Sunday, November 24, 2024

Wicked and the Ruby Slippers.


 

Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West creates a backstory for Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and explores the world of The Wizard of Oz from her perspective. Elphaba is modeled after Margaret Hamilton's portrayal in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall, peaked hat. 

The novel Wicked explains that the ruby slippers a pair of magical shoes which play a pivotal role in The Wizard of Oz, were given to Nessarose, the future Wicked Witch of the East, by her father. In the musical Wicked, it is Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who enchants the shoes, giving her crippled sister Nessarose the ability to walk.

The ruby slippers worn by Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz have achieved iconic stature and are among the most valuable items of film memorabilia.

In L. Frank Baum's original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wears silver shoes but the color of the shoes was changed to take advantage of the introduction of Technicolor to the movies.

The wardrobe woman who worked on the film claimed "six identical pairs" had been made. Four pairs used in the movie have been accounted for.  Is it possible that the other two pair are tucked away in someone’s garage or attic?

Let’s look at the big four:

One pair is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

Another pair was initially owned by one Roberta Bauman who won them in a contest.  In 1988, these shoes were sold at auction to Anthony Landini for $150,000. Landini auctioned this pair of slippers, at Christie's auction house in 2000, for $666,000. They now belong to a collector who owns memorabilia shops in Hollywood.

A third pair were the highlight of the 2011 “Icons of Hollywood auction”.  They were offered with a starting reserve price of two million dollars, but did not sell.  Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, and other benefactors made it possible for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to acquire the pair for an undisclosed price in February 2012 for the Academy’s new Museum in Los Angeles.

Michael Shaw acquired the fourth pair in 1970. These were stolen from an exhibit at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in August, 2005.  On September 4, 2018, the FBI announced the stolen pair had been recovered after 13 years.  Five year later, one Terry Martin was indicted for the crime and pleaded guilty, saying that he thought the slippers were made from real rubies because they were insured for one million dollars.

Another iconic piece of Oz memorabilia, the Wicked Witch’s hat from the 1939 movie, has recently come up for auction with a whopping price tag of $140,000.


Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Afghanistan: The Most Incompetent General Ever

 


Major General William Elphinstone is considered by some military historians to be “the most incompetent soldier who ever became a general”, possessed of “the leadership qualities of a sheep.”  Elphinstone’s road to disaster, however, was well paved and made broad by others.

 In 1838, Afghanistan was a buffer state between British India and the expanding Russian Empire.  Energized by real or imagined Russian plots in the country, the British rallied support behind a prince favorable to British interests, marched into the country, and after a short campaign installed a puppet king in Kabul on August 6, 1839.

 Many in British India now felt that the mission had been accomplished.  It was time to bring the troops home.  Most of the victorious army marched home, but a permanent British garrison was established in Kabul to prop up the new regime.  It needed propping up.  The British had replaced a relatively popular ruler with a weak puppet. Scattered fighting erupted in the surrounding countryside.

 Increasingly frustrated with the costs of maintaining a large garrison in Kabul, the British government eliminated the subsidies being paid to the various tribes in the area around Kabul to keep the peace. Once the subsidies ended, hostile activity increased even more. 

 Into this rapidly deteriorating situation stepped Major General William Elphinstone, who was assured by all, “You will have nothing to do here; all is peace.”

 When Elphinstone arrived in Kabul his command consisted of some 4,500 troops (British troops and Indian sepoys).  Additionally, there were 12,000 army dependents such as wives, children, and servants, living in the British cantonment just outside of Kabul.



 The military situation on the ground when Elphinstone arrived was a tragedy waiting to happen.  The British had abandoned the city’s fortified citadel, the Bala Hissar, to the puppet king and built the British cantonment some 1.5 miles outside of the city in a low area surrounded by Afghan forts occupying the high ground.  These forts had been neither occupied nor destroyed. 

 The cantonment itself was indefensible. According to contemporary witnesses there had been, “a pretense of rendering the cantonments defensible by surrounding the great parallelogram with the caricature of an obstacle in the shape of a shallow ditch and feeble earthwork over which an active cow could scramble.”

