All language subtitles for The.Curse.of.Civil.War.Gold.S02E08.WEBRip.x264-ION10

-Whoa, look at that.
-Oh, yeah.

-BRAD: What in the world?
-AL: Wow.

KURT:
My great-great-grandfather
was present

at the capture
of Jefferson Davis.

This is what was passed on
to me.

-Oh, wow.
-KEVIN: Oh, wow. Look at that.

-I'm getting a bad feeling
about these waves today.
-AL: Yep.

-LUCAS: This is a void.
-ALEX: A void?

-Like an actual open space?
-Mm-hmm.

This cries out "disguise."

This was all supposed
to be a secret.

♪

KEVIN:
We need to really focus

and start searching
around this area.

-Sounds good.
-Say, Lucas,

I think we're gonna split up.

Um, I'm gonna have Brad
and Alex work with you,

and I think Al and I are gonna
head and just do some scouting,

-and see what we can find, so...
but if you guys find something,
-Yeah. Sure.

-holler to us, all right?
-You bet. Definitely.
-Yeah, we'll let you know.

NARRATOR:
In Port Royal, Virginia,

on the site of Garrett's farm,

the place where
John Wilkes Booth

was supposedly cornered
and killed

following his assassination

of President Abraham Lincoln
in 1865,

treasure hunter Kevin Dykstra,

along with his brother Al,

researcher Brad Richards
and Alex Lagina,

the son of Oak Island treasure
hunter Marty Lagina,

are searching for evidence

that might help them prove
an incredible theory...

that the trail leading
to millions of dollars

in stolen Confederate gold,

supposedly still lying at
the bottom of Lake Michigan,

may, in some way, be connected
to a larger plot.

A plot that stretches
from the arrest

of Jefferson Davis
in Irwinville, Georgia,

all the way to the White House
in Washington, D.C.

All right, so just keep
your eyes open.

You know? Let's see
if we can find any footings

-or-or anything like that.
-All right.

KEVIN:
We got to find
something concrete.

AL:
Yep.

Look at this here.

It almost looks like a crick
that went down there.

-AL: Oh, yeah.
-It's almost like a trail.

If this was just a washout,
it would've went

right straight down the ravine,
but it kind of curves.

-AL: Yeah.
-Kind of like a switchback.

So, this could've been the main
trail up to the farmhouse?

Yep. I certainly
don't think that

they would have built a barn
on a slope like this.

-Yeah.
-You know, I think it could
possibly be even up here.

-You want to go that way?
-Yeah, I think so.

All right.

NARRATOR:
Just two days ago,

while waiting for the necessary government permits to search

Lake Michigan
for a 19th-century boxcar

filled with missing
Confederate gold,

Kevin and members of his team
traveled to Washington, D.C.

to meet with author
and investigative journalist

Warren Getler.

The story that I've heard
is that John Wilkes Booth

was just a, like,
a rogue Southern sympathizer

who executed Abraham Lincoln,
but you're saying

-that that's not the case.
-WARREN: Right.

That's the established history,
but it's, it's not true.

NARRATOR:
It was during this meeting

that Getler revealed that
the mastermind behind the plot

to steal
the Confederate treasury

was most likely Lincoln's
secretary of war,

Edwin Stanton,

and that the gold was intended
to finance a coup

with links to a secret
organization known

as the Knights
of the Golden Circle.

The following day,
Kevin and the team

met with historian and author
Nate Orlowek,

who not only confirmed
a possible connection

between Stanton
and John Wilkes Booth,

but also shared his theory
that Booth wasn't killed

during a standoff with Union
soldiers at Garrett's farm

on April 26, 1865,

but, in fact, escaped.

Well, for over 45 years, I've
been researching the question

of whether John Wilkes Booth
was killed in Garrett's barn,

as the government
would have us believe.

Our conclusion is that the man
killed in Garrett's barn

was not John Wilkes Booth.

