroll, also gold bars instead of coins, make this Treasure Story of Dent’s Run Unreliable and therefore untrue.

 

[sgtfda]

Here is a little something I wrote that pertains to the missing gold.

ELK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA MISSING GOLD​

Writers with pen and paper have buried more treasures of gold, silver and jewels, than robbers and pirates ever actually did with pick and shovel. Such is the missing gold reportedly buried at Dent’s Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania during the Civil War by Yankees in 1863.

Researching and hunting for treasures is what I have done for over 60 years. You have to research, research and do more research. For thirty dollars or even a hundred dollars an article, writers have created stories of fictitious hordes and riches of treasure. Some writers actually write true stories it is up to the treasure hunter to weed the false tales from the true tales and research is the “KEY” to finding actual treasure.

Now you take the missing gold supposedly buried at Dent’s Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania which is it, a False tale or is it a True tale and is there a treasure yet to be found today.

First, we have to go to the Root of the story by researching. No records of these missing gold bars were ever heard of until 1973 when a writer, Sarah Gardner had the story published in Lost Treasure Magazine. The “Official Records of the War of the Rebellion,” never recorded this happening at Dent’s Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Later, Francis Scully picked up on the story written by Sarah Gardner embellished the story and wrote an article in Potter County, PA. webpage: https://www.coudy.com/Austin/Scully5.htm.

Also, in 1979, a story written by World Renown Treasure Hunter, Michael Paul Henson wrote a real story that he had researched since 1958. More than likely he had written this “Union Army Payroll Cache,” much earlier. This I believe is the Roots for the whole story of the Gold Missing in Elk County, Pa., known as the Dent’s Run Gold. I have researched both stories and Michael Paul Henson’s story is True and the Dent’s Run Gold Bars did not happen.

While, the story written by Treasure Hunter, Michael Paul Henson has it merits and truths. It is in the OR (Official Records of the War of the Rebellion), the soldiers in the story are in the Soldiers and Sailors Database.

The three Yankee soldiers in the Dent’s Run Missing Gold can not be found as serving in the Yankee Army by Research at the United States National Archives nor are they on the databases of the Soldiers and Sailors Database of the Civil War. Another blaring issue is regulations of the United States Military Paymasters Office. No payroll of $300,000 would have been sent out by a Lieutenant, a Sergeant and five infantry soldiers. It just did not happen. A Union Payroll of that size would have had an officer of at least the Rank of Major, a Captain, two Lieutenants, a Sergeant, a Couple Corporals and at least an infantry of 35 soldiers with repeating rifles or a Gatlin Gun, as guard.

If you obtain a Civil War Map of the areas the story mentions, and if it was copied from original Civil War Records, the names of the towns, the creeks and valleys had different names: Hick’s Run was called “Three Mouth Run,” Dent’s Run was known by “Two Mouth Run,” and Benezette was known as “Winslow.”

In conclusion, if the soldiers listed in the story did not exist, the locations had different names in 1863 and the Union Army Paymasters records say explicitly how many soldiers and officers would escort a payroll, also gold bars instead of coins, make this Treasure Story of Dent’s Run Unreliable and therefore untrue.

 

[sgtfda]

When they laid the pipeline just east of Bell Draft they dug up skeletons. 10 feet from the pipeline I found gun parts. 300 feet from the gun parts 2 tar covered gold bars were found (not by me). That site matches the story. Attached is a photo of the gun parts. A end of a ram rod. Part of a trigger guard and a barrel wedge. I found that site after traveling SW from a ridge in Schafer draft from a spot were I found the remnants of a old wagon. All match the story. I moved to Arizona before I could finish the search. You can it's all bull but I know better. Just follow the pipeline on the county border east about 300 foot from Bell Draft and your at that site if you so inclined.

 

[jeff of pa]

first off who said or estimated it was worth $300,000.00 in 1863 ?
I'm not gonna do the Math, I'm terrible at Math.
but what would $300,000.00 worth of gold Today weigh ? And what was it worth in 1863 ?

