Texas and the Civil War….

By the end of 1863, the great majority of adult white male Texans were away from home, serving either in the Confederate army or in various state military forces. At least 65,000 Texans served in the war, more than 10 percent of the entire population of the state. Of all American wars, only World War II saw a higher percentage of the population mobilized than the Civil War.

Women took on the responsibilities of their husbands. They managed farms and plantations and took over jobs ranging from teaching to cotton freighting to keep their family businesses going. Women made bandages and bed linens and operated hospitals and sick wards for wounded soldiers returning from the war. Women also took the lead in providing indigent families of soldiers with food, clothing, and other assistance.

Shortages were the most obvious disruption to the everyday lives of Texans. The blockade had cut off treasured imports such as medicine, pins and needles, and candles. Newspapers gradually dwindled away for lack of paper. Manufactured goods such as clothing, shoes, and salt were going directly to the troops, while civilians patched, made do, and went without.

As the war entered its last year, the misery became widespread. At least two-thirds of Texas schoolhouses had closed their doors. Though basic staples such as pork and cornbread never failed, malnutrition and associated diseases such as diarrhea were on the rise, especially among the indigent wives and children of soldiers.

In some areas, outlaws ran wild. Bandits took over the Hill Country roads between Austin and Fredericksburg; Houston suffered through a wave of burglaries. Citizens struck back with vigilante justice. Fourteen people were strung up in Weatherford County, and a number of others in Parker and Gillespie counties. In Tyler, a mob stormed the courthouse and lynched four bandits.

The deteriorating conditions in Texas and other states had a direct effect on the Confederacy’s ability to continue the war. When soldiers heard about the conditions their families were facing, they deserted their posts and headed for home.

Camels in the Southwest United States…

Major Wayne was assigned to procure the camels. On June 4, 1855, Wayne departed New York City on board the USS Supply, under the command of then Lieutenant David Dixon Porter. After arriving in the Mediterranean Sea, Wayne and Porter began procuring camels. Stops included Goletta (Tunisia), Malta, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. They acquired 33 animals (19 females and 14 males), including two Bactrian, 29 dromedary, one dromedary calf, and one booghdee (a cross between a male Bactrian and a female dromedary). The two officers also acquired pack saddles and covers, being certain that proper saddles could not be purchased in the United States. Wayne and Porter hired five camel drivers, some Arab and some Turkish, and on February 15, 1856, USS Supply set sail for Texas. Porter established strict rules for the care, watering, and feeding of the animals in his charge; no experiments were conducted regarding how long a camel could survive without water. During the crossing, one male camel died, but two calves were born and survived the trip. On May 14, 1856, 34 camels (a net gain of one) were safely unloaded at Indianola, Texas. All the animals were in better health than when the vessel sailed for the United States. On Davis’s orders, Porter sailed again for Egypt to acquire more camels. While Porter was on the second voyage, Wayne marched the camels from the first voyage to Camp Verde, Texas, by way of San Antonio, Texas. On February 10, 1857, USS Supply returned with a herd of 41 camels. During the second expedition, Porter hired “nine men and a boy,” including Hi Jolly. While Porter was on his second mission, five camels from the first herd died. The newly acquired animals joined the first herd at Camp Verde, which had been officially designated as the camel station. The Army had seventy camels.
On March 25, 1859, Secretary Floyd directed reconnaissance of the area between the Pecos River and the Rio Grande using the camels still available in Texas. Lieutenant William E. Echols of the Army Topographical Engineers was assigned to conduct the reconnaissance. Lieutenant Edward L. Hartz commanded the escort. The train included 24 camels and 24 mules. It set out in May 1859. The expedition arrived at Camp Hudson on May 18. The group remained at Camp Hudson for five days and then departed for Fort Stockton, Texas, arriving on June 12. On June 15, the expedition set out for the mouth of Independence Creek to test the camels’ ability to survive without water. The distance traveled was about 85 miles at four miles per hour. The camels showed no desire for water during the trip, but were watered upon arrival. The party then set out on a 114-mile, four-day journey to Fort Davis near the Rio Grande. During this segment of the journey, one of the camels was bitten on its leg by a rattlesnake; the wound was treated and the animal suffered no ill effects. Upon reaching Fort Davis, the horses and mules were distressed, but the camels were not. After a three-day rest, the expedition returned directly to Fort Stockton. Hartz wrote that “the superiority of the camel for military purposes in the badly-watered sections of the country seems to be well established.”
Early in the Civil War, an attempt was made to use the camels to carry mail between Fort Mohave, New Mexico Territory, on the Colorado River and New San Pedro, California, but the attempt was unsuccessful after the commanders of both posts objected. Later in the war, the Army had no further interest in the animals and they were sold at auction in 1864. The last of the animals from California was reportedly seen in Arizona in 1891.
In spring 1861, Camp Verde fell into Confederate hands until recaptured in 1865. The Confederate commander issued a receipt to the United States for 12 mules, 80 camels and two Egyptian camel drivers. There were reports of the animals’ being used to transport baggage, but there was no evidence of their being assigned to Confederate units. When Union troops reoccupied Camp Verde, there were estimated to be more than 100 camels at the camp, but there may have been others roaming the countryside. In 1866, the Government was able to round up 66 camels, which it sold to Bethel Coopwood. The U.S. Army’s camel experiment was complete. The last year a camel was seen in the vicinity of Camp Verde was 1875; the animal’s fate is unknown.