 Elphinstone now nearly sixty was racked by gout and rheumatism. He was soon unable to mount his horse un-aided. He was incapable of reaching clear cut decisions and vacillated depending on the opinion of the latest person with whom he spoke.  One officer wrote, that Elphinstone was “fit only for the invalid establishment on the day of his arrival.” 

 On 2 November 1841 a revolt broke out in Kabul.  A mob of insurgents stormed the house of one of the senior British civilian officers and murdered him and his staff.  Elphinstone took no action, which encouraged the insurgents to press the British further.  The Afghans next stormed the poorly defended supply fort where the British garrison’s provisions were housed. 

 After furious fighting around the small fort and repeated calls for help, Elphinstone finally realized that he should do something.  The relief force was surprised, however, to find the survivors of the supply fort, having abandoned all hope of relief, making a hasty retreat toward the cantonment.  Elphinstone’s inaction had resulted in the loss of most of the army’s food and supplies.

 A council of war proposed, as the winter was coming on, either to retreat to the British stronghold of Jalalabad some ninety miles away, or to move to the Bala Hissar, Kabul’s strong bastion.  Elphinstone overruled the move to the Bala Hissar and settled on retreat. 

 On the Afghan promise of a safe retreat, Elphinstone capitulated on January 1, 1842, handing over the army’s gunpowder reserves, most of the cannon, and all of the newest muskets. 

 The troops and twelve thousand civilians began the march to Jalalabad on January 6.  The sick and wounded were left behind with a guarantee of their safety.  They were murdered as soon as the last of Elphinstone’s soldiers left the cantonment. 

 The retreat of the column was an unmitigated horror.  Weather conditions were extreme, and the column was continually harassed by the fire of Afghan tribesmen.  The first night, the column halted six miles from the city.  The road was already strewn with the dead and dying. 

 By the evening of January 9, some 3,000 of Elphinstone's column had died due to enemy action, the freezing weather, or even suicide.  Elphinstone had ceased giving any orders.

 On the evening of January 11th, the wives of the British officers accepted being taken hostage by the Afghans who anticipated a large ransom for their release.  The wives and children of the Indian troops were all to die since they would not bring a ransom.

 Elphinstone and his second in command also allowed themselves to become hostages, while the column struggled on against certain death.  Elphinstone died of dysentery on April 23, 1842, while in captivity.


Only one British officer managed to reach Jalalabad.  On 13 January, Assistant Surgeon William Brydonrode through the gates of Jalalabad on an exhausted horse. Part of his skull was sheared off by a sword. When asked what happened to the army, he answered “I am the army.”


Friday, November 01, 2024

Sitting Bull’s Last Words



Shortly before his murder in 1890, Sitting Bull said to his biographer:

“When I was a boy, the Sioux owned the world.  The sun rose and set on their land; they sent ten thousand men to battle.  Where are the warriors today?  Who slew them?  Where are our lands?  Who owns them? …. Is it wrong for me to love my own?  Is it wicked for me because my skin is red?  Because I am Sioux.  Because I was born where my fathers lived?  Because I would die for my people and my country?  I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.”




Monday, August 26, 2024

Custer Captures a Confederate Washington

 


                                                    Washington                            Custer


James Barroll Washington was born in Baltinore, Maryland in 1839.  His father, Colonel Lewis Washignton was a grandson of General George Washington’s brother, John Augustine Washington.  James entered West Point in 1859 and was a classmate of George Armstrong Custer.

When the Civil War broke out, young Washington left West Point and joined the staff of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston.  On May 21, 1862 at the Battle of Seven Pines, while delivering orders from General Johnston to General Longstreet,  Lieutenant Washington was captured by a company under the command of Captain George Armstrong Custer.  Custer took the opportunity to have a picture taken with his old classmate before sending him the rear as a prisoner of war.  Washington was subsequently exchanged and continued to serve in the Confederate army until the end of the war.


The Great Northern Rebellion of 1860 (alternate history)

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Captain Benteen Describes Panic at the Battle of the Little Bighorn

 




“I went over the battlefield carefully with a view to determine how the fight was fought.  I arrived at the conclusion I have right now-that it was a rout, a panic, till the last man was killed; that there was no line formed.

