John Swifts Lost Silver Mines (carvings)

Yo! ;D Rebel here: JL, thank you for being our "man on the ground", and sharing that with us. Thank you for your e-mail... I sent a "reply" back via Treasurenet "notify"... let us know MORE, when ya got it... ;)
 

thanks Johnny. i have studied Swift a little and live here in Pike co. let us know how it goes for sure. Tim
 

About all the carvings Swift ever mentions in ANY of the more than a dozen journals I have read, are simply the party's names and "notches" - these were mostly on trees, but on a few rocks as well. What Swift DOES go into detail about though is the shape of various rocks that he used for markers. ;)
 

Hi Folks, thought I'd drop in on the Swift discussion. Some of you know me and some of you
know my book "Swift's Silver Mine and Related Appalachian Treasures." Just thought I'd see
what's happening and if any of you would like to chat.

I'm still researching, getting too old and too busy with living and family to be actively searching, but
I'm following the search.

So, if I can help or you have some information to share, email me here or at [email protected].

Best of luck.
 

Re: John Swifts Lost Silver Mines (carvings)...

Yo! ;D 8) (WARM & PARTLY Sunny!!!); MIKE!!! Good to see ya "on-board"! Your BOOK is the BEST!!!
Hope to see a BOOK of "pics" of "landmarks" in the future... even IF... done on CD... make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$! HA! HA! HA! ;) 8)
 

Hello Mike. I must say your book was the first one I purchased in my quest (besides some old journals and maps I acquired)! In fact, your book is now well worn from me referencing it and comparing the journals in it to the ones I have. In fact, I am thinking of using the same publisher you did in Johnson City Tn for my book.

I will give you an e-mail, as I have been on the phone SEVERAL times with Dan Graybeal and actually would like to show you the Rockhouse, Waterfall and West Mine if you ever get down this way - just to get your thoughts on some things, after seeing them first hand.
 

Rebel - I have SEVERAL pics of the different landmarks and a few tree carvings that will be in my book. I am going to try and go with the same publisher Mr. Steely used - Overmountain Press. If not, I have a few others in mind that a couple people I know used to publish books about Benge.

I have even thought of organizing some excursions after my book is out, where readers can meet and go with me to some of the sites (including the waterfall rockhouse, rockhouse 100 yards above that, tree with large limb where four kegs of crowns were buried and the West Mine). These are all close enough to where we could take these in in one day. I will probably have some contact information of mine at the end of the book and try to set a few dates to do this.
 

Yo! ;D S.S. GREAT IDEA!!! Do the book... CD, too... organize a GRAND TOUR of what cha got... sorta like Washington, DC... $$$$$$$$$$$$ Can SEE it now... Swift X-Press. ;) Got several states... gonna need LOTS of gas... do what HillBilly did in Arkansas for KGC stuff; GOLDEN CIRCLE RESEARCH, I THINK; SWIFT MINES RESEARCH!!!! ;) :-X
 

Rebel - it really isn't about the $$$. I just want to show people where everything is located. I simply love to get out in the mountains and enjoy the scenes and history. Days I don't find exactly what I am looking for, or find out I need to be somewhere else are still great.

Actually, everything important is really close. I was thinking of the tour consisting of the two rockhouses, waterfall, tree with a large limb growing out that had treasure buried at it, and the West Mine. All of these are really close and can be walked through in 4-6 hours.
 

Yo! ;D S.S., yer my kinda guy... NOT worried about MONEY... just wanna "show" history & EDUCATE pp. Thus is born... SWIFT'S MINES, INC. NON-PROFIT... Education & Research from the states of Virginia, Tennessee, & Kentucky!!! 503(c)(3) with INTERNET Board of Directors... pp can donate to Swift
Mines, Inc. for Tax Write-offs & reduce Tax burdens... LOL. ALSO... NOT pay taxes on what is found!!! ALL $$$$$$$$$$$ poured back into SM,I. We need a Prez... Mike, are you interested? We need a Vice Prez... Johnny, are you interested? We need a treasurer... We need a Cyber-secretary... we need about 7 MORE Board members... tax lawyer, money broker (mutual funds for 501(c) (3)... "meat & potatoes" kinda guy), banker, historians (Virginia, Tennessee, & Kentucky), etc. ;D :)
 

Swift's Mines, Inc. (aka SM,I)...