Flush after Listening…new show

The Pyramids of the Grand Canyon, its “Off-Limit” Areas, & Egyptian Relics

In a restricted area of the Grand Canyon there are pyramids & caves full of hieroglyphics and Egyptian relics. Many people do not know about them as this information has been suppressed by the federal government for about a century.

The “Isis Temple” of the Grand Canyon

The sky over this area is restricted air space, the area surrounding this pyramid and cave on the ground is illegal (and treacherous) to navigate, and all official reports about this from the Smithsonian and elsewhere have been censored, modified, nullified, or retracted. This still did not stop people from attempting to visit this part of the canyon. Many have been arrested, and some have died attempting to climb to these sacred sites over the years. It has gotten to the point where the government feels it must have armed FBI agents guarding inside the entrance to the cave that is now known as Kincaid’s Cave.

Kincaid’s Cave was named after G.E. Kincaid, who was the first to enter the cave. After retiring from the Marines, G. E Kincaid worked for S. A. Jordan as a archaeologist. S. A Jordan was sent to the Grand Canyon by the Smithsonian Institute to investigate information reported by John Westly Powell. The tunnel is presently on a cliff wall 400 feet above the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Archaeologists estimate the Man Made Cavern is around 3,000 years old. This cavern is over five hundred feet long, and has several cross tunnels to large chambers. This was the lowest level and last Egyptian “tunnel city” that was built in the Grand Canyon. Since the time that it was constructed, archaeologists estimate the Colorado River has eroded 300 feet lower.

There were many Egyptian relics that were discovered in Kincaid’s Cave, one of which was a pure gold artifact for the Egyptian king named Khyan, Khian or Khayan. The relic is holding lotus flowers in both hands (native to Egypt). This was found in the first cross tunnel of the cave, which was in the exact same location as the shrines in the valley of the king’s tunnel cities, before the kings of ancient Egypt began to build pyramids and above ground cities. It was found that Khyan was a descendant of King Zaphnath in Egypt who may have been Joseph in the Bible.

This Egyptian golden tablet was also discovered in the depths of this tunnel city led by way of Kincaid’s Cave. This tablet serves as a history book, including names that began with King Zaphnath coming to Aztlan, and information about his decedent King Khyan coming to the Grand Canyon.

These pure gold artifacts from Kincaid’s Cave and these Egyptian urns from Powell’s Cave (pictured above) are some of the only historical artifacts from the Grand Canyon on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. Where did the rest of them go? At least some of them were obviously photographed and documented, but who knows what wasn’t. There is a reason why other relics that have been found here are not on display.