“There was no line on the battlefield.  You can take a handful of corn and scatter it over a floor and make just such lines.  There were none. The only approach to a line was where five or six horses were found equal distances like skirmishers.  Ahead of them were five or six men about the same distances….That was the only approach to a line on the field. (This was on Calhoun Hill).

“There were more than twenty killed there to the right; there were four or more all within a space of twenty to thirty yards.  That was the condition all over the field.  Only where General Custer was found was there any evidence of a stand.

“ I counted seventy dead horses and two Indian ponies.  I think, in all probability, that the men turned their horses loose without any orders to do so.  Many orders might have been given, but few obeyed.  I think they were panic stricken; it was a rout….”



Custer’s Last Stand Re-examined

Thursday, August 08, 2024

Captain Benteen's Testimony about George Armstrong Custer

 


“The battalion organization was made after we had marched about four hours.  I think at the first halt an orderly came to me with instructions for the officers to assemble.  General Custer told us that he had just come down from the mountain; that he had been told by the scouts that they could see a village, ponies, tepees and smoke.  He gave it to us as his belief that there were no Indians there; that he had looked through the glasses and could not see any, and did not think there were any there.

 “Now, in 1875, I had a very similar experience with Indians in Dakota, and as the statements of the Indians then were absolutely confirmed by what was afterward proved, I was strong in the belief that the Crow Indians only reported what was shown them by their superior keenness of vision, and that the hostile village was where they located it; but as no opinions were asked for, none were given.”

Sunday, July 28, 2024

The Strange Odyssey of the Little Bighorn Artifacts

 




On June 25, 1876, at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, five companies of the U.S. Seventh Cavalry, under the direct command of George Armstrong Custer were wiped out. 

 

Many artifacts initially lost on the battlefield were to have a strange after life.  Take for example, the engraved pocket watch of George Armstrong Custer.  There are at least two stories regarding the odyssey of the watch. 

In Son of the Morning Star, historian Evan S. Connel relates that in 1906 a Montana saloon keeper bought the watch from a Sioux Indian.  The watch was lost in a dice game, exhibited in a travelling show, and finally turned up in California before being purchased for the Don and Stella Foote Collection in Billings, Montana. The Foote’s would eventually offer their Treasures of the West collection to the city of Billings, which rejected the gift because the city did not want to pay to have the collection insured.  The collection was sold off and the whereabouts of Custer’s watch is now unknown.

In his book, The Law Marches West, a Canadian Mountie named Cecil Denny claimed that he retrieved the watch from Sitting Bull and sent it to Libbie Custer.

 

Custer’s final message to Captain Benteen to “Come quick, bring packs”, written down by Adjutant Cooke went missing for decades. 

 

In the 1920’s one of Custer’s early biographers, William Graham tried to locate the missing document, only to be told by Benteen’s son that all his father's papers had been destroyed when their house had burned down many years before.  This turned out to by incorrect. 

 

Captain Benteen had given the famous message to an army officer friend, Captain Price. The message finally came to rest in the hands of a New Jersey collector for fifty years, before being put up for auction.  By a happy circumstance Colonel Charles Francis Bates learned of the existence of the message and secured it for the museum at West Point, where it resides today.

 

The medals of Captain Miles Keogh tell an interesting story.  The senior captain among the five companies wiped out with Custer, Keogh's body was found at the center of a group of troopers that included his two sergeants, company trumpeter and guidon bearer.

 Keogh was stripped but not mutilated, perhaps because of the "medicine" the Indians saw in two Papal medals he wore on a chain around his neck.  Vatican records confirm these two medals were given to Keogh during The Papal War of 1860.

  Captain Benteen secured the medals which were sent to Keogh’s sister in Ireland.  They remained in the family until 1988 when they passed into the hands of a well-known collector.  The medals were recently auctioned off for $35,000.

 2nd Lt. John James Crittenden of Kentucky received a gold watch from his father on his twenty first birthday.  Crittenden was 22 years old when he died at Little Big Horn. His body was identified because of his glass eye.

