Hey guys,
Finally got some time at home to come back here.
Yes, some is argument, some is discussion. But that is the norm when dealing with stuff like this. I have been away from T-net for about a year. Pretty much previously restricted my activities to the coin-roll hunting forum, and making attaboy commentary in Today's Finds, etc.
There is a lot of good info in this thread. I had forgotten how intense "discussions" could get here.
When I posted the above, I was about 2/3 of the way through the book (Rebel Gold). Freaked me out to see TreasureNet mentioned in the last chapter, and the name Hillbilly Bob is someone I realized I had seen around here!
I found the book fascinating! For a variety of reasons. How fortunate Bob was to grow up where and when he did!
To be in the midst of such a part of our history is really something.
As usual, the area of treasure hunting is fraught with all manner of cons, scams, mistrust, jealousy, misinformation, etc.
But I know I am preaching to the choir here, lol.
One reason it sort of freaked me out also is the connection I have to the KGC, though it is VERY remote.
I read the stuff about Albert Pike with great interest, as he was a commander of Indian forces at the Battle Of Pea Ridge.
I do have a vested interest in the Civil War, and in Arkansas in particular, as I too have an unsolved mystery in my family involving the Civil War in Arkansas, but unfortunately it does not involve cast-iron cauldrons of gold buried in the woods, lol.
My 3X-Great-Grandfather was killed at the Battle of Pea Ridge fighting for the South. The problem is that there is no record of him in any muster roll anywhere. He joined a unit in the vicinity of Lincoln County, AR (just south of Pine Bluff), and according to one of my dad's great aunts (whom he asked about this in the late 50's/early 60's) he was killed at that battle. My Dad has tried to find out what happened to him since the late 50's, without success, and I took up the effort to a small degree with the advent of the internet and the slow publishing of records and info on the net ever since. For all I know, my ancestor may never have seen battle, as the logistical planning for Elkhorn Tavern/Pea Ridge was terrible, and many Confederate soldiers died from illness before the battle even began. My ancestor had 4 brothers, one of whom was killed at Shiloh fighting for the South, and another was wounded at Chickamauga and died from his injuries a couple of years later, another was drafted or joined the Union forces in 1863, and the last one escaped serving altogether, and went to Kansas for the duration of the war.
I was even born in Fayetteville, though I grew up elsewhere.
It is a fascinating subject. I drive by the street where Frank James lived in Nashville every day going to and from work, and I know the exact street where Jesse lived...this would have been when they were working at the barrel factory here. And yes, I saw the show on History Channel recently, which again, was fascinating, as the KGC is something not known to the general public. Not like those of us interested in TH'ing, anyway.
I live out in the country, but have never seen any KGC treasure signs.
As far as what in the book is real, and what is not, I am actually not too concerned with worrying about that. Some people will not believe anything about Bob's story. Others will believe it all. As I am not hunting for KGC treasure, it is not necessary for the info I read on this subject to be accurate. Aside from that, if I were writing a book like that, I would deliberately be vague on a lot of stuff anyway.
If nothing else, claiming to have found a treasure can attract attention from the Infernal Revenooer Disservice.
It is enough for me to know the KGC WAS real, and they DID hide caches. If they had not, none would have been found by people following clues left by them.
I will check into some of the the books you guys mentioned in this thread. Though right now I have a pile of books I am trying to get through first (used bookstore opened in the past couple of years, and I buy several each week, but take a month or more to read one, so I am way behind, lol).
Thanks for the posts and comments.
Now, get back to "discussing".