The first American explorer/archaeologist that searched the Grand Canyon was John Westly Powell, who partnered with a native, Jacob Vernon Hamblin (both pictured above), who served in place of his late partner for the expedition. Powell worked as an explorer/archaeologist for the US Department of the Interior, and was the director of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution. In 1869, Powell traveled down the Green River to explore the Grand Canyon, and was the first person to report any archaeological information to the US government about natives that inhabited the Grand Canyon and their history.

John Westly Powell discovered what is now called Powell’s Cave (cave entrance pictured above). The following is a quote taken directly out of a book that Powell published:

“In this Canyon, great numbers of man made caves are hollowed out. I first walked down a gorge to the left of a cliff and climbed to a bench of the cliff. There was a trail on the cliff bench that was deeply worn into the rock formation. Where the trail crossed some gulches, some steps had been cut. I could see no evidence that the trail had been traveled in a long time. I returned to our camp about 3:00 PM and the men had found more Egyptian hieroglyphics on cliff walls near the cave. We explored the cave and found this shrine and other artifacts. That evening I sent a team member to notify the Smithsonian Institute of our discovery. We continued to survey the canyon and discovered more Egyptian tunnel cities. I estimate in my report that I think upwards of 50,000 Egyptians had inhabited the Grand Canyon at one time.”

The Shrine that Powell and his team found in Powell’s Cave 

This was identified as a Shrine for Seteprene sometimes spelled Smenkhare, Seti, or Smenkare. King Seteprene was King Akhenaten’s son that began his rule at Saqqara , Shemau in 1336 BC, but only lasted 10 years, which was when he died on his last trip to Saqqara Egypt.The hieroglyphics Powell’s team found. This is a diagram for the Egyptian writing system when the ancient Egyptians came to the Grand Canyon. It was a school tablet used for teaching Egyptian children to read and write.There were even crypts (sarcophagi) discovered. One of crypts was opened in the Grand Canyon to see if there were mummies in them before they were sent to the Smithsonian Institute storage building.

They also discovered this rock cut vault with statues 

Did you know that all the monuments in the Grand Canyon are named after Egyptian pharaohs? This famous canyon in Arizona is actually an ancient array of pyramids. The sites even align with the same stars that the pyramids of Giza align with, the constellations of Orion and Pleiades.

Zoroaster Temple in the Grand Canyon: named by Hopi IndiansAnother cave entrance in the canyon

Hieroglyphics from Kincaid’s CaveSo you tell me, do the artifacts or writing found in the Grand Canyon appear to be created by native Americans, or by ancient Egyptians? The answer is pretty clear.

The Windover Bog Bodies…Florida

 

The scientific world was rocked in 1982 when a construction crew working near Titusville stumbled upon an archaeological site like no other! Amazing Florida prehistory!

“Windover Bog Bodies, Among the Greatest Archeological Discoveries Ever Unearthed in the United States.

It was only after the bones were declared very old and not the product of a mass murder that the 167 bodies found in a pond in Windover, Florida began to stir up excitement in the archeological world. Researchers from Florida State University came to the site, thinking some more Native American bones had been unearthed in the swamplands. They were guessing the bones were 500-600 years old. But then the bones were radiocarbon dated. It turns out the corpses ranged from 6,990 to 8,120 years old. It was then that the academic community became incredibly excited. The Windover Bog has proven to be one of the most important archeological finds in the United States.

In 1982, Steve Vanderjagt, the man who made the find, was using a backhoe to demuck the pond for the development of a new subdivision located about halfway between Disney World and Cape Canaveral. Vanderjagt was confused by the large number of rocks in the pond as that area of Florida was not known to be particularly rocky. Getting out of his backhoe, Vanderjagt went to investigate and almost immediately realized that he had unearthed a huge pile of bones. He called the authorities right away. It was only thanks to his natural curiosity that the site was preserved. After the medical examiners declared them ancient, the specialists from Florida State University were summoned (another brilliant move by Vanderjagt- too often sites are ruined because experts are not called). Deeply intrigued, EKS Corporation, the developers of the site, financed the radiocarbon dating. Once the striking dates were revealed, the State of Florida providing a grant for the excavation.