His watch was missing.  In 1880, E.F. Gigot was working in a Canadian trading post when a trapper came in with furs, blankets, and a watch.  Gigot bought the watch of $2.  This was a gentleman’s watch and Gigot began to research.  He wrote to the watchmaker in London, providing the serial number.  The watchmaker confirmed that the watch had been sold to a man named Crittenden.  Gigot wrote to the U.S. Army which confirmed that the watch belonged to 2nd Lt. John James Crittenden.  The watch was returned to the family, which loaned the artifact to the Kentucky Historical Society in 1949 where it remains to this day.



Custer’s Last Stand: Portraits in Time

Friday, July 26, 2024

Custer the Resplendent

 


In the early days of the American Civil War, George Armstrong Custer wore his hair long, and wore a braided black velvet jacket and a flaming red necktie.  When a female friend asked Custer why he had dressed in such a fantastic manner he replied:

"I was but a boy, just from West Point and I felt young and insignificant. There were men in my brigade old enough to be my father. I wished them to know and recognize me at once from any part of the battlefield. I chose a uniform that would catch their attention and individualize me."



History's Ten Worst Generals


Wednesday, July 10, 2024

The Grisly Epilogue of the Battle of the Little Bighorn

 


On June 25, 1876, at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, five companies of the U.S. Seventh Cavalry, under the direct command of George Armstrong Custer were wiped out. 

 

White Wolf, who was in the fight, said that afterwards a lot of young men searched the soldiers’ pockets. That square green paper money was in them. Later when the children were making toy mud horses, they used the money for miniature saddle blankets. Silver money was also found from which the Cheyennes made silver buckles.

 

Other warriors including Wooden Leg, Little Hawk and Bobtail Horse found bottles of whiskey on dead troopers.

On June 27, 1876 the cavalry discovered the remains. 

Lieutenant E.S. Godfrey reported

The marble white bodies, the somber brown of the dead horses and the dead ponies scattered all over the field, but thickest on and near Custer Hill, and the scattering tufts of reddish brown grass on the almost ashy white soil depicts a scene of loneliness and desolation that "bows down the heart in sorrow." I can never forget the sight: 

Captain Tom Custer  was found near the top of the hill, north, and a few yards from the General, lying on his face; his features were so pressed out of shape as to be almost beyond recognition; a number of arrows had been shot in his back, several in his head, one I remember, without the shaft, the head bent so that it could hardly be withdrawn; his skull was crushed and nearly all the hair scalped, except a very little on the nape of the neck.

General Custer was not mutilated at all; he laid on his back, his upper arms on the ground, the hands folded or so placed as to cross the body above the stomach; his position was natural and one that we had seen hundreds of times while taking cat naps during halts on the march. One hit was in the front of the left temple, and one in the left breast at or near the heart.

Boston, the youngest Custer brother was found about two hundred yards from "Custer Hill." The body was stripped except his white cotton socks and they had the name cut off.

Occasionally, there was a body with a bloody undershirt or trousers or socks, but the name was invariably cut out. The naked mutilated bodies, with their bloody fatal wounds, were nearly unrecognizable, and presented a scene of sickening, ghastly horror! There were perhaps, a half dozen spades and shovels, as many axes, a couple of picks, and a few hatchets in the whole command; with these and knives and tin cups we went over the field and gave the bodies, where they lay, a scant covering of mother earth and left them, in that vast wilderness, hundreds of miles from civilization, friends and homes, to the wolves!"

Trumpeter Giussepi Martini saw a heap of dead men in a deep gully between Custer and the river. Martini said that one of the first sergeants with whom some of the men had left their pay for safe keeping had about $500 in paper money torn up and scattered all over his body.  He also reported that one of Adjutant Cooke’s sideburn was scalped off, skin and all.

Seventh Cavalry scout George Herendeen added, "The heads of four white soldiers were found in the Sioux camp that had been severed from their trunks, but the bodies could not be found on the battlefield or in the village."

Lieutenant Charles Roe of the Second Cavalry, said, "we found in the Indian village a white man's head with a lariat tied to it, which had been dragged around the village until the head was pulled off the body."

