As Paul continued to read about the Battle of Richmond he formed dramatic mental pictures in his head about the siege that had taken place there. The pictures he created were obviously not totally accurate ones, but they were ones which allowed him to generate both an understanding and an appreciation for the battles that had been fought there. Paul’s brain had always allowed him to form these vivid mental pictures and it was this ability to form those vivid pictures which had helped him to develop an appreciation for the Civil War. These vivid pictures had been present with him during the several visits he had made to the battlefield sites at Gettysburg; they had been with him during his walk down the Sunken Road at Fredericksburg, and they had been with him when he had stood above the Sunken Road, at Marye’s Heights, looking down at the field where the Union army had been slaughtered by the Confederate army. As he had questioned the wisdom of the Confederate army attacking the high ground at Gettysburg, he had also questioned the Union’s decision to attack the high ground at Fredericksburg. These same vivid pictures were also with him during one of his favorite visits, a visit to Appomattox Court House.
During his visit to Appomattox Court House he had stood along the same path the Confederate army had walked along that fateful morning when they finally surrendered. Paul had pictured Union General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain sitting on his horse adjacent to the path, surrounded by his victorious men, watching the defeated, but still proud Confederate army pass by them as the Union army ceremoniously accepted the formal surrender of the Confederacy. On that particular day, Paul had even thought he had heard Chamberlain’s voice as he ordered his men to salute the brave Confederate soldiers who passed by them. Those vivid mental pictures of the Civil War had also caused him to shudder at the carnage that had occurred during those battles when brave young men, both Union and Confederate, were often murdered by their blundering generals. It was many of those officers, perhaps more so in the North, who had simply been promoted to their ranks to curry political or ethnic support back home for the needs of the war. Many of those officers had known little about military tactics. Paul had always held those officers in contempt for their actions in wasting so many young lives. He had often thought how happy he was that his two boys did not have to fight in such a terrible war.
As he snapped back from his mental pictures of the battles fought in and around Richmond, Paul now looked for information on the gold coins he had found with the remains of Captain Francis. He wanted to know where the coins had been minted and what their approximate value was as he thought knowing that information might give him a clue as to why Francis had them in his position at the time of his death. After searching unsuccessfully for several minutes for such a book, he went to the Reference Desk for assistance. When his turn came, Paul explained to Caren Mullaney, the Head Reference Librarian, what it was he was looking for. After checking her computer files, she guided him to where several books on coins had been placed on the shelves. After they had found a couple of books for him to review, he thanked her for her assistance.
“If you give me a couple of minutes, I will check the computer again to see if the library in Conway has any others you might be interested in.”
“OK, thanks. If it’s OK with you I will wait for you at the table I was working at. It will give me a couple of minutes to look at these books we found.”
“Fine, I’ll be right back.” She gave Paul a quick smile and then headed back to her computer.
Paul went back to the table he had been working at and started looking through the coin books to see if he could find any references to the coins he had found, ones he now had secreted within his garage. He had only been able to look at the coin books for a few minutes when Caren reappeared by his side. She then told him the Conway library had two other books on coins for him to look at besides the ones he already had. Telling Paul this, she happened to notice he had one of the books opened to a page that showed pictures of several old gold coins.
“I hope you have a box full of those gold coins. You’d likely be a very rich man.”
Paul only had a silent response for her. “If only you knew, if only you knew.” He had yet to look up at her as he had just found a picture of one of the coins he had found.
Caren’s next comment was simply meant to be a joke, but it caused Paul to put the book he had been looking at down on the table. “With all of the books you have here on the Civil War, and on gold coins, what are you trying to do, find the lost treasure?”
She now had his attention. “I’m sorry, guess I was kind of focused on a picture of a gold coin. What did you say about a lost treasure?”
Caren gave Paul a quizzical look at first, but then realized he really did not know what she had been referring to. Over the next several minutes she told him about the legend of the lost Confederate treasury. He listened carefully as she described the legend that had been passed down for generations since the Civil War about the missing gold and silver; money which had been shipped out of Richmond during the war. “It’s a widely accepted fact that the money was moved south out of Richmond by Confederate solders, but no one knows what happened to it after that.” Caren told him that ever since the money had disappeared Southern folks had speculated for years over what had happened to it. She then told him about the various theories that had existed for years. She explained the theories included some people believing those soldiers tasked with moving the money had actually stolen it; that some people thought crooked politicians had stolen it during the final days of the war when all hope had been lost for the Confederate cause; that some folks believed the gold and silver had been captured by Union troops and they had kept it for themselves, and that others simply believed the money had never existed at all. “I don’t know what to believe myself, but I’m telling you one thing, if you ever find it you had better share some of it with the gal who helped you out this morning!”
