Tom Ewart / For The Times
CODE: Bob Brewer points out arcane symbols on a tree in western Arkansas that he believes are clues to a treasure stashed away by the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secretive Confederate group.
Posted on 12/07/2007 4:24:48 PM PST by BGHater
A man seeking Confederate gold and his own family's hidden history uncovers a cryptic trail that may stretch back to a secret society and Jesse James.
HATFIELD, ARK. -- Deep in the woods near Brushy Creek stands an old beech tree, its smooth bark etched with dozens of carvings, including biblical references, a heart and a legless horse.
Bob Brewer was 10 when his great-uncle, W.D. "Grandpa" Ashcraft, pointed it out on a logging trip 57 years ago.
"He said, 'Boy, you see that tree? That's a treasure tree,' " Brewer recalled on a recent visit to the site. " 'You see that writing? If you can figure out what that is, you'll find some gold.' "
The old man didn't elaborate, but his words stuck with Brewer through childhood and two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Navy helicopter crewman. So did memories of Grandpa's frequent, unexplained horseback rides into the nearby Ouachita Mountains.
In 1977, after retiring from the Navy, Brewer returned to western Arkansas and took up an obsessive search -- for buried treasure, and for his family's links to a secretive, subversive Confederate group, the Knights of the Golden Circle, or KGC.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
FOUND: Bob Brewer shows off coins he has uncovered through his 30 years of treasure hunting. He’s still waiting on a big score and says he’s closing in on it in rural Oklahoma.
Guys, try to keep it 'Civil'.
Please don't make this a North Vs. South.
Wild goose chase, ping.
maybe for inventory.
Civil war, jesse james stuff.
It’s a good hobby. Not a way to get rich.
There’s no gold there; if the South had had any gold, we’d have used every last centimo to whip the Yankees.
Why did I hear that in the Lucky Charms character voice as I read it?
Wait till the McCoy's hear about this.
Not only that, but wildcatters were putting every spare dime into oil at that time.
No need for gold, hello SEC.
Nah, that'd be West Virginia!
|
|
|||
Gods |
Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. |
||
|
· Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · · History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
|||
Looks like a Hackberry tree; great for carving initials and designs as the bark overgrows (kinda like a keloid) the carvings. We have initials, dates and directions carved in Hackberry’s all over our area in the Atchafalaya Basin; some marks go back 50 years or more (not mine though, LOL).
Ping
Didn’t all the Confederate gold end up in an ironclad marooned in the Sahara ?
could also be phonography
..and yes, I am smiling when I say that
11 coins found in 30 year period = wild Goose chase.
“It’s a good hobby. Not a way to get rich.”
For the most part, but Mel Fisher scored.
Thanks. That was a great read. Now, I’m ready to see the movie.
Cool story.
I was a reporter for UPI about 1990 when Mel Fisher arrived in Bedford County, Va., claimed he had solved the mystery of the Beale treasure. Of course he found nothing at all but it was tons of fun going over and watching him dig around an old mill.
.
Well, dadgum it - I was thinking of “helping” the treasure-hunt when it was focused on Wapanucka. My gggrandaddy settled 7 miles from there in the late 1850s, at Boggy Depot.
He was in the first Masonic Lodge there, with his name on a monument that still stands; owned a store that is shown on the “ghost town” outline maps; had the Butterfield Overland Stage stop for the area; and went on to own land and businesses all over the area. He was a Confederate soldier, too.
Unfortunately, later in the treasure-hunting story, they said their “big find” is 100 miles away from there.
*oh well - easy come, easy go*
That one has always interested me as the Beale in question was supposedly an ancestor of mine. My G Grandfather’s uncle, IIRC. Checking into it, I’d pretty much come to the conclusion that it was a hoax by the man who “discovered” the ciphers and “translated” the first one. He then used the partially solved ciphers to attract investors in the treasure hunt.
You very well could be right. Even if there ever was a treasure, I doubt it’s still out there today.
And why publicly share information on a missing cache of gold?..
The “real” treasure is in the perceived book sales.
Some say the Confederate gold is hidden or buried somewhere in the historic little town of Washington, Georgia.
Save yo money - Dixie Ping
thanks for the ping SB
Interesting. Thanks for the ping!
Speaking of glyphs does this one count?
.........
.........
.........
Wanted to make sure you saw post 32.
(Don’t be dumb as 1.)
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
down came the rain and tried to wash the spider out
out came the Son and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Yep, it's now all in the coffers at NUMA! ;-)
More likely an American Beech, but that carving would be a lot closer to, say, 10 years old than 140.
Il Stupido was on there?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.