Survivor Jacob Adams recalled, "troopers were lassooed from their horses and dragged to the center of the village, where they were tied to trees and burned to death that night within sight of their comrades of Benteen's division, who were helpless to rescue them. After the battle, John Ryan said, "we found what appeared to be human bones, and parts of blue uniforms, where the men had been tied to stakes and trees."

Of the five guidons carried by Custer's troops at the “Last Stand” only one was immediately recovered, concealed under the body of a dead trooper.  That trooper was Corporal John Foley, who was trying to escape on horseback.  Foley was pursued by Indians and shot himself in the head before he was overtaken. The recovered flag later became known as the Culbertson Guidon, after the member of the burial party who recovered it, Sergeant Ferdinand Culbertson.

The Culbertson Guidon was sold by Sotheby’s auction house to a private collector in 2010 for $2.2 million.


Custer’s Last Stand Re-examined 


 

Custer’s Last Stand Re-examined

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

Private William C. Slaper’s account of Reno’s Charge at the Battle of the Little Bighorn


 Reno's retreat

Soon commenced the rattle of rifle fire, and bullets began to whistle about us. I remember that I ducked my head and tried to dodge bullets which I could hear whizzing through the air. This was my first experience under fire. I know that for a time I was frightened, and far more so when I got my first glimpse of the Indians riding about in all directions, firing at us and yelling and whooping like incarnate fiends, all seemingly as naked as the day they were born, and painted from head to foot in the most hideous manner imaginable.

We were soon across the stream, through a strip of timber and out into the open, where our captain ordered us to dismount and prepare to fight on foot. Number Fours were ordered to hold the horses, while Numbers One, Two and Three started for the firing line.

Our horses were scenting danger before we dismounted, and several at this point became unmanageable and started straight for the open among the Indians, carrying their helpless riders with them. One of the boys, a young fellow named Smith, of Boston, we never saw again, either dead or alive.

In forming the firing line we deployed to the left. By this time the Indians were coming in closer and in increasing numbers, circling about and raising such a dust that a great many of them had a chance to get in our rear under cover of it -- where we found them on our retreat!

It was on this line that I saw the first one of my own company comrades fall. This was Sergeant O'Hara. Then I observed another, and yet another. Strange to say, I had recovered from my first fright, and had no further thought of fear, although conscious that I was in great peril and standing a mighty good chance of never getting out of it alive.

The Indians were now increasing in such hordes and pouring such a hot fire into our small command, that it was getting to be a decidedly unhealthy neighborhood for Reno's command. In a short time word came to retreat back to the horses in the timber. We got back there about as quickly as we knew how. In this excitement, some of the horseholders released their animals before the riders arrived, and consequently they were "placed afoot" which made it exceedingly critical for them. It was said that before Reno gave the order to mount and retreat, he rode up to Capt. French and shouted, "Well, Tom, what do you think of this?" Capt. French replied, "I think we had better get out of here." Reno thereupon gave the order, although I did not hear it. Neither did I hear any bugle calls or other orders or commands of any sort. I could hear nothing but the continual roar of Indian rifles and the sharp, resonant bang-bang of cavalry carbines, mingled with the whoops of the savages and the shouts ' of my comrades.


Paperback

E-Book (2)


Friday, May 24, 2024

Charles A. Mills (author)