What Paul had just learned about the missing Confederate money sent a cold chill down his spine. As he sat there digesting what Caren had just told him, the news caused him to silently generate additional questions. They were questions like the previous ones he had already asked himself; questions he did not have answers for at this time. “Were the coins I found part of the Confederate treasury, that missing money? Was Francis the person who had been charged with moving that gold and silver? Was that what Davis, Memminger, and Francis were talking about in their letters? Is this money the assets Francis vaguely described in his letter?” Paul thought of the Francis letters and began to wonder if they contained any hidden clues which would lead him to where the money had been buried.
“Sir, do you need anymore help?”
Caren’s question brought Paul back from the thoughts he was having about the letters. “What? Oh, yes, I’m sorry. Your story about the missing money caused me to daydream there for a minute. I’m terribly sorry. Your story about the missing Confederate money, do you have any books on that? And one more thing, and if you do not have anything I am sure I can probably Google it when I get home, but do you have any books or information on R.F.W. Allston? He was a governor of South Carolina near the time of the Civil War, but I’m not sure of his exact term of office.”
Caren smiled when Paul asked her about books on the missing treasury as she knew she had piqued his interest in this legend. “Give me a bit and I’ll let you know what I find.”
As she left to find the information Paul had asked her to look up for him, and to email the Conway library so they could send down the other two coin books for him to look at, his attention returned to the letter Francis had written to President Davis. “Was the letter actually giving us veiled clues about the missing Confederate money when we read it?” He also could not help to think, as he tried to recall the wording of the Francis letters, “that one of the letters actually talked about money being buried in three separate locations; two in South Carolina and one in North Carolina. But where?�
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The events of the past several days had certainly captured Paul’s attention. Far too much, such as meeting Steve, buying the boat and the truck, and then finding the soldier’s remains and artifacts, had taken place in a short a period of time. Now after he had been told of the legend of the missing Confederate money, his instincts took over and he knew he possibly had the clues needed to find the missing gold and silver. He hoped his acquired investigative skills would help him find what others before him could not. He also had one other thought as he sat in the library waiting for Caren to return. “With all that has happened to me over the past several days, am I destined to be the person who finds this missing money?”
After a few minutes, Caren returned to where Paul was still sitting at the table. She was carrying several pieces of papers, some of which had answers to a few of the questions he had asked her to look up for him. “OK, I emailed the Conway library and they will have those two coin books here by tomorrow afternoon. When they get here I will mark them with your name and you can pick them up at the Front Desk late tomorrow. Now, here is some of the information I was able to get for you when I Googled the name of Governor Allston, this should get you started at least. You know, I learned something today doing this for you as I did not know he was a governor of South Carolina, but I guess that explains why the Allston name still exists to some degree in Pawleys Island. Well, good luck with whatever you are doing and don’t forget to share some of the gold with me when you find it!”
Thanking her for her assistance, Paul promised he would bring her a gold coin when he found the missing money. His promise made her laugh. “I’ve had a lot of guys promise me things over the years, but never a gold coin. I won’t hold my breath on that promise!” Caren gave him a smile and then returned to her desk to help her next customer, an elderly man who was interested in researching his family tree.
******
Donna and Paul arrived a few minutes early at the restaurant that evening so they stopped at the bar for a drink before Steve showed up to meet them for dinner. As they settled onto two bar stools he looked to see if Kathy was bartending, but saw no sign of her. After ordering their drinks, he began to tell Donna about what his research at the library had uncovered. He was beginning to tell her about the bombshell Caren had revealed regarding the missing Confederate treasury, but just as he started Steve was standing next to them as they sat at the bar.
Before Paul had a chance to introduce Donna to Steve, he took her hand and introduced himself to her. “When I met your husband I could tell he was a good guy as he helped me with my flat tire, but what I didn’t know was that he had such a beautiful wife.” Now blushing, Donna thanked him for his compliment. After spending a few minutes talking at the bar while enjoying their drinks, they were escorted to their table for dinner.
Pulling out Donna’s chair for her as they sat down at the table, Steve commented on Paul’s recent discovery. “I’ll tell you one other thing also. I did not know your husband was going to become such an instant celebrity in these parts for finding an old bag of bones in the woods. That was an amazing discovery, just wonderful. I’m happy for him.”
Paul smirked at the good natured shot Steve had given him for having his picture in the papers and for his face being all over the local television news recently as a result of discovering the Confederate soldier’s remains. “That must have been quite the exciting first boat ride,” Steve said as the waitress took their drink orders. Steve and Donna elected to share a bottle of Kendall Jackson Vinter’s Reserve Chardonnay, while Paul decided to stay with Jack and Coke. As she took their drink orders, Paul asked the waitress for a small favor. “Please tell the bartender I’d like a little more Jack and a little less Coke in the next one.” Handing her his empty glass, he thanked her for her assistance, hoping it would result in a stiffer drink than the first one he just had.
