Hunt For Legendary Buried Treasure In Tennessee

When it comes to lost treasure, there is hardly anything more exciting. The thrill of the chase, the lore of legends, the problems to be solved, and the obstacles to overcome are just some of the adventurous components of finding gold. We have a couple of stories about buried treasure in Tennessee, like the story of the lost Union payroll. With tales being passed down from one generation to the next and whispers of riches hidden beneath the earth’s crust, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. We will leave that for you to decide as we dig into the history of the lost Union payroll in Tennessee.

The year was 1862, and a Union regiment camped in western Tennessee was preparing themselves for an upcoming battle. Led by Colonel Cyrus Dunham, the orders were given to attack a Confederate unit positioned nearby. Knowing the battle would be fierce, the Colonel did not want to leave their gold coin lock box exposed to the enemy.

The soldiers would be paid with gold coins from a lock box within Dunham’s control. The coins in the box were estimated to be $15,000, the equivalent of $1 million today.

Orders were made to bury the treasure. So, the men buried the box somewhere near a spring in the backcountry of Tennessee. There was a written account of this action happening, as well as an eyewitness account. A Union scout saw them digging the hole to place the gold in.

The location of this buried treasure was near a spring in Dollar Hill, however, the exact location is not completely known.

The next morning Dunham rallied his troops and marched into battle against the Confederate soldiers. The battle was bloody and the Union suffered much loss causing them to retreat. The men that buried the treasure lost their lives in that skirmish and with it the knowledge of the lock box’s location. Dunham fled the battlefield in retreat and heavy rain caused flooding in the area. There was no time to dig up the gold coins, which would have been nearly impossible to find in these conditions. Left with no choice but to abandon the area, the treasure was lost to history.

The boy who witnessed the hole being dug later returned to the spot to try and find the treasure. He was unsuccessful in finding the gold and still to this day it has not been found.

Hiding somewhere within the rural landscape of western Tennessee, is a lock box waiting to be found. With written accounts and an eyewitness, this story does have some credibility. Or is this just another story of buried treasure in Tennessee? The truth will have to wait until someone stumbles upon this lost Union payroll.

Here are 10 more legendary treasures hidden throughout Tennessee. Check it out!

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Few People Know About The Missing Treasure Hiding Somewhere In Western Tennessee

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Few People Know About The Missing Treasure Hiding Somewhere In Western Tennessee

Chris Dodge

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