The Family Gold

Toward the end of the war, in those desperate days in April of 1865, Richmond found itself under attack by General Grant’s army. General Robert E. Lee knew his tattered, unfed army could no longer defend the capital. Richmond was sure to fall, so on Sunday, April 2, 1865, he gave Confederate President Jefferson Davis two days to save what he could and flee the city.

Davis left that evening on a train to Danville, Virginia. Under the supervision of Navy Captain William H. Parker, a second train followed Davis with the War Department Treasury of $300,000 in Union currency and $500,000 in gold and silver: gold ingots, gold double eagle coins, silver coins, silver bricks, and Mexican silver dollars. Captain Parker was charged with putting together a troop to protect not only the South’s most important executives but also its treasure. The only personnel available for this task were midshipmen from a training ship on the James River—for the most part, they were fresh Navy personnel in training. Some were only children, as young as twelve.

The two trains left Richmond at midnight. In Danville, President Davis and his staff were given horses to ride. The treasure was loaded into wagons, and they all headed to the old U.S. Mint in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Uncle Tennessee’s Company M was sent to prevent President Davis’s escape. Their mission was to overcome the President’s forces, capture Davis, and seize the gold.

The Cavalry rode hard and beat Captain William H. Parker to Greensboro, forcing him to change his plans. The treasure was loaded into used sugar, coffee, flour, and ammunition containers; then Parker headed southwest. They traveled through South Carolina and Georgia, desperately trying to evade capture. Eventually, the treasure made its way to Washington, Georgia, where Davis met up with them again. In Washington, Georgia, General Basil Duke took charge of the gold and transferred it into six wagons. But time was running out for the General, and before he could escape, they found themselves surrounded by Union forces. Unable to get away, President Jefferson Davis surrendered himself and the Confederate Treasury in Washington, Georgia.

Uncle Tennessee’s cavalry helped take charge of the wagons with orders to transport them to Washington, DC.

In Wilkes County, Georgia, the wagon train was again attacked. This time, by stragglers from both the Union and Confederate armies who had heard of the treasure. The stragglers outnumbered Company M’s small force and won the skirmish. They divided up the bounty, stuffing it into any kind of bag they could find and hanging it on their saddles.

The riders stole so much that they were overloaded, stuffing it into their boots and shirts. Some hid their share or discarded large quantities all over Wilkes County. The gold was never found or accounted for.