Confederate Paymaster Gold — Bear Springs

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Confederate Paymaster Gold — Bear Springs

Lost Treasure TN • Stewart County County
Description
Fort Donelson retreat legend of a Confederate paymaster burying $60,000 in gold and silver coins near Bear Springs on Lake Barkley after the February 1862 surrender.
Historical Notes
When Fort Donelson fell on February 16, 1862, Confederate forces streamed westward under Union pursuit. Folklore says a paymaster cached roughly $60,000 in coin near Bear Springs on the west side of present Lake Barkley. The payroll was supposedly accumulated after the Federal victory at Fort Donelson. Whether the officer was killed, captured, or simply could not relocate the cache, the gold was never recovered. Bear Springs remains a focal point for metal-detector clubs along the Tennessee–Kentucky border near the Cumberland River.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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