Swamp Gold

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks Jeff. Thats amazing. I believe this legend has been changed by the various authors over the years but I still believe it has some basis of truth.

 

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[jeff k]

I received an email about nine years ago from someone who claimed his great great grandfather owned a fish factory on Boca Grande. He would point to a spot in the water, and tell his kids, "that's where Gasparilla's ship went down." I figured that had to be around 1850, so the legend goes back farther than most think.

About five years ago there was an item on eBay that was interesting. It was an Irish weekly or monthly magazine dated 1848 or 49 as I recall. It was a story about the pirate Jose Gaspar. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of the magazine, but remember it was published in Dublin. I saved a copy of the listing, but lost it when I bought a new computer. I would have bid on it, but the starting price was $100. There was one bid. I'm not sure if that article was fiction or non-fiction, but either way it could have been the source of the legend.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Its the source of the Confederate gold (swamp gold) that Im most interested in. I wish I could find the source. This thread has spanned 7 pages and still going.

I am in touch with a man who's father pounded a pipe in the ground for a hunting camp well on an Everglades island back in the 1950's. When he pumped it out, up came a bucket full of mint 1861 Indian Head pennies. They assumed it was something the Seminole Indians stole and buried but I always wondered if this was part of the lost shipment. Its in the same general area and the steel pipe is probably still there. . Unfortunately his memory is not too good and directions extremely vague..

 

[jeff k]

In 1865, Captain John Riley and a detachment of Confederate troops were sent from Kentucky with a half ton of gold bullion to be transported to Fort Mead, Florida, and then on to Havana, Cuba. As Union troops advanced through Florida, the Confederate band fled into the Everglades, buried the gold at the last camping place, and continued their flight.

In September, 1944, it was reported that State Game Officer L. P. Harvey led a small party into the Everglades and located what they believed to have been the last camping place of the Confederates, almost hidden by undergrowth but identified by Confederate relics found there. The site was described as being located at the point of an angle formed by a line 40 miles due west of Ft. Lauderdale, and another line due northwest of the Miami City Hall until it met the first line.

This would place the treasure on a Seminole Indian Reservation in west central Broward County.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Back to Horseshoe Head on Miccosuki Indian Lands.

 

[diggummup]

I know this thread is 7 pages long so I didn't go back to read them all (not today anyway) but I recall hearing from somewhere or someone that there was a gold cache found (late 60's or early 70's?) by the local natives out on the Miccosukee Alligator Alley Reservation land or the Big Cypress Seminole Res., I forget which but I think it was the Seminole Res., have you ever heard that story?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I know this thread is 7 pages long so I didn't go back to read them all (not today anyway) but I recall hearing from somewhere or someone that there was a gold cache found (late 60's or early 70's?) by the local natives out on the Miccosukee Alligator Alley Reservation land or the Big Cypress Seminole Res., I forget which but I think it was the Seminole Res., have you ever heard that story?

No I havent heard that story. Someone said they found shipwreck gold or silver bars in a barrel in the water of the Everglades backcountry..

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

To sum it all up, I dont know for sure if this gold cache ever existed. All I can find is many variations of treasure legend. I wouldnt think that the writers would make something up out of thin air. I keep thinking that there must be some factual events behind the story but besides some artifacts found, I cannot find any evidence in print as of yet besides the treasure books. The supposed Confederate escape route does however follow existing 1860's trails, so the story is certainly feasible IMO. I was actually surprised that the legend fllowed the trail so well down into the deeper swamp.

In the process however I have come across a few other promising leads but the Everglades/Big Cypress watershed is a huge area most of it now protected under federal law. Trespassing on Indian lands is forbidden without permission and can be hazardous to your health.

Thanks to all that tried to help and contributed to this thread.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Can anyone dig up any information on Florida State Game Officer L. P. Harvey?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The Confederate wreck Katy Dale was mentioned on an earlier post. I ran across a map of thw wrecksite so I thought I would post it. http://www.acwv.info/1-files-seminole-indian-war/Scottish Chief, Confederate shipwreck Site.jpg

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Im adding this very informative 27 page link from the military archives of existing Seminole War military trails prior to the Civil War.. No doubt these trails were still visible in 1864-65 and would have been utilized.


"Memoir to accompany a military map of the peninsula of Florida, south of Tampa Bay" http://www.archive.org/stream/memoirtoaccompan00unit/memoirtoaccompan00unit_djvu.txt



http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~crackerbarrel/Ives.html



MEMOIR
TO ACCOMPANY A
MILITARY MAP
of
THE PENINSULA OF
F L O R I D A,
SOUTH OF TAMPA BAY,
COMPILED BY
LIEUT. J. C. IVES, TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS,
UNDER THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF
CAPT. A. A. HUMPHREYS, TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS,
BY ORDER OF THE HON. JEFFERSON DAVIS, SECRETARY OF WAR,

APRIL, 1856.
WAR DEPARTMENT

NEW YORK:
M. B. WYNKOOP, BOOK & JOB PRINTER,
No. 12 ANN STREET, NEAR BROADWAY.
1856.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Same map with zoom feature. http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/pages/3700/f3793/f3793z.htm

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Top Fort Shackleford has been found on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation as mentioned earlier. Bottom Fort Harrell still alludes researchers and has yet to be rediscovered.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I just read this thread for the first time. Here's what I wrote about this story back in 1964, but don't ask me where I got it from. More than likely it came from a book.

Hello Jeff. You seem to be the oldest source other than the game ranger finding the Rebel campsite in the 40's. Any chance that you remembered where you got the story?


Im looking for these 2 treasure magazine articles for starters. Maybe something new will be in them.