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles A. Mills is an author and historian with a passion for uncovering hidden stories from the past. He has written several books related to the history of Northern Virginia and its intriguing legends and lore. Some of his works are:
“Virginia Legends & Lore”: In this book, Mills delves into the fascinating tales that have been passed down through generations in Virginia. These legends include stories about the “wild Spanish ponies” of Chincoteague, General Braddock’s lost gold, the Mount Vernon Monster, and even the Richmond Vampire. The book also covers historical figures like Revolutionary War heroes and Annandale’s Bunny Man. Mills weaves together secret societies, hidden knowledge, and cosmic mysteries, providing readers with an engaging journey through Virginia’s rich folklore.1
“Hidden History of Northern Virginia”: Another work by Charles A. Mills, this book uncovers lesser-known aspects of the region’s history. From forgotten events to intriguing characters, Mills sheds light on the hidden stories that have shaped Northern Virginia over time.
“Historic Cemeteries of Northern Virginia”: Mills explores the final resting places of Northern Virginia in this book. He delves into the history, architecture, and stories behind various cemeteries, revealing the lives of those buried there. The book provides a unique perspective on the region’s past.2
“Treasure Legends of the Civil War”: Mills has also written about treasure legends associated with the American Civil War. These tales involve hidden caches of gold, silver, and other valuables, often intertwined with historical events and mysteries.
“Virginia Time Travel”: Beyond his books, Mills is the producer and cohost of the cable television show “Virginia Time Travel.” The show reaches approximately 2 million viewers in Northern Virginia, making history accessible and engaging for a wide audience.3
Charles A. Mills’s dedication to uncovering hidden gems from the past has made him a valuable contributor to the understanding of Virginia’s history and folklore. His works invite readers to explore the mysteries and legends that continue to captivate our imaginations.4

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The Legend of Apache Tears


 Apache Tears

Apache tears are rounded pebbles of obsidian found in Arizona.  The name "Apache tear" comes from a legend of the Apache tribe.

In 1872, a band of raiding Apache horsemen were ambushed by a United States Cavalry force from Picket Post Mountain.  This small band of Pinal Apaches lived high atop a mountain then known as Big Picacho.  The outnumbered Apaches were caught off guard in a dawn attack. Seventy five Apache warriors were killed in the initial attack, while the remaining Apache warriors rode off the side of the mountain, now known as “Apache Leap,” rather than surrender.

Relatives of those who died gathered a short distance from the base of the cliff and mourned their loved ones. Legend says their sadness was so great that their tears were imbedded into black obsidian stones. When held to the light, they are said to reveal the translucent tear of the Apache. Found in great abundance near Superior, just a short distance from historic Apache Leap, the Apache Tears are said to bring good luck to anyone who has them in their possession.

The sadness of the families was so great, that the Great Spirit turned their tears into black stones so that the warriors would never be forgotten.  Legend says that whoever owns an Apache tear will never cry again, for the Apache women have shed their tears in place of yours.




Friday, May 17, 2024

The Lost Dutchman’s Mine: Fact or Fiction?


 

Sorting out fact from fiction is the great challenge for anyone interested in searching for the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.

There was a Jacob Waltz, “the Dutchman.”  Waltz was born in Germany around 1810, and immigrated to America in 1839.  Waltz arrived in New York City, but quickly made his way to goldfields in North Carolina and Georgia.

Waltz did not strike it rich in either North Carolina or Georgia, but he learned a valuable lesson, that he had to be a citizen of the United States in order to stake a claim.  Waltz filed a letter of intent to become a citizen on November 12, 1848.

Gold was discovered in the newly annexed territory of California in 1849. The California fields eclipsed the gold fields of the East, and Waltz, like every other prospector, headed west.

Waltz worked as a miner in California for eleven years. On July 19, 1861, in the Los Angeles County Courthouse, Jacob Waltz became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Waltz left California in 1863, with a group of prospectors bound for the Bradshaw Mountains of the Arizona Territory. Waltz’s name appears on a mining claim filed in Prescott, Arizona Territory, on September 21, 1863.

Waltz moved to the Salt River Valley (an area near Phoenix and the Superstition Mountains) in 1868. 

It was now that Waltz began his trips into the mountains surrounding the Salt River Valley.  Did Waltz discover a rich gold mine or cache on one of these prospecting trips? Witnesses who knew Waltz, say Waltz prospected every winter between 1868 -1886. Waltz died in Phoenix, Arizona Territory, on October 25, 1891, in the home of Julia Thomas. Waltz gave Julia Thomas clues to the location of a mine on his deathbed.  Waltz is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, in downtown Phoenix.

Jacob Waltz, the “Dutchman,” was dead. But the clues he left as to the location of his mine remained alive in the dreams of Julia Thomas. Julia had looked after Waltz before he died, and was the first of a long line of hunters for the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.  Julia sold all of her worldly possessions to finance a fruitless search for the mine.

