Paul McLaughlin
Re: Confederate treasury
Mon Jul 16 13:17:52 2001


Hayes,

As always I delight in your knowledge! I have just finished reading Brig. Gen'l. Basil Duke's account which you referenced. Duke says he was supposed to have been in charge of $500,000.00 to $600,000.00 in gold specie but that he never had the chance to audit the amount actually under his control. He states that about $108,000.00 or $110,000.00 in silver was paid out to the troops under his command from the silver coinage, which came out to $32.00 apiece regardless of rank. This would equate to a little less than 3,500 men using the higher number (actually 3,437). Duke turned the remaining amount (whatever it was)over to the Acting Secretary of the Confederate Treasury, Mr. M.H.Clark, at Washington, Georgia. I would assume that this gentleman had the balance of the treasury stored in the local bank.

A good question would be why would the Washington, Ga. bankers want to move this money back to Virginia? It would have been much easier to turn it over to the invading yankees. A second question is why move it with no military escort? It seems, at this far remove, a great plan to redistribute the wealth and keep it out of yankee hands. Just my suspicious nature showing I guess.

Regards,

Paul