Steve joked with Paul about his first drink and then asked him if he was disappointed with it. “Yeah, kind of, but I understand the guy who owns this place tells the bartenders to water down the drinks so the booze lasts longer. You know, more drinks out of one bottle equals more money.” Paul’s comments were meant as a joke and Steve took them as they were intended to be, but Donna’s face turned a somewhat red. Even though she knew Paul was joking she thought his comment was a bit harsh, especially to someone they barely knew.
Sensing Donna was uncomfortable with the comment Paul had made, Steve quickly assured her he knew it had been made in jest. “Owning a bar I hear these jokes all the time. Please don’t think I was offended as I like being able to laugh with friends, besides I’ll just mark up the drink prices next time he comes in so I can get even with him. He will never know what hit him.” Donna and Paul quickly laughed at Steve’s comments. His comments made her feel more relaxed as she knew he had not been offended. She made Steve promise to live up to his threat of charging her husband more for his future drinks.
Over the next two hours they talked like old friends do when they share drinks and a meal together. They laughed and joked about their lives, learned more about Steve and his interests, and Paul shared with him some additional details on how he had found the soldier’s remains. He told Steve most of what he had found along with the remains, but intentionally left out a few of the details. During dinner, when he thought the time was right, Paul told Steve about hearing of the legend of the lost Confederate treasury and asked him what he knew about it. Steve confirmed to him it was a story, real or imagined that most true Southerners knew about. He also told Paul it seemed as if almost everyone had their own version of what had happened to the money. As he talked about what he knew about the alleged Confederate treasury, he also told Paul something totally unexpected. “Unlike most people, I don’t really have an opinion on what happened to it. I guess it’s because I never really thought about it too much. I’m like your wife in that regard as in school history never really interested me much.”
Steve then surprised Paul again by telling him one of his best friends, and his sometime golfing partner, Chick Mann, was an American History professor at the University of South Carolina. He also mentioned that Chick was somewhat thought of as a Civil War expert by many people. Surprising him again, he offered to call his friend so Paul could talk to someone about what he had found. “He teaches history and he knows his stuff. I know from talking to him that people often call him when they find something related to the war, so I guess he would be a good guy for you to speak with. I’m sure he would love to hear what you have found.”
“Fine,” Paul replied, accepting Steve’s offer to call Chick for him. “I would be happy to speak with him.”
During two more rounds of after dinner drinks the conversation returned to other local topics and issues. After they finished their drinks over dessert, they chatted for almost another hour before saying their goodbyes. As they walked to their cars, Donna promised Steve they would soon call him to invite him over for dinner. “I just need to do a little more unpacking first. We need to have you over for a nice meal on my good plates. I’m certainly not serving you your first meal at our house on paper plates.”
Steve warmly accepted the invitation and told them he looked forward to hearing from them soon. After opening the car door for her, Donna got into their car. For a brief few moments, Steve and Paul stood near the rear of Paul’s car and shook hands while they said their goodbyes. As they did, Steve held the handshake for a few moments longer than normal. Staring at Paul, who had now made eye contact with him, Steve spoke to him about the gold coins he had found. “I hope you find the rest of that gold. You call me if you need anything or if anyone tries to get in your way.” Then he walked away and got into his Mercedes.
As Paul watched him walk to his car, he thought about Steve’s last comment to him. “Does he know about the gold coins I found or is he just guessing?”
Paul and Donna had been driving home in silence, savo
ring both their meal and the nice conversations they just had with Steve. The quiet was interrupted by the country music ring tone on Paul’s Verizon cell phone; it was announcing an incoming call. Answering the call, he learned Steve had remained back in the restaurant parking lot to reach out to his friend. “Chick is very interested in meeting with you about what you have found. He wants to know if you can meet him at Coastal Carolina University on Tuesday morning, say around ten or so. He has a meeting there at nine, but expects to be done just before ten. He said to meet him in the small courtyard out in front of the Kimbel Library. The school is just off of U.S. 501; it’s probably only a twenty minute drive from the Inlet. Is that OK with you?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem; I am actually looking forward to speaking with him. Thanks for setting the meeting up for me. Hey, we had a great time tonight. We will do it again soon, I promise.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Give your pretty wife a kiss good night for me. Take care.”
******
The following morning was a lazy one for Donna and Paul as they each had been flat out the entire week. They slept late and spent a good part of the morning reading the newspaper as they drank their morning coffee.
Late in the afternoon after unpacking a few more of their belongings, which had been neglected by the recent purchase of the boat and the finding of the soldier’s remains, Paul took out the soldier’s watch from the cardboard moving box he had hidden it in. He wanted to try and clean it as he hoped it might contain a few more clues for him. After examining it for a few minutes, he began to gently clean away the rust and grime from the watch’s exterior. Using a soft piece of cloth and a fine brush, he carefully took his time cleaning away some of the rust from around the hinge and clasp.
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