Shadow of the sentinel : one man's quest to find the hidden treasure of the Confederacy

As a boy growing up in rural Arkansas, Bob Brewer often heard from his uncle and his great-uncle about a particular tree in the woods, the "Bible Tree," filled with strange carvings. Years later he would learn that this tree was carved with symbols associated with the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Civil War­era secret society that had buried gold coins and other treasure in various remote locations across the South and Southwest in hopes of someday funding a second War Between the States. These secret caches were guarded by sentinels, men whose responsibility it was to watch and protect these sites. To his astonishment, Bob discovered that both his uncle and his great-uncle had been twentieth-century sentinels, and that he had grown up near an important KGC treasure site. In Shadow of the Sentinel, Bob Brewer and investigative journalist Warren Getler tell the fascinating story of the Knights of the Golden Circle and the hidden caches the KGC established across the country. Brewer reveals how, with agonizing effort, he eventually deciphered the fiendishly complicated KGC codes and ciphers, which drew heavily on images associated with Freemasonry. (Many of the key KGC post­Civil War leaders were Scottish Rite Masons, who used the cover of that secret fraternity to conduct their activities.) Using his knowledge of KGC symbolism to crack coded maps, Brewer has located several KGC caches and has recovered gold coins, guns, and other treasure from some of them. Shadow of the Sentinel is the most comprehensive account yet of the activities of the KGC after the Civil War and, indeed, into the 1900s. Getler and Brewer suggest that the clandestine network of KGC operatives was far wider than previously thought, and that it included Jesse James, the former Confederate guerrilla whose stage and bank robberies helped to fill KGC treasure chests. This is a rousing and provocative adventure that weaves together one man's personal quest with an intriguing, little-known chapter in America's hidden history. As a boy growing up in rural Arkansas, Bob Brewer often heard from his uncle and his great-uncle about a particular tree in the woods, the "Bible Tree," filled with strange carvings. Years later he would learn that this tree was carved with symbols associated with the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Civil War era secret society that had buried gold coins and other treasure in various remote locations across the South and Southwest in hopes of someday funding a second War Between the States. These secret caches were guarded by sentinels, men whose responsibility it was to watch and protect these sites. To his astonishment, Bob discovered that both his uncle and his great-uncle had been twentieth-century sentinels, and that he had grown up near an important KGC treasure site. In Shadow of the Sentinel, Shadow of the Sentinel This is a rousing and provocative adventure that weaves together one man's personal quest with an intriguing, little-known chapter in America's hidden history What if a secret society, founded during the Civil War, accumulated a fortune in gold coins in the hopes of someday funding a second war between the states? What if they buried their treasure in a vast network of remote locations across the South and the Southwestern United States, and appointed sentinels to guard them -- sentinels who passed the secrets of this treasure from generation to generation? What if the keys to this fantastic treasure were hidden in a series of mysterious coded maps? In Rebel Gold, investigative journalist Warren Getler and Bob Brewer, a descendant of one of the Confederate sentinels sworn to protect this treasure, uncover the truth behind the legend of this buried gold and the group rumored to have hidden it, the Knights of the Golden Circle. A fast-paced blend of history and modern-day detective story, Rebel Gold reveals a shadowy chapter in American history -- and how its legacy may be continuing to this day. A Navy man and nephew of a member of the secret Knights of the Golden Circle society recounts his efforts to crack the society's system of codes and symbols to identify treasure sites across the American South and West, discussing in the process the group's clandestine history and links to Jesse James. Originally published as Shadow of the Sentinel. Reprint. 17,500 first printing. A Navy man and nephew of the secret Knights of the Golden Circle society recounts his efforts to crack the society's system of codes and symbols to identify treasure sites across the American south and west, discussing in the process the group's clandestine history and links to Jesse James. 50,000 first printing. Explores the legacy of a Civil War-era secret society, the Knights of the Golden Circle, and describes efforts to crack the society's system of codes and symbols to identify hidden treasure sites across the American south and west.