Shadowy path may lead to treasure[Confederate Gold]

Los Angeles Times ^ | 05 Dec 2007 | Kim Christensen

[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.

Email Picture

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.

[BGHater]

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.

[BGHater]

Wild goose chase, ping.

maybe for inventory.
Civil war, jesse james stuff.

[RightWhale]

It’s a good hobby. Not a way to get rich.

[Redbob]

There’s no gold there; if the South had had any gold, we’d have used every last centimo to whip the Yankees.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

"He said, 'Boy, you see that tree? That's a treasure tree,'

Why did I hear that in the Lucky Charms character voice as I read it?

[Michael.SF.]

HATFIELD, ARK.

Wait till the McCoy's hear about this.

[RightWhale]

Not only that, but wildcatters were putting every spare dime into oil at that time.

[BGHater]

No need for gold, hello SEC.

[trimom]

HATFIELD, ARK. Wait till the McCoy's hear about this.

Nah, that'd be West Virginia!

[SunkenCiv]

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[Atchafalaya]

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).

[null and void]

Ping

[Martins kid]

Didn’t all the Confederate gold end up in an ironclad marooned in the Sahara ?

[dano1]

"Brewer figured they were cryptic indicators of distance and direction, clues to buried riches.

could also be phonography

[BallyBill]

Only a Jonny Reb would be stupid enough to lose his own treasure.

..and yes, I am smiling when I say that

[flowerplough]

secretive, subversive Confederate group, the Knights of the Golden Circle, or KGC.

KGC?

"Golden Circle", and "Knights of"?

Circle = (Greek) Kuklos = Ku Klux?

[Recon by Fire]

Let me do the math, 11 coins in 30 years. That means he would have found 4 coins in a 10 year period, 4 more coins in another 10 year period, and 3 coins in another 10 year period.

11 coins found in 30 year period = wild Goose chase.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

“It’s a good hobby. Not a way to get rich.”

For the most part, but Mel Fisher scored.

[wizr]

Thanks. That was a great read. Now, I’m ready to see the movie.

[gracesdad]

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.