And again who said or estimated it was worth $300,000.00 in 1863 ?

was it really $300.00 ? $3,000 ? 300 Pounds ? 3,000 Pounds
OR was he number 3 even Involved You know how stories change, But the shipment May have Happened with far more realistic Numbers in the time.
& changed as often as the gold market prices since then

Add to that what would a Single gold Bar Proven to come from the Dents run Shipment sell for on the open Market ? Or at Christie's ?

 

[sgtfda]

first off who said or estimated it was worth $300,000.00 in 1863 ?
I'm not gonna do the Math, I'm terrible at Math.
but what would $300,000.00 worth of gold Today weigh ? And what was it worth in 1863 ?

And again who said or estimated it was worth $300,000.00 in 1863 ?

was it really $300.00 ? $3,000 ? 300 Pounds ? 3,000 Pounds
OR was he number 3 even Involved You know how stories change, But the shipment May have Happened with far more realistic Numbers in the time.
& changed as often as the gold market prices since then

Add to that what would a Single gold Bar Proven to come from the Dents run Shipment sell for on the open Market ? Or at Christie's ?

 

[sgtfda]

Jeff the finder of the 2 bars said the were 50 pounds each. Claimed a total of 50 bars were shipped. As I recall he located records in Washington and discovered the Lts grave in that area.

 

[franklin]

I still say the Union Army was not desperate enough to send out 2,500 pounds of gold by an escort of only 7 men. You can order the Paymaster Manuscripts of Shipments and their escorts. 50 gold bars at 50 pound each =2,500 pounds multiply by 16 would be 40 thousand ounces at about $26 a pound during the Civil War would make the shipment worth over $1 Million. Even if 12 ounces to a pound would be over 3/4 Million Dollars. No way would that have been sent by seven stragglers. sgtfda you say someone say they found two gold bars of 50 pound each at today's price of gold would be worth about $2 Million Dollars. As for old gun parts and wagon parts these can be found just about anywhere but it is not proof of a shipment of gold. If this one man found documentation on this shipment why has no one else found the papers. I can not even find the three men mentioned in the story. I do not believe the story and my reasons are in the story I wrote. It never happened.

 

[sgtfda]

Jeff the finder of the 2 bars said the were 50 pounds each. Claimed a total of 50 bars were shipped. As I recall he located records in Washington and discovered the Lts grave in that area.

I should

I still say the Union Army was not desperate enough to send out 2,500 pounds of gold by an escort of only 7 men. You can order the Paymaster Manuscripts of Shipments and their escorts. 50 gold bars at 50 pound each =2,500 pounds multiply by 16 would be 40 thousand ounces at about $26 a pound during the Civil War would make the shipment worth over $1 Million. Even if 12 ounces to a pound would be over 3/4 Million Dollars. No way would that have been sent by seven stragglers. sgtfda you say someone say they found two gold bars of 50 pound each at today's price of gold would be worth about $2 Million Dollars. As for old gun parts and wagon parts these can be found just about anywhere but it is not proof of a shipment of gold. If this one man found documentation on this shipment why has no one else found the papers. I can not even find the three men mentioned in the story. I do not believe the story and my reasons are in the story I wrote. It never happened.

 

[sgtfda]

The huge FBI response says otherwise.

 

[franklin]

No I believe the huge FBI response was in response to the State getting so much beef from the treasure hunters. There were a lot of legal issues to straighten out. Why the FBI responded the way they did is beyond me. I have several really large depositories to recover and they only threatened me with jail from the Under Secretary all the way down. They said to leave it alone. By the way, my treasures are real. I have the locations of 8 of the 58 depositories but due to their locations mostly in cemeteries they can not be dug or recovered. I have the compass readings, the distance, the depth what the treasures are contained in and the amount of treasures. But no permission to dig.