NARRATOR:
Acting on this information,

Kevin and members of his team,

along with ground-penetrating
radar expert Lucas Garcia,

have come to the site
of Garrett's farm

in an effort to find evidence
of a secret escape route

that Booth might have used
to evade capture.

ALEX:
Honestly, this thing gets around
the woods pretty good.

LUCAS:
Yeah, it does.

We can go down there,
kind of down there a little bit

between those trees, maybe?

ALEX:
Yeah, let's go down
through there.

BRAD:
Are you finding anything?

-LUCAS: Nope.
-Well, we're covering
a lot of ground.

LEX: Yep.
-LUCAS [chuckles]: Yep.

NARRATOR:
Ground-penetrating radar,
or GPR,

sends high-frequency
radio signals into the earth

to detect differences
in ground composition,

as well as large objects
or voids,

more than ten feet
below the surface.

BRAD:
We sure are seeing first-hand

a lot of places and locations
of historical value.

-Oh, yeah.
-You know?

I mean, it's pretty cool
to think

that such a, an important part

-of history happened right here.
-Yeah.

NARRATOR:
Because federal law
strictly prohibits

any kind of excavation

or removal of artifacts
on government-owned property,

Kevin and the team are hoping
that if evidence

of an escape route or tunnel
lies hidden belowground,

the GPR device
can obtain an image of it.

BRAD:
The poor Garrett family.

You know, this, this
ruined their lives, too,

because the Northerners hated
them for aiding and abetting

John Wilkes Booth,
and the Southerners hated them

-for, uh, giving up
John Wilkes Booth. So...
-[chuckles]: Yeah.

-Talk about a no-win.
-Yeah.

What do you got?
You find something?

Yeah, I found something
pretty interesting.

You can kind of see this soil
layer, kind of dips down.

-ALEX: Yep.
-Right here
is definitely interesting.

I can definitely see
that looks it comes--

looks like--
maybe it's like a...

Depression of some sort
underneath the ground?

Depression of some sort,
yeah, it's...

You can definitely see a break,
and then it drops down.

-You can see.
-ALEX: Yeah, I see that.
-BRAD: Oh, wow.

-BRAD: What do you think, Alex?
-ALEX: Well, it's,

it's clearly something.
I mean, I don't know

really what to make of it.
It's obviously an anomaly.

LUCAS:
It's hard to say.
I know there's something there,

but I'm not definitive
on what it is.

ALEX:
I think we should keep going.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

BRAD:
Keep moving.

NARRATOR:
As Brad and Alex continue
scanning for signs

of a possible tunnel that could have been used by Booth

as part of an escape route,
on the nearby ridge,

Kevin Dykstra and his brother
Al are searching for signs

of the house and barn that
once stood on the property.

If they can find any evidence
that supports

Nate Orlowek's theory
that Booth managed to escape,

they could possibly rewrite
American history.

Watch your step.

Let's head right up over here.

Kind of up by that ridge,
right there,

-and see.
-All right.

-Al.
-Yo.

-What?
-What is this?

AL:
Oh, wow!

What the heck is that?

I think it's a pitchfork.

That's evidence of a farm.

NARRATOR:
A pitchfork?

Could Kevin and Al have found
an important clue

indicating that they are close
to where the barn once stood

on the property?

And if so, might they also
be close to locating

a possible escape route
or tunnel

that John Wilkes Booth could
have used to evade capture

more than 150 years ago?

Brad! Alex!

-What?
-Come here.

You're not gonna believe this.

-What do you got?
-What do you guys got?

-ALEX: Look at that.
-BRAD: What in the world?

KEVIN:
I think-I think
it's part of a pitchfork.

ALEX:
It's clearly an old piece
of farming equipment.

KEVIN:
I believe that that farm

was right here, and I think that
that pitchfork could have just

laid in the ground
until the tree

started to grow
and just brought it right up.

-I've never seen anything
like that before.
-I know. I said the same thing.

Now, that's been there
for a long time.

Some farmer probably got done

pitching manure
out of the barn,

leaned it up against a tree

and the tree
just kind of grew around it.

