Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: the Albert Pike Connection (Part 3)

(This U.S. Forest Service map shows the national forest areas of the Ouachita Mountains. Note: Large parts of the Ouachitas are now under government management.)

Pike's Connections to Secret Societies


In my previous post on Albert Pike ("Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Albert Pike and the Knights Templar," http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/artists-image-of-holy-grail.html) I established the fact that Pike himself was a Templar. Now I have more to tell you about Albert Pike, his connection to secret societies and orders, and his familiarity with Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains.

Pike had important "connections" in various secret orders (Scottish Rite, Masonic, Templar, etc.) in a number of states, cities, and areas, including:

Atlanta, Georgia

Charleston, South Carolina

Indian Territories (which included large parts of Oklahoma)

Little Rock, Arkansas

Louisville, Kentucky

Nashville, Tennessee

New Orleans, Louisiana

Some researchers claim that Pike was also well connected in, of all places, that hotbed of Yankee oppression, Washington, D.C. As you can readily see, having a network of secretive connections like this would facilitate Pike's ability to further the ends of the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC).

Pike "Secrets" Himself in the Ouachitas

After his dismissal from the Confederate Army, Pike secreted himself in Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains near a place called Greasy Cove. Many treasure hunters and researchers believe that Pike spent this time developing very elaborate plans for establishing a series of KGC caches, troves, and even large-scale repositories locally and elsewhere, including states far to the south and west.

Treasure Hunting

In order to accomplish this herculean task Pike needed assistance, not only from his distant contacts in the afore-mentioned locales, but also from local KGC "operatives" and those in adjoining states or territories. I personally suspect this is where and when Jesse and Frank James (as well as other Confederate "partisan rangers" like the Younger brothers) became directly involved in hiding KGC caches and troves. (Note: This is strictly my own opinion, nothing more or less. J.R.)

A Large Stash of Gold Coins?

At some point while Pike was ensconced at his home near Greasy Cove word began to circulate among the locals that he had a very large stash of gold coins on or near the property. Whether true or not (and I suspect it was true) this assumption would further establish the fact that Pike was indeed a very busy man who was intent on ensuring the KGC was well financed.

However it wasn't long before things literally went "south" for Pike when word began to circulate about the possibility of a large stash of gold coins hidden in his home or nearby. Again, I believe this to be true because it fits in with Pike's secret associations and his firm intentions to keep the KGC up and running.

Either way, Pike's home was eventually raided by persons unknown (Union troops or sympathizers? Confederate "partisans" from Bloody Bill Anderson's crew? Or?). Pike managed to escape in the dead of night before the raid because he was tipped off by friends in nearby Caddo Gap.

A Treasure Waybill?

Now I have a possible treasure waybill for you, so listen up:

Lead 1: After Pike fled his home near Greasy Cove he stopped his buggy in Caddo Gap to thank his friends (or informants) for their tip off about the raid. These same friends or informants later stated under oath that Pike had paid them with "handfuls of gold coins." If indeed true, Pike was traveling loaded down with gold specie.

Lead 2: Pike's home near Greasy Cove was a "two-storied frame house with rock chimney" that was situated "along the Little Missouri River" directly adjacent to "Little Missouri Falls."

These 2 leads may help, then again, who knows?

But if you find yourself in Arkansas near Little Missouri Falls I suggest you keep your eyes peeled for evidence of KGC treasure signs or symbols there as well as any signs from there to Caddo Gap. Oh, and you may want to take a good metal detector or 2-boxer along with you.

Good hunting.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "5 Treasure Hunting Pitfalls to Avoid (Pitfall 1)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/5-treasure-hunting-pitfalls-to-avoid.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Rising Up Angry: a Treasure Hunter's Perspective

We Can No Longer Sit Idly By

For the most part I've tried to keep my personal or political views out of this blog since, after all, it concerns treasure hunting and not personality or politics. But as Thomas Paine stated in his 1776 pamphlet "The American Crisis," "These are the times that try men's souls."

There comes a time in all of our lives where we can no longer sit idly by and allow oppression or evil to continue unabated or unchecked. Isn't this why Thomas Paine wrote his famous pamphlet and why our founding fathers declared independence from those who sought to limit personal freedom and impose their will upon others? Isn't this why patriots of all ages, religions, colors, and even sexes (in some instances) fought and died at Lexington, Gettysburg, Belleau Wood, the Ardennes, Iwo Jima, Pork Chop Hill, Khe Sanh, Fallujah, and Qandahar?

