THE REAL STORY OF DAVIS BAGGAGE TREASURE TRAIN
Yes, I was roped into watching that "Curse of Civil War Gold" claptrap too. Other than the obvious question as to the bizarre theory that left over gold from the Confederacy was being hauled to Mexico to continue the war, got buried in Georgia by crooked Union soldiers, then somehow ended up over a thousand miles away dumped into Lake Michigan...
Next time I find a rusty square nut and a bolt, I guess I'll have to make a display case with the caption "parts from Jefferson Davis's treasure wagons'! ....
"The thirteen millions of treasure with which Jeff Davis was to corrupt our armies and buy his escape, dwindled down to the contents of a hand valise"- US Gen William T Sherman
13 million was an over exaggeration, but the contents of the valise is what CSA President Jefferson Davis had when he was captured in Irwinville, Georgia, May 3, 1865, the remaining CSA treasury was already divided, some on its way to Dioysius Chennault's Plantation in Washington, Georgia, and Davis's baggage wagon train on route to David Levy Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation in Archer, Florida.
CSA Se of State, Judah P Benjamin and CSA Sec of War, John Cabel Breckinridge, also received a share, when staying with Davis's cabinet a moth before, April 19, 1865, at the Marshall family's White Hall Plantation in Abbeville, SC, where they made plans to escape through Florida.
Davis's baggage treasure wagon train was one sturdily built ambulance and one heavy wagon, and headed by his brother in laws, CSA Capt Watson s and CSA Capt J D Van Benthuysen, with M H Clark, Tench E Tilghman, W E Dickson, Fred Emory, and J W Scott.
After arriving at Yulee's Cottonwood Plantation, word was received of Davis's capture, and 15 yo C Wickliffe Yulee and CSA Lt John S Purviance , Co G, 10th Florida Regiment , buried two of Davis's trunks in an outbuilding.
Nannie Wickliffe Yulee, before going to Ocala's Tuscawilla section to stay with her husband's Benjamin cousins, sent the rest to the railroad depot at Archer, where it was recovered by the Union Capt O E Bryant stationed in Gainesville, consisting of clothes, a hunting rifle and $35,000 in gold coin and bundles of CSA bills.
On May 25, 1865, the Union captured the remaining CSA treasury at Chennault's Plantation, but Confederate raiders managed to take $250,000 in Gold and silver specie in a surprise attack, that was never recovered.
Benjamin and Breckenridge, along with Davis's nephew, CSA Capt John Taylor Wood stayed in Ocala/Silver Springs in May ,1865, and made their escape from the Union, Benjamin to the Bahamas, Breckenridge and Wood to Cuba.