That was the first indication

that we were probably
on the site of the barn.

I think we're definitely
onto something,

but I think we need
to do some more GPR

before we lose all the daylight.

-Yeah.
-All right. Yeah.

-Keep looking.
-Yeah, let's go.
-Keep searching.

NARRATOR:
While Kevin and Al resume

scouting the ridgeline,

Brad and Alex begin
scanning the area

with GPR technician
Lucas Garcia.

BRAD:
Well, if there was an escape
tunnel of some sort,

we're certainly at the right
spot to try to find one.

-Yeah, on the hillside?
-Yeah.

[GPR beeping]

Wait a minute.

-That's something.
-Mm-hmm.

LUCAS:
This bre

LUCAS:
This break right here
is definitely interesting.

...Brad Richards
and Alex Lagina,

along with GPR technician
Lucas Garcia,

have just made what could be
a significant discovery.

They are searching
for evidence of a tunnel

on the former site
of the Garrett farm,

the place where President
Abraham Lincoln's assassin,

John Wilkes Booth,
was reportedly killed

by Union troops
on April 26, 1865.

LUCAS:
It looks like a void.

-A void, what do you mean?
-We got another area down here.

-Like an actual open space?
-Mm-hmm.

NARRATOR:
A void?

Could this be proof that Booth
did indeed escape

by faking his own death
at the site in 1865,

as researcher
Nate Orlowek believes?

Although it was widely reported at the time that a man

matching the description
of John Wilkes Booth

was shot inside a burning,
smoke-filled barn

at Garrett's farm
on April 26, 1865,

there are some who believe

that the man was, in fact,
an imposter,

and that the real Booth
not only survived,

but made his way out west.

BRAD:
With my past experience
as a history teacher,

it's just jarring to discover

these historical facts that
don't line up at all with what

I was taught in college
and high school.

You know,
it really makes me think,

over the past two decades,

am I teaching my students
the right stories here?

Does it look to you
like anything man-made?

I know you can... you'd have
to speculate a little bit.

Uh, it could, but I'm not
definitive on what it is.

Can you tell how tall?

About three...
about four, four feet down.

Well, what do you think
about that, Brad?

I think we got
to call 'em over.

Hey, guys! Over here!

-What do you got?
-Whoa.

-What is that?
-Hey!

-ALEX: We don't know.
-AL: Could that be a tunnel?

It's a pretty clear depression,
or like,

almost like a little...
a little channel cut.

AL:
Interesting.

-There's no erosion here.
-No.

It-it could be a tunnel,

it could be a hideout.

-Um...
-Could be a cellar.

It could be
any number of things.

But that is really significant.

NARRATOR:
Although the team has found
scientific evidence

of what could be a tunnel,

unfortunately,
they are not legally allowed

to prove or disprove it
by digging on the property.

However, the possibility

that John Wilkes Booth
could have escaped

from Garrett's farm in 1865
may be further supported

by one man's incredible story.

In 1907, an attorney
by the name of Finis L. Bates

to be the mummified corpse
of John Wilkes Booth.

According to Bates,
Booth had led a secret life

for decades
after his escape in 1865,

operating
under different aliases

both in Texas and Oklahoma.

However, in 1903,

after reportedly confessing

to be the man who murdered President Lincoln,

he committed suicide
by ingesting arsenic.

Bates then acquired
the man's remains

and began displaying them
at carnival shows

across the United States.

Could the Bates mummy
really have been that

of John Wilkes Booth?

The truth may never be known,

as the mummy changed owners
several times,

until disappearing for good
sometime in the 1970s.

Descendants of the notorious
actor have also attempted

to exhume the body

that lies buried
in Booth's unmarked grave

in Baltimore, Maryland,
and subject it to DNA testing.

But, so far, authorities
have denied their requests.

One thing's for sure, you know.

-Yeah.
-Nate led us here,

and we're finding
definite targets on this site.

You know, even if we don't find
anything more,

this was a worthwhile trip.

Oh, yeah. Should we help you
break this down?