Yes, I understand that we are not necessarily facing true evil or oppression today inside this once-great country of ours. At least not the evil or oppression represented by the world's Hitlers, Stalins, Maos, racial bigots, or suicidal religious fanatics who willingly murder innocents all the while screaming "Allahu Akbar!"

Marching to the Beat of an Insane Drummer

No, what we face in America today is not quite so openly vicious or evil. But it is every bit as insidious and ultimately as harmful in many respects.

In our present context as a nation overt oppression has been replaced by the arbitrary dictates of a government run amuck, bent on bowing to special interests whether those be leftist ideologues, rabid environmentalists or grand schemers looking to "cash in" on trumped-up absurdities like global warming, or the permanently greedy who inhabit much of Wall Street and many bank boardrooms.

In the latter cases our own tax monies are used to "bail out" these hypocrites and thieves (who would rival the Pharisees of old) or provide them with obscene "bonuses" for helping to place us in the current economic disaster we are experiencing. Meanwhile our omniscient governmental "benefactors" pass down from upon high even greater restrictions on our personal freedoms. We are told what is good for us and what is not (even down to the type of cars we drive or the very food we eat) and laws and regulations are passed to ensure we get in line and march lock step to the beat of a drummer gone completely insane.

Our Politicians Have Forgotten Us

Our politicians, whether red or blue or left or right, have for the most part forgotten us. We the people. At some point they became so insulated in their political cocoons and so hungry for power and wealth that we were forgotten or dismissed as the great "unwashed masses" who were too ignorant or lazy to comprehend the inner workings of that great mystery known as government.

Thus, we needed to be told what to do and how to do it by the very people we thought we had elected to represent us, but who in reality, were in most instances thrust upon us as "candidates" by ruthless manipulators pulling the strings behind the scenes. To a great extent "we the people" have been cut adrift and left to founder by so-called public servants whose sole reason for being is not public service but "self service" at our expense.

Heaping indignity upon indignity, they treat us like small children who cannot choose for themselves but must be "directed" or herded like so many mindless sheep. All the while they smile and nod their heads at us like benevolent father figures who need not truly listen to what we have to say. You see, they know what's best for us.

Evil Comes in Many Forms

Evil comes in many forms. It can just as easily arise from selfishness, greed, corruption, neglect, dishonesty, or simple stupidity as it can from religious fanaticism, bigotry, Communism, or Fascism. But one thing all evils have in common is that they must be stopped in their tracks, they must be excised like cancerous tissue from otherwise healthy flesh, and they must be fought directly even at great sacrifice if necessary.

Americans have never tolerated evil in any form for very long. Contrary to what our politicians and "leaders" may think, most of us do not live in enforced slavery on hand outs from the government. Most of us work hard for a living....that is if we haven't lost our jobs because of inept or corrupt politicians bent on feathering their own nests and those of their cronies. No, the American people by and large are not weak sisters or welfare slaves, nor are we stupid or unaware. Finally, we don't appreciate having our constitutional and personal freedoms eroded away on a daily basis.

A "Sleeping Giant"

Whether the politicians on all sides realize it or not, they have "awakened a sleeping giant." Some of those politicians have already decided that discretion is the better part of valor and have taken early "retirements." Others are nervous about the ground swell of resentment sweeping toward them, as well they should be.

Americans are, by and large, good-natured, hard-working, value-driven people who seek to do the right thing for their families, their communities, and their country. Our politicians need to follow suit. If for any reason they can't or won't, their gravy trains will soon rattle to an abrupt halt.

We've had enough.

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

New Information on the Victorio Peak Treasure (Part 6)

Once again, "Mr. M's" own words will provide the basis for this post. Remember, "Mr. M" is a former treasure hunter and member of the Ova Noss Family Partnership (ONFP) who participated in the final treasure searches allowed on Victorio Peak back in the early to mid 1990s.

Mining Equipment

Doc Noss Was No "Con" Man

"J.R., first let me thank you for not referring to Doc Noss as 'allegedly' finding the treasure, or 'claiming' to find the treasure, or that he was a 'con' man, which is almost always thrown around. The volume of evidence that Doc's story is true is so overwhelming that it is irresponsible when writers continue to put it in the category of unproven. It is a rare commentator indeed who stays away from that temptation!"