Unlike the human remains found in European bogs, the Florida bodies are only skeletons – no flesh remains on the bones. But this does not negate their significance. Nearly half of the skulls contained brain matter. The majority of the skeletons were found lying on their left sides with their heads pointing westward, perhaps toward the setting sun, and their faces pointing to the north. Most had their legs tucked up, as in the fetal position, however three were lying straight. Interestingly, each corpse had a stake thrust through the loose fabric that enshrouded them, presumably to prevent them from floating to the surface of the water as decomposition filled them with air. This practical step was what ultimately protected the bodies from scavengers (animals and grave robbers) and kept them in their intended positions.

The find provides unparalleled insight into a hunter-gather community that existed 3,500 years before the Pyramids were built in Egypt. The skeletons and the artifacts found with them have been studied almost continuously in the decades since their discovery. The research paints a picture of a hard but good life in pre-Columbian Florida. Though living mainly off what they could hunt and gather, the community was sedentary, indicating that whatever hardships they may have faced were small compared with the benefits of the area they chose to settle in.

Theirs was an incredibly caring society. Children’s bodies were almost all found to have small toys in their arms. One older woman, perhaps 50, showed signs of having several broken bones. The fractures occurred several years before her death, meaning that despite her handicap the other villagers cared for her and helped her even when she could no longer contribute significantly to the workload. Another body, that of a 15-year-old boy, showed that he was a victim of spina bifida, a crippling birth defect where the vertebrae do not grow together properly around the spinal cord. Despite his many deformed bones, evidence suggests he was loved and cared for throughout his life. These discoveries are mind boggling when one considers how many ancient (and even a few modern) societies abandon the weak and deformed.

Contents found within the corpses’ as well as other organic remains found in the bog reveal an ecosystem rich in diversity. 30 species of edible and/or medicinal plants were identified by paleobotanists; berries and small fruits were particularly important to the community’s diet. One woman, perhaps 35 years old, was found with a concoction of elderberry, nightshade, and holly in the area where her stomach would have been, suggesting that she was eating medicinal herbs to try and combat an illness. Unfortunately, the combination did not work and whatever afflicted the woman ultimately took her life. Interestingly, the elderberry woman was one of the few bodies stretched out, as opposed to curled up, with her face pointing downward. In other Native American traditions, elderberries were used to fight viral infections

Another striking difference between the Windover bog people and their European counterparts is that none of the Floridians suffered violent deaths. The bodies include men, women, and children. Roughly half of the bodies were younger than 20 years old when they died but some were well over 70 years old. This was fairly good mortality rate for the place and time. The presence of brain matter in 91 of the bodies suggests that they were buried quickly, within 48 hours of death. Scientists know this because, given the hot humid climate of Florida, brains would have liquefied in bodies not buried quickly.

Somewhat amazingly, DNA analysis of the remains show that these bodies share no biological affiliation with the more modern Native American groups known to have lived in the area. Recognizing the limitations of modern technology, about half of the Windover site was left intact, as a protected National Historic Landmark, so that in 50 or 100 years’ researchers could return to the bog and excavate untouched remains” (Article by Kerry Sullivan in a publication called Ancient Origins))

BLUE MOUND (Washington County)