Yeah, that would be great.
Thank you.

NARRATOR:
After nearly a week

in Washington, D.C.,

Kevin Dykstra and his team

have heard and seen
compelling evidence

that their search
for Confederate gold

on the bottom of Lake Michigan

might be connected
to a much larger conspiracy

than they ever imagined.

KEVIN:
Nothing took away
from my theory.

It only added to it.

It's like these missing pieces
that I felt were there,

but didn't know.

BRAD:
We got to head back to Michigan.

-KEVIN:
Michigan's been calling us.
-[chuckles]

FRED: It's good to be back
at the workshop.

ALEX:
Yeah, it is.

I haven't been here
in a long time.

NARRATOR:
Two days after returning home

from their trip
to Washington, D.C.,

Kevin Dykstra, along with
members of his team,

gather at his workshop
with Alex Lagina

to update each other
on their recent findings

and to discuss critical
next steps

in Kevin's quest to prove that
millions in Confederate gold

was brought to Michigan in
the years after the Civil War.

D.C. was really worthwhile.

It-it was. We met with
some experts out there.

One of them, Warren Getler,
this guy,

he had so much information
on Edwin Stanton,

it just blew me away.

And then Warren introduced us
to another expert.

His name was Nate lowek.

And-and Nate was very
knowledgeable

on John Wilkes Booth.

Yeah, Nate-Nate's information
really kind of deepened

the conspiracy, uh, that we...
-A lot.

...that we think might
have happened.

It's just great history.

-It's terrific history.
-It's new history.

You know, I thininwe've
brought you guys up to speed

on what we've done,
but I want to hear more

about that house.

We did have a pretty
incredible find

right next door to
the Hackley-Hume compound.

There are some vaults
in the basement.

[laughs]
Vaults.

-[laughing]: Oh, my goodness.
-Two vaults!

NARRATOR:
While Kevin, Al, Brad and Alex
were in Washington D.C.,

Frederick J. Monroe and Jeff
Zehr were invited to visit

the 19th-century home
that was once owned

by local attorney
Chauncey Chaddock.

JEFF:
What in the world are these
doing down here?

I've never had an answer for it.

FRED:
Well, I think we know
the answer.

Vaults and gold go hand-in-hand
together in my book.

So tell me what
these vaults were like.

They were big, and they could
hold a lot of money.

And the research also showed
that the relationship

that Chaddock had
with Charles Hackley.

They were business
partners together.

What was the time frame
on that house being built?

-The 1870s.
-I wonder if those guys

built that house,
put those vaults in there...

And then they built the two
mansions next door to it.

I don't think anybody
would believe that

those bank vaults weren't
built purposely

-to house that gold.
-It's incredible.

NARRATOR:
According to
Kevin Dykstra's theory,

-when members of
the 4th Michigan Cavalry...
-[gunfire]

...who were acting on orders
that originated

from Edwin Stanton

arrested Jefferson Davis
in Irwinville, Georgia,

on the morning of May 10, 1865,

they confiscated six wagons
filled with gold,

silver and jewels,
a portion of which remained

in the Confederate treasury
at the end of the Civil War.

The treasure was hidden
for five years

before being smuggled by the railway system to Michigan,

where lumber tycoon Charles
Hackley began laundering it

in local banks.

Chauncey Chaddock acted
as Hackley's attorney

in his banking ventures,

and also lived next door
to Hackley

and Hackley's business partner, Thomas Hume.

So, Hackley and Chaddock
clearly worked together.

Hackley needed some help,
needed to hide some gold,

therefore, he had
this friend, Chaddock,

who he likely could trust.

Here's an opportunity
to build a house for him

and, uh, store some gold.

This was all supposed
to be a secret.

Well, guys, that's-
that's huge information

because I'd always had
that question:

what did they do with
that gold and silver?

Because they needed
a staging area for it,

and I think you guys
have found it.

To find out that Fred and Jeff
may have found the vaults

that were storing that gold and silver for Charles Hackley,

that's huge.