Yo! ;D S.S., THAT was just for the B.O.D.; was thinking YOU could be the C.E.O. (Chief Executive Officer), with yer own little secretary... LOL; organize tours, presentations, write books ("hard"/"soft" copies/CYBER e-books), do TV/radio "appearances", do "talk shows", do movies on the Swift's Mines (look out! NATIONAL TREASURE & Da VINCI CODE...), etc. etc.; SORRY, that was just the "High-Test" Coffee (regular) "kicking in"; hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... MAYBE. I oughta try STARBUCKS... :o ;) ;D
 

I tried to post you a pic of a marker this morning, but the image was too big and I became frustrated and gave up Rebel.

I am not going to lie - I can use money just as much as anyone else. If I found a treasure, I would carry it out if it wasn't on National Forest (or all I could carry at least). If it was on National Forest land, I would hide my tracks and file a treasure trove on it. I wouldn't turn it down. However, I do know these books are NOT bestsellers. I already have logged so many miles, bought so many maps, equipment, books and magazines that I probably will only sell enough books to cover my expenses at best, so I am NOT planning on getting rich anytime soon.

I have been to several of these sights however. In fact, I was at the blue rock with three chop-marks on it this week! The same outcome as the tree with the large limb near the bottom, where I counted off the poles from the rockhouse, a HUGE dip in the ground about 6-8 ft. in diameter, where someone LONG AGO dug up the treasure!

I do want people to know where these sights are at. However, I don't want to post them on a message board. I want to give the ENTIRE STORY in book format. That way, people will know where to go, know I found everything, know evidently others found it before me (as the treasures are long gone), and most of all (as I told the National Forest Dept. yesterday) PRESERVE THESE SITES! I really don't want these sites to be logged or destroyed (like I stated - I even spoke with the National Forest Dept. yesterday and gave them the location of the mines and ancient Indian Graveyard)! Like the Forestry Official stated however - this is a two-edged sword. People might read the book who would go there and destroy these sites. However, people DO need to know, to keep the sites preserved as well I believe!

I don't want you to take this the wrong way. So, AGAIN, I would LOVE to find the Great Cave and its riches. In fact, a friend of mine (and forum member) is coming down to help me look for that in a week or two, as I think I have found the general location! But, you can ask him - I told him before I don't know what I would do with a Billion Dollars worth of Silver and Gold IF I did find it. He then joked and said he would know what to do with it! The headaches after finding such a stash would definitely outweigh the benefits IMHO. Just look at Ova Noss! You would have to get people to help you with it - and, you cannot get everyone to be hush-hush about something like this. You would lay awake nights wondering if someone is back at the cave taking what you consider to be YOUR treasure away. You would have to make so many trips to a certain area that others would eventually see you in there and start to wonder what you are doing. If people found out, you would have to worry about people stealing some of the treasure, killing you, holding your family ransom, etc. etc.

TBH, it would REALLY be much easier to find a small cache worth $50k or so - I would be ELATED! Plus, you wouldn't have the headaches that would come with a large cache! ;)
 

BTW - Mike seems like a great guy. I have read his articles and books for a while now. It was great to finally have some e-mail correspondence with him lately. I also sent him a pic of the Turtle Back Rock (which is located in the saddle gap). He will be the ONLY person other than my family who has seen this pic yet. I figured Mike is an honest guy, one I can trust NOT to be showing the pic to everyone before my book comes out. I know, Rebel is going to be jealous now, as that was a "Marker Pic"! :D
 

;D From the ABOVE "post"... that is EXACTLY why I think Mike should be PREZ of the SM,I B.O.D., and YOU... C.E.O., as you two seem to have established TRUST; it is the KEY "factor"/"element" in THing, partnership, TEAM work. SWIFT MINES TEAM... TOGETHER, EACH ACHIEVE MORE... T.E.A.M. ;)
 

Rebel, any time you want to come down and trek through the mountains with me - simply LMK! Believe it or not, I cannot get anyone to go around here (that I trust that is - I had some people e-mail me from Haysi and Pound - they wanted to tell me when they would be down, when we would go and sounded as if they wanted to take over MY search!). Well, more power to those guys - they can find things the HARD WAY, like I did!