There is a lone hill a few miles east of Dewey. From a distance it appears to have a bluish color, thus the name “Blue Mound”. I was approaching from the east and noticed some white rocks high on the hillside. They were roughly triangular in shape and stood out against the drab background color. These stones were set in place many years ago by explorers who were marking their trail. To my knowledge this site has never been investigated. It is likely that on this hill there are other signs and symbols which could be helpful in determining who these men were and on what date they passed through this region. This is obviously a trail marker that was once of great importance but in modern times it remains undocumented.
An attack on a wagon train occurred a short distance to the north of this hill, I was told. The westbound pioneers were heavily armed and the Indians were repelled. The travelers buried their dead at the site. They marked the graves with wooden crosses. Also they abandoned three wagons. The reason being there weren’t enough animals left to pull them. I was also told that during World War II somebody picked up the wheel rings and other iron from the abandoned wagons, for a scrap metal drive, making the site impossible to find. The grave markers are all gone and the names have been lost to time. Perhaps no trace remains of the events except for this story. Copyright Bill Wade #grampawbill

A CREEK INDIAN FORTUNE HIDDEN…

Creek County, Oklahoma. Enjoy.
A CREEK INDIAN FORTUNE HIDDEN
(Creek County)

Near present day Kellyville a Creek Indian man received his land allotment. He set about farming and raising a family. Over time and through good business and luck and perseverance he accumulated approximately $60,000 in gold coins. He kept the fortune buried a short distance from his house. On occasion he would dig it up to add a portion and rebury it at a different spot on his property. Often he was accompanied by his young daughter.
One night he was abducted by thieves who sought to rob him, for they had heard he was very wealthy. They tortured him until they grew weary from the task, but he would not reveal the hiding place of his wealth. Frustrated, they killed him and fled away.
In the mid 1950s a middle aged woman, (I was told it was his granddaughter), returned to the area to seek the fortune. She searched, (as I was also told), for a standing rock as tall as a man, and for other rocks of certain shapes along the base of a small hill at an area on the property where her grandfather had often cut trees for firewood. Every version of this story that I have seen in print does not contain the information about the rocks. Every version does state that she searched for many days and left the area empty handed.
If you live in the Kellyville area and you can discover the name of the Creek Indian man, then you can go to the county courthouse and search in the land records and find the location of the property and the name and contact information for the current landowner. Like many other treasure stories this one has great potential.
Copyright Bill Wade #grampawbill

It becomes clear why they’re all trying to destroy Trump

Romney, Kerry, Biden, McCain, Pelosi, Schiff, Mueller & Clinton are all tied to sketchy Ukraine deals. No wonder they want to impeach President Trump! 

Mitt Romney’s top adviser, Joseph Cofer Black, joined the board of the Ukraine energy firm, Burisma, while Hunter Biden was also serving on the board. Hunter Biden was taking a salary of $50,000 per month from Burisma, and was simultaneously engaged in a relationship with John Kerry’s stepson, Chris Heinz, and mobster Whitey Bulger’s nephew, in a private equity firm, that allegedly appeared to be laundering millions of dollars in foreign money from China & the Ukraine, through Latvia, and back to the US.

Romney’s adviser, Joseph Cofer Black, trained for covert operations and eventually became the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks perpetrated by al-Qaeda, Black was appointed ambassador at large and coordinator for counterterrorism in December 2002 by President George W. Bush. John Brennan succeeded Black in his job as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Cofer Black left the CIA in 2006 to join Blackwater, the huge contractor for services related to military and intelligence action, where he served as Vice Chairman until 2008. See all the ties that bind?

It appears that Romney, Kerry, Biden, McCain, Pelosi, Clinton, Mueller and Schiff all have ties to Ukrainian firms. VP Biden bragged on camera that he was able to force the former Ukraine President to fire a prosecutor who was investigating his son, Hunter, by threatening to withhold $1 BILLION in US loans from Ukraine – all with approval from Obama!

While Communist China ran $1.5 BILLION through the Biden/Heinz private equity firm to purchase US companies with military ties, John Kerry, as Secretary of State, approved questionable acquisitions that threatened national security, but enriched his family and friends.

Kurt Volker, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO under Obama, and was just fired from the Trump White House as special envoy to Ukraine, is the executive director of the John McCain Institute.