"In fact, no one who ever knew Doc Noss personally has ever come forward to assert that Doc attempted to con or scam them in any way. So the notion that Doc Noss was a 'con' man was a creation of the media and of those individuals who knew virtually nothing about the story but found its premise simply too fantastic to be believed. Therefore, in their minds, Doc MUST have been a 'con' man."

"I KNOW the Treasure is Still There"

"As far as the treasure still being there today, I don't think, I KNOW that it is still there. To those who say that the Feds absconded with it, I say the following: this is the most often asked question of those seeking to learn more about the Victorio Peak treasure story."

Treasure Hunting

"It is an important question and a natural one for anyone who has heard rumors that the Army secretly removed gold from inside the mountain. It reflects a lack of trust in the government, which I share. Plus, it is probably the reason why the story of Victorio Peak isn't more famous than it is, because many people simply blow it off by saying the gold is all gone when they hear that the Army was involved."

"When I first got involved I also needed to be convinced that the Army hadn't removed it all, particularly since I was on the verge of putting my heart, soul, blood, sweat, and money behind it. I didn't want to be chasing ghosts or pursuing a lost cause."

"The Real Answer...."

"The real answer is that in 1961, gold WAS illegally removed from the Peak. In 1958, 3 airmen from Holloman Air Force base (Tom Berlett, Leonard Fiege, and Milleadge Wessell) while trespassing on the Peak, discovered a couple of small 'rooms' which contained a few hundred bars of gold.

"They reported their find to their commanding officer, and were ordered not to return to the site. They did, however, go back for the purpose of dynamiting the entrance shut so no one else would be able to access what they considered to be their claim."

"That incident set a chain of events in motion which led to a secret operation in 1961, in which these rooms were re-accessed and the gold was removed. While the operation was being conducted, a curious bunch of treasure hunters led by Judge H.L. Moreland (with whom I conducted an in-depth videotaped interview in 1992) entered Hembrillo Basin, approached Victorio Peak, and saw what was going on. "

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"Mr. M" has more to say on this but that will have to wait until a subsequent post. Good hunting in the interim.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Albert Pike and the Knights Templar"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/artists-image-of-holy-grail.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Albert Pike and the Knights Templar

(Artist's image of the Holy Grail. Note the "Maltese" or Knights Templar cross adorning the stem.)

I now continue with additional information on Albert Pike and his role as a Knight Templar, a high-level member of the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC), and his likely association with Jesse James and the disposition and burial of KGC treasure in various parts of the United States.

The Knights Templar

One of the most important aspects of Albert Pike’s life in secret societies (i.e., Freemasonry and/or the Masonic Order, and the KGC) is the fact that this “Yankee-born” Southern sympathizer was a Knight Templar. Those of you out there who have even the slightest amount of knowledge concerning the Knights Templar know that this secret order or society dates back at least to the time of the Crusades. You probably also know that the Templars played an important role as the Catholic Church’s elite warriors during European Christianity’s 100-year attempt to wrest the Holy Land from Muslim control.

Treasure Hunting

It is known that the Knights Templar accumulated vast riches over time, both from their own holdings as members of Europe’s wealthier social castes and from treasures taken as booty during the Crusades. But what singles the Templars out from other Crusaders was their determination to discover the Holy Grail.

Templars and the Holy Grail

The Holy Grail is believed to be the drinking vessel that Christ used at the Last Supper (“This is my blood which is poured out for many…….”) and which was supposedly used again to capture some of Jesus’ blood during his crucifixion atop Golgotha. Not surprisingly, there are a number of experts who believe the Templars actually discovered the Holy Grail and then spirited it back to Europe.

Eventually the Church turned on the Templars, accusing them of witchcraft, devil worship, and any other trumped up charge that could be dreamed up and applied to the Knights. During the period of the Great Inquisition, many Templars were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered.

The Templars Go “Underground”

Why did the Church turn on the Knights Templar? Some say they were truly considered “heretics” but I place my money with those who maintain the Church feared the power, wealth, prestige, and intellectual abilities of this secret society.

Under the Church’s systematic persecution, the Knights Templar eventually went “underground” and became secretive to the point of obsession. To cast another fly in the ointment, recent theories suggest that a group of Knights Templar fled Europe with the Holy Grail and eventually made their way to what is now known as the state of Illinois.

What has all this to do Albert Pike, Jesse James, and the KGC? Be patient my friend and you shall see. There’s more to come in a future post….

