Confederate Gold and Silver (32 page)

Standing quietly off to the side as they talked was Jayne Ewald, Chick’s graduate assistant. She was nearing the completion of her doctorate degree in American History at the University of South Carolina. Paul’s first impression of her included a guess that she was likely in her early to mid-thirties. She was short and slightly overweight, but still an attractive looking woman with long black hair that she also wore in a ponytail. While his early read of her also included that she seemed to be an extremely focused person, she gave Paul the impression that she was someone who was a bit of an introvert. For some reason he also thought she was perhaps a little naive. While he tried, he could not figure out what had caused him to have such a strong early read of her this way. He would soon find out his early evaluation of her was a very accurate one.

After introducing Jayne, Chick explained how she had researched her family history a few years ago and had learned one of her great-grandfathers had served in the Union army during the Civil War. Her research had shown he had been captured during the war and later had been held in a Confederate prison camp in Wilmington, North Carolina for a period of time.

Jayne then told Paul about reviewing Union army records and finding that her great-grandfather, Private John Kinsella, had served with the 7
th
Connecticut Infantry Regiment, being assigned to Company D. From other documents her family had obtained, she learned Private Kinsella’s real name, Kenseller, had apparently been misspelled along the way, possibly by some Union army clerk when he had reenlisted in the war. Her research had determined just after he had reenlisted in the army, in Danbury, Connecticut, his unit had moved south to fight. “He was later captured at the Battle of Bermuda Hundred, in Virginia, on June 2, 1864.” She then described how her great-grandfather had died from Chronic Dysentery. His
Record
of
Death
and
Interment,
which she had obtained a copy of, documented he had died on April 7, 1865, at the Wilmington General Hospital. She had also found on his
Record
of
Death
and
Interment
form that he had been buried in a mass grave with other Union soldiers. As far as she could tell from her research, he had likely been buried in the Wilmington National Cemetery in North Carolina. “The only other things I know about him is he had grayish colored eyes, light colored hair, and a light complexion. All of that I got from a copy of his
Volunteer
Re-Enlistment
form. Probably a form some clerk likely filled out when he reenlisted. There is more to find out about him and I will. All it takes is time.”

It was from this research she had conducted on her family tree that an interest in the Civil War had been sparked. Her continued research, along with her studies in American History, now fueled her passion for the Civil War. She also told Paul that she had even gone as far as petitioning the National Park Service to have a tombstone for her great-grandfather placed in the military cemetery in Wilmington. They had initially denied her request, but her persistent efforts, supported by her findings of her great-grandfather’s service in the Union army, finally resulted in the Park Service granting approval of her request.

As they finished talking about her great-grandfather, Jayne also told Paul she had later visited the cemetery where his tombstone had been placed and had even participated in a few historical digs in the area. It was her hope these historical digs would continue and would someday further document what life had been like for those Union soldiers who had been confined to the Confederate prison camp in Wilmington.

“I’m impressed by your determination to learn more about him. I hope you stay with it until you find what you are looking for.” It was obvious to Paul that she had been very dedicated to learning as much as she could about her great-grandfather.

As the three of them got to know each other better over small talk, Paul also sensed Jayne had a strong respect for Chick. It was more than what one would expect to see in a teacher-student relationship he thought, but he was not sure he was correct in that assessment as yet.

The talk then turned to Paul’s discovery of the Confederate soldier’s remains. As they sat on the front steps of the Student Center, Chick asked him questions about the condition of both the soldier’s uniform and of the remains of the soldier. As they talked, Paul began to feel more comfortable with Chick and he started to believe he could put his trust in him.

As they talked, the courtyard began to fill with students and teachers wanting to enjoy a few minutes of morning sunshine before heading off to their classes. Not wanting others to hear what they were discussing, Paul sought to move the conversation to a quieter location. “Chick, let’s take a walk. Jayne can certainly join us, but could we talk some more in private, perhaps over by my truck for a few minutes?”

Walking to his truck, Chick told Paul more about the studies Jayne was completing. “Paul, Jayne is working on her doctorate as we have told you. Do you have any objections if she takes notes while we talk? It might help her with a paper she has to write during the upcoming semester.”

“Yeah, sure, but if I want something discussed privately she has to put the pen down and nothing gets written about that part of the conversation, understand?”

“No problem.” Jayne nodded her head in agreement to the ground rules Paul had just laid out.

Paul had allowed Steve to set this meeting up with Chick as he realized he needed someone he could trust and work with. While he likely had the clues to find the missing treasury, Paul knew having someone else helping him to decipher those clues might lead to other ideas about what they meant. He knew early in their conversation he had found the person he needed to help him. Now he was about to reel Chick in without him having a chance to say no. As they walked to his truck, he asked Chick if he had ever heard the story about the missing Confederate treasury.

“Oh, sure, I think most people have heard about that legend. In fact, I think it’s probably a true story and not one that was made up. I think the money; actually it was gold and silver, is still hidden and probably buried some place just waiting for someone to find it. In fact, I actually did some research into the legend several years ago. From what I could tell after reviewing a few Confederate documents, and from reading some letters which had been written by both President Jefferson Davis and his Secretary of the Treasury, a guy by the name of Memminger, I believe the documentation I reviewed proves the money did actually exist. My feeling is the same one many others have. I believe the money was being transferred from Richmond to some place further south so it did not fall into the hands of the advancing Union army. It was during the time it was being moved when the treasury went missing. Who had it and what happened to it is the mystery which exists to this day. I can’t help you there.”

“So what’s your best guess on where the money might be, if in fact it did exist?”