1- Treasure World, "Missing 7 Pony Loads of Gold" by Titler, July 1972, page 20. (Florida Cache)

2- True Treasure, "Confederate Treasure" by Matthews, August 1974, page 34. (Florida Cache),

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Tag. I apologize ahead of time to anyone that may get upset or be offended by my reopening of this old thread.

Anyone have these books?

1- Treasure World, "Missing 7 Pony Loads of Gold" by Titler, July 1972, page 20. (Florida Cache)

2- True Treasure, "Confederate Treasure" by Matthews, August 1974, page 34. (Florida Cache),

 

[bigscoop]

You might check with Frankn, I suspect he has a tone of those older mags and he may have the ones you're after.

 

[diggummup]

Tag. I apologize ahead of time to anyone that may get upset or be offended by my reopening of this old thread.

Anyone have these books?

1- Treasure World, "Missing 7 Pony Loads of Gold" by Titler, July 1972, page 20. (Florida Cache)

2- True Treasure, "Confederate Treasure" by Matthews, August 1974, page 34. (Florida Cache),

Hopefully someone on here will have these, if not maybe post on the treasure related classifieds on here. Don't know if your looking to buy but...
Treasure World, July 1972 Available on Ebay- http://tinyurl.com/82ds2qd
True Treasure, August 1974 is also available but in with a lot of 5 mags.http://tinyurl.com/7kqjtmy

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Tag. I apologize ahead of time to anyone that may get upset or be offended by my reopening of this old thread.

Anyone have these books?

1- Treasure World, "Missing 7 Pony Loads of Gold" by Titler, July 1972, page 20. (Florida Cache)

2- True Treasure, "Confederate Treasure" by Matthews, August 1974, page 34. (Florida Cache),

Hopefully someone on here will have these, if not maybe post on the treasure related classifieds on here. Don't know if your looking to buy but...
Treasure World, July 1972 Available on Ebay- http://tinyurl.com/82ds2qd
True Treasure, August 1974 is also available but in with a lot of 5 mags.http://tinyurl.com/7kqjtmy

Ah OK maybe Ill buy it. oooooooh thats it!! "7 pony loads of gold" must be the same legend.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I hope its not referring to the Jefferson Davis gold.

 

[diggummup]

I hope its not referring to the Jefferson Davis gold.

That was supposed to be a "carload" or 220 wagon loads according to the December 18, 1881 New York Times article. http://tinyurl.com/7d57okg
The 7 pony loads is supposed to be English Sovereigns buried by the Seminoles in 1818. Supposedly in a swamp known as Old Yarbor pond, north of Hwy 2 and NE of the junction of Hwy 2 and the Chattahoochee River and Carter's Mill Creek. The location isn't right though because the Old Yarbor pond is south of Hwy 2.

Here's the story-

One of Floridas least know, yet largest land treasures is in a swamp pond in the northwester part of the state near the Chattahoochee river. Well hidden near Neals Landing on the Florida-Georgia border, a fortune in English gold has defied all efforts at recovery for over 150 years.

The gold, and other articles of plunder, are alleged to have been thrown into the quagmire by a band of Seminoles who were about to be trapped by Andrew Jackson and his advancing Militia, has been sought sporadically by amateur and professional hunters, alike. A guide will be needed for a trip to the money pit as Yarbor Pond is known, today.

If you leave Bascom, Florida, you will cross Old Slavery Road about half way to the pond, the only artery to serve the wilderness a century ago. Today, it is a dim, overgrown path in a low basin, surrounded by gum and cypress trees.

Floridas history confirms, in part, the accounts of the elusive treasure trove. It is after the British defeat at New Orleans in 1814 that English Lt. Col. Nicholls led his colonial marines into Spanish Florida to erect a fort on the Apalachicola River. He befriended the warlike Creeks and Seminoles, and eventually incited them into open attacks on American settlers near the Florida-Georgia border. By 1817, several families had been massacred.

President Monroe ordered Andrew Jackson to personally command his force of Tennessee Militia and drive the savages into Spanish territory. Jackson was only a short distance from the border when his scouts relayed word that an army detachment escorting women and children en route to meet him had been ambushed.

Enraged, Jackson, the hero of New Orleans, smashed into Florida, leveling and burning Indian settlements wherever he found them. Local legend claims that Billy Neal, for whom Neals Landing was named, was captured by the Indians and witnessed the hiding of the treasure. He was later rescued by Jacksons troops.

The Indians were trapped at the head of Carters Mill Creek, just above Neals Landing, he related, That night they learned that the white men were coming so they loaded seven ponies with their gold and other articles and slipped away to the Old Yarbor Pond, as its now called. When they returned before daybreak, the ponies sacks were empty. The Indians realized they would be unable to make away with the plunder so they hid it well.

Its generally understood that the Seminoles who buried the fortune received most of it from English renegades acting under orders from the crown, perhaps from the infamous Arbuthnot and Ambrister, the two English traders who were later hanged by Jackson for stirring the savages into uprisings. Leaders of several expeditions in search of money, calculating loads of seven Indian ponies and types of coinage minted at the time, conservatively estimated the treasure at $84.000. While the bulk of the coinage is in gold, some silver pieces were also included, along with guns, lead, etc.

Was the story of the lost gold passed down through the generations of the Seminole nation, and did descendents of those who left it there return to search for it? It seems they did because a small band of wandering Seminoles, in the early 1900s traveled along the banks of the Chattahoochee every fall asking permission of the various plantation owners to camp on their lands. The report was this They were always digging into the ground and when you asked them, they claimed to be looking for iron pieces, axe heads, and the like. They always used back trails and avoided white men.

All but forgotten today (except by a few treasure hunters) this store of coins is almost certainly under the waters of what is now know as Yarbor Pond in Jackson County, Florida