Nancy Pelosi’s son, Paul Pelosi Jr., is involved in oil importing from Ukraine and his company, Viscoil, is under investigation for securities fraud. In 2015, Pelosi used the Air Force to fly her entire family to Ukraine at a cost of over $185,000. Nancy Pelosi’s legislative aide, Ivanna Voronovych, is from Ukraine and is connected to the Ukrainian Embassy, the Ukrainian military, the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian party life. Pelosi and Schiff are also both connected to a Ukrainian arms dealer.

We also know that Ukraine was involved in helping the Clinton campaign fabricate evidence against Paul Manafort to smear the Trump campaign and the firm the DNC used to “inspect” Hillary’s email server, Crowdstrike, is funded by anti-Russian Ukrainian Oligarchs and run by a man who used to work for Mueller at the FBI!

Most concerning of all, the former CEO of Danske Bank in Estonia, Aivar Rehe, a bank known for money laundering during the years Obama and Biden were in office, was just found dead in his yard. He was a witness for the prosecution in a $220 BILLION money laundering scandal involving transfers to Latvia.

Rudy Giuliani intimated that this corrupt banking network was likely used by Biden & pals to launder foreign $ from the Ukraine & China – to Latvia, Cyprus and on to America. Records show that some 10,000 “non-resident” accounts were involved. Giuliani says he began investigating Joe Biden before he announced his run for President and that more “corroborating” evidence is forthcoming.

Rudy Giuliani, who was once James Comey’s boss, and the former Mayor of New York during 9/11, took down the mob and runs one of the biggest private investigation firms in the world. Don’t underestimate Rudy. He already has videotaped interviews of the Ukraine prosecutor that Biden forced out of office. We shall hopefully soon see all the rest of the ties that bind.

Osage County, OK SAM AND WILL MARTIN

Sunday June 14, 1903 the brothers Sam and Will Martin robbed more than 75 people who traveled on the old road to Pawhuska near Liza Creek three miles west of Bartlesville. They committed several other robberies across the region and finally they camped near Wooster Mound south of Pawhuska. Sam and Will found two women cooking at a “cow camp,” robbed them and demanded a meal. The very next day they were so bold as to return to the same camp, and this time they rode away with a large pot of beans.
A granite stone was placed south of Pawhuska as a historical marker, beside the highway across from the Bronze Horse Foundry. It bears these words: THE BATTLE OF WOOSTER MOUND Near this site on August 8, 1903, U.S. Marshal Wiley G. Haines, Chief of Osage Indian Police Warren Bennett, and Constable Henry Majors ended the career of the notorious outlaw gang known as the Martin Brothers. The outlaws were wanted for murder and robbery over a five state area. During the fierce gun battle Sam and Will Martin were fatally wounded. Marshal Haines was seriously wounded but recovered. “No better stroke for law and order in the territory was ever struck than in wiping out the vicious Martin Gang.” (Judge Horace Speed)
It has been said that a large amount of money was cached in this area. My search located the camp, the actual site of the gunfight, several copper jacket slugs, and an assortment of markers that may lead to one or more caches of ill gotten money.
Copyright Bill Wade #grampawbill

