Confederate Gold and Silver (24 page)

My
men
have
died
defending
our
assets
and
they
have
died
both
tragically
and
heroically.
I
am
very
proud
of
their
gallant
efforts
to
help
further
our
cause.
Be
proud
of
their
sacrifices
as
I
have
been.

It
is
due
to
attacks
from
Union
forces
upon
us
since
we
left
Richmond,
as
well
as
a
couple
of
other
unfortunate
accidents,
which
have
resulted
in
the
deaths
of
some
of
my
men,
as
well
as
problems
with
our
railroads,
and
with
the
wagons
we
hauled
our
assets
in,
that
I
have
been
forced
to
bury
some
of
our
assets
in
a
shallow
grave
outside
of
a
farm
near
Maple
Hill,
North
Carolina.
My
men
who
survive
with
me,
and
I,
know
where
that
location
is.
I
have
marked
the
location
with
a
large
cross
that
we
made
from
wood
from
one
of
our
wagons.
I
have
had
one
of
those
boards
inscribed
with
the
initials
C.S.A.
on
it.
The
assets
lay
close
by
to
that
cross,
in
a
shallow
grave
that
contains
the
remains
of
three
of
my
men.
Four
large
rocks
mark
the
location
of
the
grave.

Now,
pursued
by
superior
Union
forces
I
have
attempted
to
get
the
remains
of
our
assets
to
Charleston,
South
Carolina,
so
they
could
be
moved
further
south
by
our
boats,
but
the
Union
naval
blockade
has
prevented
this
from
occurring.
With
dwindling
resources,
I
have
secured
the
remains
of
our
assets
within
one
of
our
army
warehouses
along
the
King
Street
Road.
I
am
told
our
assets
will
never
leave
from
here,
and
while
battered
and
broken,
these
strong
solid
black
friends
of
ours,
who
have
served
us
well
since
Fort
Sumter,
while
even
in
number,
remain
loyal
protectors
of
our
‘C.S.A.’
assets.
I
am
confident
you
will
find
them
in
excellent
shape,
even
in
years
to
come.

We
are
now
forced
to
ride
north
into
South
Carolina
with
my
saddlebags
filled.
Our
black
friends,
while
strong
and
solid,
are
limited
to
twelve
and
I
could
not
force
them
to
protect
what
they
could
not.
What
we
have
left
with
our
strong
black
friends
is
similar
to
what
we
have
already
left
in
South
Carolina
with
the
resting
children
of
Governor
R.F.W.
Allston.
Those
assets
were
secured
within
their
compound
for
safe
protection.
They
rest
comfortably
(NW)
with
the
money.
It
is
my
hope
to
retrieve
that
money
and
to
move
it
here
to
Charleston
if
the
Yankees
do
not
threaten
us
again.

It
is
also
my
hope
to
soon
obtain
more
men
so
that
we
can
complete
our
mission
to
some
degree.

Respectfully,
Your
Servant,

Captain
Judiah
Francis

With still one more letter to read, Paul took a moment to digest the letter he had just read. He could not believe what he had just read in the first three letters. Silently he wondered why he had been the one to find them after all of these years. “Did I really find these letters or are they part of a dream I am having?” He also could not help but to replay in his mind everything that had happened to him since he changed the flat tire for Steve a few days ago. “This is tantamount to finding the buried treasure chests that everyone thinks pirates like Blackbeard and Stede Bonnett left hidden along the North and South Carolina coasts years ago.”

While Paul had read the letter written from Francis to President Davis, Donna had read the other letter that had been with it. As she did, the tears which formed in her eyes now turned to soft sobs. Still focused on the letter he was reading, Paul had been blind to her tears and now was confused when he saw her crying. It took him a couple of minutes to finally calm her down so she could speak. “You read the letter and you will see why I am crying. The letter confirms who the soldier was and how alone he must have felt when he died horribly in that tree, all alone by himself in the woods.”

As his eyes fixed on the letter that had upset his wife so much, Paul hoped it would fill in some of the pieces of the puzzle which were still missing. On the stained and faded yellowish paper, he again saw the handwriting was not as neat as it was in the first letter. Now he concentrated on reading the letter.

Dear
Father,

Please
know
I
have
done
my
best
to
serve
my
country,
and
my
family,
as
well
as
I
could.
I
am
afraid
my
best
was
not
good
enough.

Despite
my
best
efforts,
and
those
of
my
men,
to
complete
an
assignment
that
both
President
Davis
and
General
Lee
selected
me
for,
I
have
failed.
While
the
assets
of
our
united
Confederate
states
have
been
protected,
the
vicious,
and
unrelenting
Union
attacks
upon
us
will
likely
stop
me
from
ever
seeing
you,
mother,
Patricia,
and
Rita
Margaret
again.

Two
days
ago
I
was
struck
in
the
left
leg
by
a
Yankee
minie
ball
and
I
fear
that
I
shall
not
see
another
day
as
I
have
not
the
strength,
or
means,
to
seek
assistance
for
my
wound.

Please
know
I
have
done
my
best.
Please
also
give
my
warmest
regards
to
mother
and
to
my
dear
sister.
In
my
final
hours
you
are
all
here
with
me.
The
watch
you
gave
me
as
a
gift
brings
back
fond
memories
of
my
family
and
of
you.
It
is
my
hope
that
my
last
conscious
thought
will
be
of
all
of
you.