My better half went with me a few times. In fact, we found a HUGE furnace (which I have pics of). However, after two or three times going out and not finding silver, Heather quit going with me - said it wasn't worth it. Plus, we did get stuck on top of a mountain and I had to pay a wrecker service $150 to get me out the next day (after we had to walk off the top of the mountain in the dark!).
 

Going through JL's original post above (it all runs together and I have never read through it all until now), the BIGGEST rock landmarks he omitted were the Turtle Back Rock and Chestnut Burr Rock. I have found the TB Rock, Lighthouse Rock (which IS West of the mines) and several other landmarks.

One mistake I noticed is JL listed a rock leaning against a clift. Well, Swift never mentioned this. He mentioned a two rocks leaning together with a creek flowing under them that is near the rockhouse he stayed in (which is 100 yards above the furnace rockhouse). I have pics of this as well! The only thing is the creek has dried up that runs into furnace creek below the rockhouse, but one can clearly make out the rocks and old creek bed.

Also the circle carving on a flat rock is NOT near the mines - this happened when Swift had to bury some crowns on his journey back home and is 4-5 days away from the mines.

Also, a lot of the other carvings JL mentions, Swift did NOT. These are probably carvings from the Indians, French, Spanish, moonshiners, etc. But, NOT Swift!

Bottom Line - If ANYONE says they found Swift's Mine, and do NOT mention seeing a Chestnut Burr Rock that is right above the mine, the mine/cave they found is NOT Swift's! THIS is the key! As soon as I find the rich mine (and I am REAL CLOSE - just dread trecking through the rough steep country on my bad leg and hip), I will write my book and include a pic of the Chestnut Burr Rock. This landmark will be the definitive proof for anyone finding Swift's rich mine! I was planning to put the furnace waterfall on the cover of my book, as it is beautiful. However, the Chestnut Burr Rock might be a good pic for the cover as well!
 

Yo! ;D NOW... is the time to look for the "old roads", etc. while the leaves are down, etc.... the snakes/bears are "behaving" by "sleeping" (LOL); I have been to Pound, Grundy, etc... Breaks State Park, etc. and appreciate the "invite", SS; I am in Lynchburg, Virginia, and ANOTHER THer," beale", has MORE experience looking for the Swift Mine(s), and would be a BETTER choice of a "hunter"... I am JUST a researcher (thus... ALL the "resources", I have "posted" to help ALL of you...). Based on my "research", I think "Swift" et. al. were Pirates/Privateers. who bought their loot (Spanish SILVER coins, etc.) back to the mountains with "hidden furnaces" to melt 'em down in SMELTERS to make counterfeit "state coinage", which WAS illeglal and caused confusion in those days, hence the FEDS stepped in, and then had the "FIRST" US MINT in New Orleans. I ALSO think that SOME of these Pirates/Privateers were descended from "sea-faring" Knight Templars of "olden days", and later sea-farers were FREEMASONS, hence the "square & compass" "marks",etc. on stones/trees, etc. The time-period is abount correct, late 1770's, early 1800's... I DO NOT think that there were silver mines from the "Indians"... I think the Mine(s) were just "Depositories" for illegal coinage done by the SECOND Entrepreneurs in US History; John Rolfe was the FIRST... with the tobacco that "saved" the Jamestown '"Brit" Colony. ;) 8)
 

I know that lots of Kentucky searchers have sought a carving of a gun or rifle on a rock and, about 10 years ago, I found and photographed one. Can't tell you guys where it is but might consider sharing a photo of it. The only problem is that is in an area that is literally covered with Swift and Munday carvings, so many so that it is confusing. But the site is smack dab in the center of one of the "southern" or "western" mine
legends.

Also, I've updated my Swift research and might be able to answer some questions that go beyond
my book.

Let's year from you.

Mike Steely
 

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