Osage Co., OK, $100,000 GOLD NEAR BOULANGER

Originally told by Arthur H. Lamb in his book “Tragedies of the Osage Hills” and used with permission from the late Raymond Redcorn, this story is quite well known throughout Osage County.
In 1862 a wagon train of immigrants was returning from the California gold fields. The wagon master was a stout man with a large nose. He was known as Captain Goldie. They stayed on the Santa Fe Trail until the Arkansas River crossing and took a southern turn to follow a central route known as the California Trail, also known as Evans Road., eastward on towards southern Missouri. This trail shared some footage with the Black Dog Trail. Their cargo was said to be $100,000 in gold.
One evening while the immigrants were camped a lone Indian had nosed his way into camp and offered to trade a few ponies for some of the gold. He was told no and became angry. He left and soon he had convinced a large number of Pawnees to give chase. Near present day Foraker they came into view. Upon seeing the approaching Indians Goldie had the men circle the wagons and gather together all the gold. Goldie took the gold to the edge of the woods with the intentions of burying it but saw the futility of the battle for his men were greatly outnumbered. In the cover of the woods he made good his escape. Here we pause to thank the late Mr. Lamb, for through his efforts we know what took place at the site of the massacre.
After a long and difficult battle the Indians succeeded, and after killing the wounded they searched the wagons and bodies, but found no gold. They were outraged and threatened to kill the lone Indian. He decided to find the body of the wagon master and cut off the end of his nose, but he couldn’t find the man. It was then realized that Goldie had escaped with the gold. They soon picked up his trail and followed after him.
My efforts put him following upper Sand Creek east for about a mile, turning northeast, following Dog Creek a short distance east, turning northeast again, crossing Buck Creek, then following a small creek to where he slept briefly and left a lengthy inscription on a large boulder. Late in the next afternoon he stopped briefly on top of the hill just west of Artillery Mound and scanned the countryside. He saw that he was being followed and decided to bury the gold.
Near here, according to all published versions of the story, he found a hollow tree near the base of Artillery Mound and put an old musket in this tree. So many steps from this tree stood two large trees sharing a common single trunk. So many steps from these he buried the gold. A good distance down the trail from this site he tied his mule to a tree and hung the tack and gear on a limb. From here he proceeded on foot. At this
point the Indians lost Goldie’s trail and after scouring the countryside they gave up the chase.
Goldie made it home to Missouri, to his wife and his six year old son, but weakened from the ravages of the journey he soon fell ill. In the winter shortly before his death he revealed the story of the massacre and his escape to his wife. He left her a detailed hand drawn map with instructions to where the gold was buried.
Not knowing anyone she could trust, and her son being of tender age, plus the consideration of the Civil War, she decided to wait until he grew to be a man.
The government purchased this portion of the Cherokee Outlet from a group of Cherokees who represented only the Cherokees who were not living here in what was to become Osage County, and after a forced march the Osage People were confined to the area. They then allotted the land in 160 acre tracts to each Osage Tribal member.
After stopping near the Caney River at Matoaka to investigate the twin hills as the possible site, young Goldie appeared one evening in 1882 at the farm of an Osage man named Joe Boulanger. Joe invited him in for supper. After examining the area he explained his mission to Joe, and the significance of the trees and the musket. Joe claimed to remember the trees and the musket, having cleared the land himself. He did not produce the musket but he did take young Goldie to a spot and left him to dig for several days. After failing to find anything, young Goldie made Joe a copy of the map and received the promise that if anything was found a portion would be sent to him. He returned to his Missouri home and life went on.
Just after 1900 the story of the gold had leaked out and large holes began appearing in Joe’s field. Joe called upon the law and he sat up late many nights trying to catch the diggers but none were ever caught.
Many years later, in 1961, a cowboy was repairing a fence and cut down a dead tree. The tree was hollow and had grown back shut, totally concealing Goldie’s musket within. Even now remains of the stump and roots are visible in the ground. This location was revealed to me by the late Mr. C. E. McClurkin in 1991. Accordingly, the musket was given to a member of the Boulanger family. I was also informed that the man who found the musket passed away in 1968.
After much moonlit exploration, over a dozen trips tainted with no permission, I was privately informed that the treasure had long since been removed and was only about 150 pounds instead of the supposed 300 pounds, yes, we had done the math, and that it had all been quietly turned into cash and all had been spent some years prior to my search.
Where the treasure had been found, if it really was found, was said to be near a fence line on the southeast slope of the hill. Cattle had exposed a portion while walking the fence line. If this information is true and the structure of a cow hoof is taken into consideration then my attempt to justify another search gains credibility. I can easily imagine a nugget traveling a short distance in the cleft of a hoof. Pure speculation on my part can allow for a pound or two spread out along the fence line in both directions.
Another possibility is of relics at the massacre site. My studies put this to be at the top of a hill south of upper Sand Creek east of Foraker near what was once a dense forest but now is claimed to always have been prairie. I remember the dead trees.
Copyright Bill Wade #grampawbill