The only thing
that we haven't seen

is a gold bar.

That's a huge find,
you know.

We've had so many revelations

because of other people's
research.

A fella just recently
reached out to me.

His name is Kurt Hazard.

He lives right here in Muskegon,
and his great-great-grandfather,

Elijah Hazard, was serving
with the 4th Michigan Cavalry,

and was at the capture site
down in Georgia

when they apprehended
Jefferson Davis.

-Man...
-No kidding.

And there are some things that

his great-great-grandfather
brought home

that we all need to see.

-Like what?
-No kidding.

Did he give you a hint?
Did he give you a hint?

-He didn't say.
-That's pretty cool.

Yeah, this could be--

I mean, it could be
a pretty big breakthrough.

This could be--
You know, we could get

a-a firsthand account
of what actually took place.

I would love to
sit down with him

and, you know, hear the stories
that he's got,

and maybe see what
he has to show us.

This is priceless.

KEVIN:
I'm veryxcited to hear

what he has to share.

And I hope the information
that he shares with me

really helps propel
this theory forward.

But I'm also in the back
of my mind wondering,

he-he may have some information
that may detract

from my theory as well.

You know, Al, why don't you,
I, and Alex go visit

with Kurt and see
what he's got?

-Yeah.
-I think we've got
our marching orders.

Let's go find some gold.

BRAD:
That's right.

Muskegon, Michigan...This is what was
passed on to me.own

KEVIN: I am really excited
to meet Kurt Hazard.

...Kevin Dykstra, along with
his brother, Al,

and Alex Lagina, are on their
way to a meeting

with Kurt Hazard,
a man who claims to be

a direct descendent of a member of the 4th Michigan Cavalry,

the military regiment that
arrested Jefferson Davis

on May 10, 1865.

-Where are we gonna meet him?
-Uh, we're gonna meet him

at the Hackley
Administration Building.

It was built by Hackley
as a high school,

I believe, with some
of the Confederate gold

that was carried by Jefferson
Davis at the capture.

This isn't what I would call
written-down history.

This is family history.

And I think there's
a-a special place for stories

that have been handed down
from generation

to generation to generation.

It's like they dodged
the history books.

Well, if you're looking for
missing gold,

the story's not gonna be
in the history books, right?

-Right, right.
-KEVIN: Good point.

Well, here...
Here we are right here.

NARRATOR:
Although mainstream historians
claim that Davis

had little to nothing
of value with him

at the time of his arrest,

Kevin has recently been made
aware of firsthand accounts

that not only did Davis escape
with millions

in Confederate treasure, but
that a number of other wagons

filled with gold had also
managed to escape.

Today, it is Kevin's hope that
Kurt Hazard will provide him

the evidence he needs
to prove that his theory

concerning millions in stolen
Confederate gold is true.

KEVIN:
To have somebody that close
to where I live,

who has a relative who was there
at the capture site...

I can't tell you
how excited I am.

Kurt. Finally.

-Yeah, nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.

-Thanks for showing up.
-Sure.

Well, this is exciting
for us, Kurt.

KURT: Well, this is exciting
for me as well.

Um, I heard about your theories,

and I thought there's a definite
tie-in with my family history.

I found out that my
great-great-grandfather,

Elijah C. Hazard,
served in the 4th Michigan,

-which, obviously,
is what you've been following.
-Uh-huh.

I have a list of the soldiers
from Michigan

that served in the Civil War,
as far as what company.

Right here clearly lists
Elijah C. Hazard

and it shows that
he was in Company C

of the 4th Michigan Cavalry.

KEVIN:
Elijah C. Hazard, yeah.

-He's here.
-AL: That's solid.

So also, I found out
through the obituary

of my great-great-grandfather
that he was wounded...

-Hmm.
-...in the capture
of Jefferson Davis

at the very end of the war.

NARRATOR:
In the early hours

of May 10, 1865,

as Lieutenant Colonel
Benjamin Pritchard

led a detachment
of the 4th Michigan Cavalry

toward Jefferson Davis's
campsite from the southeast...

a second Union attachment from
the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry

was approaching from the North.

