bigscoop
Gold Member
- Jun 4, 2010
- 13,535
- 9,072
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- Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Consider the following;
There are three main characters involved with the narration, Morriss, Ward, and a Thomas J. Beale. Two of these characters reside in the Lynchburg area, the third, and the only verified man with the correct name during the entire era, lives just 90 miles down the road in Richmond, the exact city where our unknown author interrupted his interviews with Morriss due to important business affairs in that same city. On top of this we can place Ward in that same city with at least some measure of frequency. Robert Morriss, James Ward, and a Thomas J. Beale are the three main characters attached to the narration, the only three main characters.
Now disregarding the possibility of any truth in the alluring details so as not to get sidetracked by those temptations and uncertain debates, it could be that Morriss told Ward the details in compliance to his agreed selecting someone and passing the torch if required, just as outlined in the narration, and then Ward, after hearing the details, departed for Richmond to look up that Thomas J. Beale, if he didn't already know of him?
Another possibility is that this Thomas J. Beale went searching for Morriss on the heals of something he already had information about and that he was the one who had held interview with Morriss in search of more details?
What is interesting is the “second year of the confederate war” statement, this being the same year that Morriss became ill and passed away, the details of those interviews also being consistent with the terms Morriss has allegedly agreed to, that again being the selection of someone capable to carry the task if he became unable. This would then suggest that he had possibly passed his tale onto Ward, who then possibly, after hearing the details, set out in pursuit of the Richmond, T. J. Beale.
“[FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times]Curiously enough, he never adverted to his family or to his antecedents, nor did I question him concerning them, as I would have done had I dreamed of the interest that in the future would attach to his name.”[/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times] [/FONT] “If”, and I only say “if”, the author entered this information bearing its importance to the narration, and “if” Ward did set out in pursuit of the Thomas J. Beale of Richmond, then what might this tell us about the Thomas J. Beale of Richmond?
Additionally, the author also references Richmond a second time when he speaks of the men who had accompanied Beale to his place of business, decidedly revealing that they had departed for home near Richmond. But how did Morriss know this, which he apparently did? Now we even have the other alleged party members located near Richmond. Suddenly there are many aspects of the narration pointing at Richmond, and who can be found in Richmond? The only verified Thomas J. Beale of the era, that's who.
In the early 1860's Ward joined the Dove Lodge in Richmond, the region that would become Jackson Ward, where alderman Thomas J. Beale survided, also had a Mason Lodge as early as 1811. And here's another interesting note in regards to a possible Mason connection, men of color were masons and by 1903 the Grand Lodge of Masons of Virginia even had a black pastor, a man who had been a mason since at least 1894. Still doubt that Ward possibly knew this Thomas J. Beale?
In 1884 Thomas J. Beale of Richmond would have been around 61 years of age, almost the exact same age as J. B. Ward. Ward spent time in Richmond, as obviously did Thomas J. Beale who became a serving district alderman at least by 1884, if not before? An honor not likely bestowed upon him unless he had been part of that district for quite some time. So was he there in the 1860's? Very, very possible, of not actually very likely.
So what is the missing link in all of this? It is that direct connection between Ward and this Thomas J. Beale, something I have yet to locate but feel certain it exist, somewhere?
Now in all of the above it is interesting to note that Jackson Ward was a black, or free man of color, region long before it was ever officially titled Jackson Ward, and in fact black leaders were already designing and building structures in the area as early as 1811. Also, the general description of the Thomas J. Beale in the narration is that of a man of color, which our Thomas J. Beale of Richmond was. Sadly, we do not know who his parents were but we would certainly love to.
And last but not least, in what years did Ward serve as a surveyor and during that time was he ever at task in the Jackson Ward area district? If so, and especially in the 1880's, then it becomes a fair bet that he would have held some interaction with that district's aldermen, or in this case, Thomas J. Beale of Jackson Ward. But.......
There are three main characters involved with the narration, Morriss, Ward, and a Thomas J. Beale. Two of these characters reside in the Lynchburg area, the third, and the only verified man with the correct name during the entire era, lives just 90 miles down the road in Richmond, the exact city where our unknown author interrupted his interviews with Morriss due to important business affairs in that same city. On top of this we can place Ward in that same city with at least some measure of frequency. Robert Morriss, James Ward, and a Thomas J. Beale are the three main characters attached to the narration, the only three main characters.
Now disregarding the possibility of any truth in the alluring details so as not to get sidetracked by those temptations and uncertain debates, it could be that Morriss told Ward the details in compliance to his agreed selecting someone and passing the torch if required, just as outlined in the narration, and then Ward, after hearing the details, departed for Richmond to look up that Thomas J. Beale, if he didn't already know of him?
Another possibility is that this Thomas J. Beale went searching for Morriss on the heals of something he already had information about and that he was the one who had held interview with Morriss in search of more details?
What is interesting is the “second year of the confederate war” statement, this being the same year that Morriss became ill and passed away, the details of those interviews also being consistent with the terms Morriss has allegedly agreed to, that again being the selection of someone capable to carry the task if he became unable. This would then suggest that he had possibly passed his tale onto Ward, who then possibly, after hearing the details, set out in pursuit of the Richmond, T. J. Beale.
“[FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times]Curiously enough, he never adverted to his family or to his antecedents, nor did I question him concerning them, as I would have done had I dreamed of the interest that in the future would attach to his name.”[/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times] [/FONT] “If”, and I only say “if”, the author entered this information bearing its importance to the narration, and “if” Ward did set out in pursuit of the Thomas J. Beale of Richmond, then what might this tell us about the Thomas J. Beale of Richmond?
Additionally, the author also references Richmond a second time when he speaks of the men who had accompanied Beale to his place of business, decidedly revealing that they had departed for home near Richmond. But how did Morriss know this, which he apparently did? Now we even have the other alleged party members located near Richmond. Suddenly there are many aspects of the narration pointing at Richmond, and who can be found in Richmond? The only verified Thomas J. Beale of the era, that's who.
In the early 1860's Ward joined the Dove Lodge in Richmond, the region that would become Jackson Ward, where alderman Thomas J. Beale survided, also had a Mason Lodge as early as 1811. And here's another interesting note in regards to a possible Mason connection, men of color were masons and by 1903 the Grand Lodge of Masons of Virginia even had a black pastor, a man who had been a mason since at least 1894. Still doubt that Ward possibly knew this Thomas J. Beale?
In 1884 Thomas J. Beale of Richmond would have been around 61 years of age, almost the exact same age as J. B. Ward. Ward spent time in Richmond, as obviously did Thomas J. Beale who became a serving district alderman at least by 1884, if not before? An honor not likely bestowed upon him unless he had been part of that district for quite some time. So was he there in the 1860's? Very, very possible, of not actually very likely.
So what is the missing link in all of this? It is that direct connection between Ward and this Thomas J. Beale, something I have yet to locate but feel certain it exist, somewhere?
Now in all of the above it is interesting to note that Jackson Ward was a black, or free man of color, region long before it was ever officially titled Jackson Ward, and in fact black leaders were already designing and building structures in the area as early as 1811. Also, the general description of the Thomas J. Beale in the narration is that of a man of color, which our Thomas J. Beale of Richmond was. Sadly, we do not know who his parents were but we would certainly love to.
And last but not least, in what years did Ward serve as a surveyor and during that time was he ever at task in the Jackson Ward area district? If so, and especially in the 1880's, then it becomes a fair bet that he would have held some interaction with that district's aldermen, or in this case, Thomas J. Beale of Jackson Ward. But.......