“Like I said, I have no doubt it existed. Whether it still exists, or if it was stolen, or lost, or captured by the Union army, I can’t tell you. That’s a tough question to answer, but if it still exists my guess would be the money is likely buried along the eastern shore area of either North or South Carolina. The Union army was advancing south and had focused a great deal of their efforts along the train routes in both of those states. They were ripping up tracks and destroying railroad equipment to hurt the Confederacy’s efforts of resupplying their armies in Virginia. So my guess is whoever had it likely steered clear of where the Union army was operating. That’s why I believe it’s probably buried somewhere along the eastern edges of either of those two states. It probably will turn up in Texas or in some other location which makes no sense, but I don’t think so. One thing I do believe is that I doubt the Confederacy would have chanced shipping it south by boat. Trying to ship it to Atlanta or possibly to either New Orleans or Mississippi by boat would have been a big risk to take because of the Union blockade. The money would have been lost forever if their boat was either sunk or seized. The South would not have risked losing it like that. My guess is the money was being shipped by rail, or by wagons, or maybe both, and likely it was disguised as it was being shipped to cut down on the chances of people trying to steal it. War and money makes people do crazy things at times, even to people on your side.”

Paul listened intently to Chick’s thoughts on the missing money and now he stood quiet for a few minutes in the parking lot as he digested what Chick had told him. As he did, he mentally compared the opinions Chick had expressed to the contents of the letters he had read. Letters he had not yet told Chick about.

“Chick, we do not know each other very well yet, but I’m here because our mutual friend told me I can trust you. I hope I can and I hope we might become friends.”

“Well, I guess it will have to depend on how many strokes you are going to give me when we play golf, won’t it?”

Paul smiled as he knew Chick had attempted to bring some levity into their conversation. “That’s a good answer, but I’m probably the one who will need the strokes. My game is terribly rusty; it’s been on the back burner far too long.”

Deciding it was the right moment; Paul took his conversation with Chick a bit further, teasing him with pieces of information others had yet to learn. “What if I told you I found several more items besides the soldier’s clothing and his remains, items the authorities don’t know about yet; would that interest you? And if I tell you about them, can I trust both of you to respect my decision to keep them to myself for now?”

Chick had not yet responded to Paul’s question when Jayne dropped the pen she had been taking her notes with. It bounced off the asphalt parking lot and landed near her feet. It was obvious his statement had taken her completely by surprise. Her other reaction was to cover her mouth with the hand which had held her pen. She then uttered two words very softly. “Oh, my!”

“Paul, I think you probably know the answer to your question already, but the answer is obviously yes. I will tell you friends and I have talked about the discovery you made after we read about it in the paper. We did discuss whether you might have kept a souvenir or two, if any were found with the remains. If you did, then you have to decide whether you should have them or whether they should be shared with others who also have an interest in the Civil War. It’s a moral issue you have to wrestle with. But the answer to your question is yes; you can trust us to keep your secret quiet. It sounds like you might be interested in doing some digging, both literally and figuratively perhaps, on the items you have found. If that is the case then I certainly can understand why you kept them. One thing though, if it’s me who has those items in my possession, when I am done with them I would turn them over to the relatives of the dead soldier, that’s if they can be found, or to the South Carolina Historical Society, or to some other historical group, or perhaps even to some school.”

Chick paused for a moment so he could get a read on how Paul took what he had told him. “Now, if you care to show us what you have found, I would be very interested in looking at whatever it is you have. Until you tell us we can talk about the items, I promise neither of us will tell a sole about what you have found.”

Any doubts Paul had about whether he could trust Chick were a memory after he heard the answer to the question he had asked of him. He had no intention of keeping the items he had found and had planned to do just what Chick had suggested when he was done with them. He just wanted them for his own while he looked into the mystery of the lost Confederate treasury. Then he would decide what to do with them.

Feeling confident he could trust both of them, Paul reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief he had wrapped two gold coins in. As he unfolded the handkerchief, they saw it had protected an 1862 gold dollar and an 1862 three dollar coin. He placed them in the palm of his right hand for Chick and Jayne to see.

“May I?” It was all Chick asked before taking the gold coins to examine closer. After he had spent time examining them one at a time, he handed the coins to Jayne so she could look at them. Handing them to her without looking at Paul, Chick asked him if the coins had been found in the soldier’s clothing or on the ground near the remains. Before he could answer Chick’s question, Jayne nearly dropped one of the coins in the parking lot. She had been examining the coins and taking notes at the same time. After already having dropped her pen and now nearly dropping one of the coins as well, Paul’s first impression of Jayne now also included the thought that she was a little clumsy as well.

“Chick, to answer your question, yes and yes. One I found on the ground and one I found in some clothing, but not in the clothing the authorities have in their possession.”

“So you did find more clothing! Most likely the soldier’s uniform I’m guessing or at least parts of it, correct? What else did you find?”

Paul took the two coins back from Jayne, wiped off any oils which might have been transferred onto them when they had been handled, and then wrapped them back up in his handkerchief. Then he placed the coins back in his pocket. By this time the section of the Student Parking Lot where his truck was parked was beginning to fill up with more students who were arriving for their summer semester classes. “Tell you what, walk over to the corner of the parking lot and I’ll bring my truck over there. We can talk some more over there. That way the whole world is not seeing what is going on.”

Backing his truck into the corner of the lot, Paul could not help but to think it looked like the three of them, with their somewhat furtive movements, were consummating a drug deal in the parking lot. As he got out of his truck, he heard Jayne giggle as she spoke to Chick. “This is so exciting!” They both shot her puzzled looks, but the looks did not dampen her excitement. “Well, at least to me it is!”