-[men shouting]
-NARRATOR: Suddenly,

a firefight ensued
and two members

of the 4th Michigan Cavalry

were killed,
while several others

on both sides were injured

before the 4th Michigan

ultimately made
the arrest of Davis.

Although the incident
was later reported

as an unfortunate case
of friendly fire,

is it possible that Pritchard
ordered his men

to shoot anyone
who might interfere

with his efforts to capture
Davis and the gold?

Even if it meant firing on
Union troops?

KURT:
As far as that goes,

there was some... gold.

Which was passed down...
to the family.

It's been in the family
the whole time.

KEVIN:
You believe that
this gold was the gold

-that was captured
with Jefferson Davis?
-KURT: I mean, I think

that's completely plausible
that that's,

that's where that came from.

-Is there any way
we can see them?
-Definitely.

This is what
was passed down to me.

And this is the pouch
that it was in.

-AL: That's the original pouch?
-To my knowledge,

it's always been in there.
For my entire life,

it's always been in here.

And...

-Oh, wow.
-Oh, wow.

-Look at that.
-Wow.

AL:
No kidding.

-That's a big chunk of gold.
-AL: Yeah, that's a big chunk.

KURT:
There was one other item

that was with this,
which I don't have right now.

But there was a two cent coin.

Um, what year?

-1864.
-Is it your belief

that that coin
and this was all together

-from your great-great-
grandfather at the capture?
-KURT: I-- Yes.

I mean, he wasn't a prospector
or a gold miner.

-He was at the captures.
-And he was at the capture site.

I mean, that-that seems like

the piece of the puzzle
fitting together.

-Can I pick it up?
-Certainly.

Most definitely.

NARRATOR:
Actual gold?

Brought home from the arrest
of Jefferson Davis

by a member
of the 4th Michigan Cavalry?

-Boy, that's heavy.
-AL: Yeah.

NARRATOR:
Could Kevin Dykstra
finally be looking

at proof
that his theory is true?

KEVIN:
Never would I have thought

that somebody would reach to me

and show me gold
that came from the capture

of Jefferson Davis,
right in my hometown.

He blew me away.

Crazy.

Kind of nice to have
some confirmation, isn't it?

KEVIN:
Yeah, did you ever think
you'd be holding

a piece of gold
that was most likely

transported by Jefferson Davis?

Well, I've been diving like
a crazy person to do just this.

-[laughter]
-Yeah.

[chuckles]

ALEX:
It's interesting,
the shape it's in.

The fact that it
seems to have been...

-Melted?
-...either melted or,
you know, something.

-KEVIN: Significant.
-There must be
a reason for that.

-AL: Right. Yeah.
-This piece in particular...

...actually has an edge in there

that's folded over
that looks like a coin edge.

Oh, you think that was a coin
at one time?

I... I mean,
it's a definite possibility.

I mean, I don't know if you can
see it with a bare eye.

-KEVIN: Yeah,
that's what it was.
-KURT: You see, you see.

-AL: It was. That was a coin.
-That was a coin.
-KURT: That's...

NARRATOR:
A possible gold coin?

But if so,
why would it have been

altered to disguise
its identity?

So...

were they nervous
they had so much coinage

that they just tried to...

-AL: Crush 'em?
-...crush 'em and,
and disguise it?

AL:
I think they would crush

the smaller gold pieces up

and destroy it so that
it's still worth its weight

in gold, but they can't
identify where it came from.

AL:
I'm just so curious
how he got that.

Was it given to him?
Did he take it?

Speculation on my part,
but if he was wounded...

towards the end there...

it might have been
some sort of...

-AL: Payment.
-...payment.

NARRATOR:
Local resident

Kurt Hazard has just presented

Kevin Dykstra,

his brother Al and Alex Lagina

with gold that he believes

his great-great-grandfather
took from the site

of Jefferson Davis's arrest

in Irwinville, Georgia
on May 10, 1865.