Good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: “More Information on the Victorio Peak Treasure: the Padre LaRue Connection”

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/any-number-of-theories-i-am-shifting.html

© J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

More Information on the Victorio Peak Treasure: the Padre LaRue Connection

Any Number of Theories

I am shifting gears here once again to touch on additional information from "Mr. M" concerning the Victorio Peak treasure. As you know if you've read my other posts on this subject, "Mr. M" is a former treasure hunter and member of the Ova Noss Family Partnership (ONFP) who was an important member of the final treasure search party allowed onto Victorio Peak in the early to mid 1990s.

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There are any number of theories out there regarding how a huge treasure trove found its way deep inside Victorio Peak. Some of these have been put forward by "Mr. M" and others are a basic part of the Victorio Peak legend.

Another Persistent Treasure Legend

One theory that "Mr. M" thinks may have merit is that at least part of the trove at Victorio Peak was secreted there by followers of Padre LaRue. If you have never heard of the Lost Padre La Rue Mine or Treasure (take your pick), it too is one of the most persistent treasure legends in the entire Southwest.

In essence, Padre (Father) LaRue was a Catholic priest in Mexico who broke with the Church ostensibly over the hardships endured by those souls entrusted to his care. He then led hundreds of followers into southern New Mexico with the intent of alleviating their suffering by mining gold and becoming self sufficient.

Metal Detectors

This is by no means a complete version of the story....I'll address the Padre LaRue treasure legend more fully in a future post. Anyway, here is what "Mr. M" had to say to me on the subject:

Father LaRue

"Then, in the late 1790s, came Father LaRue. Doc Noss himself believed in the LaRue presence at Victorio Peak."

"The story goes that in 1797 the young Father LaRue was sent to serve the Roman Catholic Church in Durango, Mexico, at a small settlement of poor, hardworking Spaniards scratching out a meager existence. There he befriended an old soldier, who, before dying, told LaRue about a rich gold deposit in a lush, fertile valley two days journey north of El Paso (del Norte)."

A Vein of Gold

"After a season of drought, crop failure, and near starvation, LaRue and his followers decided to risk everything in search of that fertile valley and the gold deposit that the old soldier had spoken about. They left without permission of the Church, and despite the fact that Spanish authority prohibited citizens from relocating without official permission."

"LaRue and his parishioners found a gold vein. Some versions of the story contend that he found his gold mine in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces and either transferred the bullion to Victorio Peak for storage, or moved the gold to hide it after learning that a party of soldiers was coming from Mexico to relieve him of his worldly goods. I, like Doc, believe LaRue found Victorio Peak, and was responsible for the presence of the 'Seven Letters,' and likely the sword with the 1790 Bavarian inscription."

Chief Victorio and Emperor Maximilian

"After LaRue died, possibly killed by Spanish soldiers who came north to find him, Victorio Peak remained under either permanent, intermittent, or shared occupation up until 1880, when the Apache Chief Victorio fought against the U.S. Cavalry in a lengthy battle in the Hembrillo Basin. Doc reported there was nothing in Victorio Peak dated after 1880, but he had brought out a few items from the earlier 1800s."

Gold Pans

"Doc Noss gave a gold medallion, dated 1830, to an El Paso attorney in exchange for some legal services. According to Babe Noss, the attorney examined the medallion and said, 'Why, Doc, I could buy the whole city of El Paso with this!' The crown had also been dated to the 1800s, and there has been speculation that this was Emperor Maximilian's, that his palatial fortunes ended up in Victorio Peak after getting lost near El Paso."

"Whether Maximilian's possessions are in that mountain can only be determined after a new discovery is made. By the turn of the 20th Century, the site was again lost to the world except for the word of mouth stories being handed down through generations of American Indians. By the time Doc Noss discovered the site in 1937, he was likely the first person in the 20th Century to rediscover its contents."

So there you have it. Intriguing, to say the very least.

"Mr. M's" Generosity of Spirit

I cannot thank "Mr. M" enough for his gifts of time and information. Because of his generosity of spirit, I now hold small pieces of documentation sent me by "Mr. M" (at his own cost).

I have read and examined these these small "treasures" and they are now stored safely away. At some point, I too will pass them on to someone out there who wants to learn more of this mystery and keep the legend of Victorio Peak alive and well.

Good hunting to one and all.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: the Albert Pike Connection (Part 2)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/02/jesse-james-and-knights-of-golden.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com