Many historians believe that Julia Thomas gave an interview to Pierpont C. Bicknell, a freelance newspaper writer and prospector, shortly after her return from the Superstition Mountains in September of 1892.

It is with the coming of Pierpont C. Bicknell that things become murky.  Prior to Bicknell’s arrival, there was little public mention of the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.

On November 17th, 1894, an article by Pierpont C. Bicknell describing a lost gold mine offering unlimited riches was published in the (Phoenix) Saturday Review. Bicknell wrote during the age of “yellow journalism” when newspapers reveled in stories based on sensationalism and crude exaggeration.  Bicknell did not disappoint.

Bicknell whetted the appetite of the would-be treasure hunters and made the search seem relatively simple.  He wrote, “The district designated is not extensive. It lies within an imaginary circle whose diameter is not more than five miles and whose center is marked by the Weaver's Needle, a prominent and fantastic volcanic pinnacle that rises to a height of 2500 feet.

The legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Mine might have withered into insignificance had it not been for the mysterious death of Adolph Ruth, an amateur treasure hunter, in the summer of 1931.

The same year, a group of folklore-loving boosters founded the “Dons of Arizona” to promote the colorful folklore of the state, including the Legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.  In 1945, Barry Storm published Thunder God’s Gold, which was made into a major motion picture Lust for Gold in 1948, starring Glenn Ford as Jacob Waltz.  In 1949, the Peralta Stones were unearthed, giving a further boost to the legend.  In 1964, Life magazine did a spread on the

Peralta Stones, giving yet further credence to the legend.

Whether true or not, the Lost Dutchman's Mine is the most famous treasure legend in American history. The Lost Dutchman's story has been written about at least six times more often than the story of Captain Kidd's famous lost treasure.  According to one estimate, eight thousand people annually make some effort, however half-hearted, to locate the Lost Dutchman's Mine.


Arizona Legends and Lore

Thursday, May 16, 2024

The Lost Dutchman's Mine and the Peralta Stones

 For over fifty years after the death of Jacob Waltz, treasure hunters followed the ambiguous clues that the Dutchman left behind as to the whereabouts of his mine. Something significant changed in 1949 when the so-called Peralta Stones were discovered in the desert.




Wednesday, May 15, 2024

The Dutchman's Curse: Mysterious Deaths in Arizona's Superstition Mountains


 

Over six hundred people have lost their lives in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, some under very mysterious circumstances.  In 1892, Charles Dobie became the last known death caused by an Apache in the Superstitions.  I stress the words “last known” because of the legend of the “Black Legion,” a secret group of militant Native Americans, which supposedly did and does protect the sacred burial grounds in the mountains.



Legends of the Superstition Mountains



Sunday, March 24, 2024

Native Americans wipe out U.S. Army command (Not Custer)

 



On December 23, 1835, one hundred and ten men under the command of Major Francis Dade left Fort Brooke (present-day Tampa), to reinforce and resupply Fort King (present-day Ocala).   Relations between the United States and the Seminoles in Florida had grown increasingly hostile as the U.S. Army tried to forcefully relocate the Seminole to reservations in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma).

Major Dade knew he might be attacked, but having crossed several rivers and the thicker woods, he felt relatively safe and called in his flanking scouts in order to increase the speed of the marching column. Major Dade had no idea of the number of enemies he might be facing or where they might be.  His column was now completely blind.  Meanwhile, Seminole scouts watched the troops in their sky-blue uniforms every foot of the way.

The troops marched for five quiet days until December 28, when they were just south of the present-day city of Bushnell. Suddenly, they withered under a volley of fire delivered by one hundred and eighty hidden Seminole warriors.  Major Dade and half of his men were brought down immediately.

No organized defense was made.  The cannon was discharged several times, but the men around it were quickly shot down.  Most of the soldiers, still in two single file lines, were quickly killed.   Only three U.S. soldiers were reported to have survived the attack.

Lack of intelligence about the enemy, combined with the enemy’s use of terrain and the element of surprise account for this U.S. Army defeat.



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