1) The following appeared in the Mining and Scientific Press (a state publication in Atlanta, Georgia) for October 23, 1875.

A Mr. Pendley (first name unknown) lived at Sugar Hill, Georgia, about 1855. Pendley had a prospecting partner named Moses Lott.

The tale Lott told Pendley about a silver mine and cache of coins is worth considering. A stranger on his death-bed told of the fabulous silver diggings and buried treasure to a Baptist minister who lived near Carnesville. The preacher relayed the story to a man named John Lumpkin and he passed the details to Moses Lott who confided in Pendley.

The dying man related how he and a group of South Carolinians had ventured into Indian country, prospecting for gold and silver. They crossed the Oconee River at Hurricane Shoals, followed along an Indian trail to the Chattahoochee River, hiked downstream to the mouth of a large tributary creek and went upstream a considerable distance. Two of the prospectors, the story teller being one, became separated from the group and were captured by a company of Spaniards.

The two were marched four or five miles south of the head of the tributary creek. At this point the Spaniards operated a silver mine. Along with several Indian slaves, the two South Carolinians were put to work mining. They loaded high-grade ore into pack sacks and transported them five miles due south of the mine to an island heavily grown over with grass, swamp brush and oak trees. In a log shop in about the middle of the island, the Spaniards concentrated the ore into bullion or coins.

After a few months the Spaniards feared other Indians had become aware of their operations. They caved in the mine and abandoned it. Next they buried a wagonload of silver coins in the middle of the shop floor and burned down the crude log building, along with much of their equipment.

Before the Spaniards left they released the two South Carolinians with enough food for a day or two. The released men fully intended to return for the treasure but fearing trouble with the Indians caused them to head for home. One of the men was killed by the Indians and the other never returned for the treasure.

The preacher copied down the directions to the mine and treasure as the dying man gave them.

Exact dates are missing, and it is not known how long it took for the news to travel from Carnesville to Sugar Hill. Pendley started searching sometime prior to the Civil War. According to the directions noted on the preacher's waybill, the abandoned diggings and buried treasure were situated "two miles due north of Suwanee Creek in Gwinnett County, and the island is in Beaver Run Creek, five miles due south of the mine," probably in the vicinity of the towns of Suwanee and Buford, in Forsyth County, placing it within the Hall County Gold Belt (the three counties adjoin).

Although Pendley made many searches, he never found the mine or cache of silver coins. With the directions that are given and modern equipment, this mine and cache could be found.

2) Baines L. Goodman was a man of considerable wealth in the small town of Ellijay, Georgia before the Civil War. He was a partner in several businesses and the several thousand dollars he is known to have had was never accounted for after his death. Many people believe the money is hidden in the mountains east of town.

Goodman saw early in his career that the real money was to be made in building up the community. Lumber was badly needed. All that was being produced were crude hand-hewn boards. Huge stands of virgin timber existed in the county that could be exploited.

About six miles up the Cartecay River, in Gilmer County, he built his first sawmill. Near this area is where the treasure is supposed to be.

No banks were in Ellijay until 1914. With no place to put his considerable profits from the mill he was forced to put part of his money in the ground. His old homesite is what is now the center of town. The search might well be thought of as ended, were it not for an account by one of the workmen at the mill.

The worker told that Goodman enjoyed riding out to oversee his mill and the new gristmill he was building beside it. Once he was noticed going east of the mill with a pack bulging from some heavy material. After a short trip into the woods, he returned and the pack was empty.

Conditions around the old mill site are rugged. Timber and brush are thick, but a treasure hunter with patience just might find this cache.

3) For those interested in ghost towns in Georgia, here are some that might well be worth checking into. The following comes, in part, from The Dead Towns of Georgia by C. C. Jones, Jr.

BARTOW COUNTY: Cassville at one time had a population of over 2,000. Most of the town was destroyed during the Civil War and most citizens fled and never returned.

Etowah had a population of 2,000, shops, warehouses, hotel, rolling mills, nail factory, flour and corn mills. There is nothing left today.

Allatoona became a village when gold was discovered in the area. Today there is little left.

BRYAN COUNTY: Hardwicke.

CHATHAM COUNTY: Hampstead.

COWETA COUNTY: Moreland.

CRAWFORD COUNTY: Francesville.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY: Old Ebenezar, Elberton, Abercome, Bethany, and New Ebenezar which was the County seat for three years.

ELBERT COUNTY: Ruckersville, Middleton, Heardmont and Petersburg.

FRANKLIN COUNTY: Franklin Springs was a well-known resort area before the Civil War.

GLYNN COUNTY: Frederica.

GORDON COUNTY: Resaca.

HANCOCK COUNTY: Powelton.

IRVIN COUNTY: Irvinville was once the county seat, now almost deserted.

LIBERTY COUNTY: Midway and Sunbury, which was once a busy river port, now almost deserted.

LUMPKIN COUNTY: Auraria.

MCDUFFIE COUNTY: Lutherton.

McINTOCH COUNTY: Crescent today is only a summer resort area but at one time it was a busy little village, and Sapelo Bridge.

MERIWETHER COUNTY: Harris.

MURRAY COUNTY: Spring Place was once the county seat.

PULASKI COUNTY: Hartford was once the county seat, now deserted.

RICHMOND COUNTY: Bath, once a summer resort because of its mineral springs, is no longer shown on maps.

SCREVEN COUNTY: Jacksonbory was once the county seat.

TALBOT COUNTY: Geneva was a stagecoach stop and village.

TALIAFERRO COUNTY: Indian Hill.

WARREN COUNTY: Ruskin.

WASHINGTON COUNTY: Warthen and Federal Town.

4) A man named James Saunders owned a farm near Commerce, Georgia (in Jackson County) that was a successful business before the Civil War. He owned some 50 slaves and was known to keep a gallon whiskey jug filled with gold coins in a secret hiding place in the fireplace of his home.

When news of Sherman's "March to the Sea" reached the farm, Saunders buried his gallon of coins somewhere about 100 feet from his home. He then joined a company of volunteers that was organized to fight Sherman. During the fight he was killed and his jug of gold coins was never seen again.

Saunders had told one of his sons about the coins·general location, but the family could never find them. County records could show where the farm stood and a metal detector could do the rest.

5) Versions of the following lead have been written by different authors. I have given only a brief account but Confederate Army and Georgia State records during 1864 could help on this one.

On July 31, 1864, Governor Brown, of the State of Georgia, ordered Col. John Jones to take the funds of the State Treasury of Georgia to Macon and there place it in Safety Deposit boxes until further notice as Federal Troops were approaching the capital (Milledgeville) and he wanted to make certain it didn't fall into Federal hands.

An armed guard left the Capitol around midnight, but as they neared Macon, it was found that this city had also fallen into Union hands. The wagons carrying the Treasury money turned and went back through the piney woods to Sparta in Hancock County where it was buried on a nearby farm. The amount of this treasure was over one-half million dollars which was never recovered.

After sending his report to the Governor of Georgia by courier, Col. Jones and his men were killed by Union forces as they attempted to cross through Union lines. After the war, many searches were made and the money was never recovered.

SOURCES:

A Guide To Georgia, American Writers Guide Series. 1940.

Andrews, Ernest. Georgia? Fabulous Treasure Hoards.

Knight, Lucien L. Georgia? Landmarks, Memories and Legends.

Mining and Scientific Press. State Publication. Atlanta, GA. Oct. 23, 1875.

Wade, Forest. Cry of the Eagle.