You think, possibly,
he was given this gold

and said, "Elijah, here.

This is your portion of it,
don't say a word." Not to share.

-Right. And there was
no story...
-KEVIN: Yeah.

-...passed on with it.
-KEVIN: So is it
your belief that

this is the only gold that your
great-great-grandfather had?

Well, there's, there's
a definite possibility

that that pouch was full.
I mean...

it's... an awful big pouch
for three pieces of gold.

-KEVIN: Yeah.
-[men chuckle]

NARRATOR:
Could Kurt Hazard's
notion be true?

Is this gold just a portion

of what his great-great-
grandfather was given

to buy his silence about

millions of dollars more
that members

of the 4th Michigan Cavalry

took from Jefferson Davis
in 1865

and later helped to launder
with Muskegon business tycoon,

Charles Hackley?

$140 million of which

Kevin believes
to be lying somewhere

on the bottom
of Lake Michigan today.

ALEX:
Having this and holding this
in my hand

is-is really cool.

This is really great evidence.

What are the odds that we've got
somebody that was

in the 4th Michigan
at the capture,

brings gold back to Muskegon,

of all places.

It's, it's almost a long shot
for it to be anything but.

-KEVIN: Yeah.
-KURT: Right.
It's hard to come up

-with another explanation
of, of...
-KEVIN: Yeah.

-...how he came to have that.
-Right.
-KEVIN: I agree.

KEVIN:
It did say, you know, that Davis

was carrying gold specie.

There was...

-60 kegs of silver coins.
-Mm-hmm.

Um, gold bullion...

um, jewelry, gold and silver
jewelry, so...

I think what
we're looking at here

is a piece of the gold that was
carried with Jefferson Davis.

Kurt Hazard's story
and Kurt Hazard's gold

that came from
his great-great-grandfather,

validates my research

in a way that I never
even dreamed of.

To have something come in
from the sidelines going,

"You're right... gold did make
it to Muskegon."

Eight years of research
is now validated.

I think Marty would really
be excited if we could

put gold in his hand.
Would you be willing to...

head up to Traverse City
with us tomorrow

-and show Marty Lagina
this gold?
-Sure, most definitely.

Okay, I can't thank you
enough for bringing

-that gold here;
that was huge for us.
-KURT: Yeah.

ALEX:
I'm looking forward to what

-my dad's gonna say, honestly.
-AL: I'm curious.

♪

NARRATOR:
One day after their incredible
meeting in Muskegon...

-BRAD: Awesome place.
-AL: Two years to build it.

NARRATOR:
Kevin Dykstra, his brother Al,

Brad Richards and Kurt Hazard
have traveled

approximately 130 miles north

to Traverse City, Michigan,

to meet with Marty Lagina--

Kevin's financial partner--
at the Lagina's winery

to share with him
the potentially

game-changing evidence

that Kurt showed them
the previous day.

Hey. Marty, how are you?

Hi, Kevin.
How in the heck are you?

Oh, nice. Great to see you.

-And you got Bad Brad
with you and Al.
-Hey, Marty. Yeah.

KEVIN:
Marty Lagina's a data guy.

He's a numbers guy.

When it comes to showing him
gold that was

at the capture
of Jefferson Davis,

I think it's gonna help bolster

Marty's believe in my project.

All right, Kevin.

You were pretty excited
on the phone.

-Pretty eager.
-And, and, and I still am.

I, uh, you know,
when we were here last,

you, you gave us some pretty

-explicit instructions.
-Yes.

MARTY:
Well, you've done
a great job of research,

but what can you put
in my hand or let me touch?

Get out there and find it.

NARRATOR;
Last year,

after Marty Lagina
agreed to finance

a search for lost
Civil War gold

at the bottom
of Lake Michigan...

Kevin and his team have found

some compelling evidence,

including possible video
of a gold bar

-at the bottom of the lake...
-KEVIN: Right there.

NARRATOR:
...as well as
silver Confederate coins

discovered both at the
Jefferson Davis capture site

in Irwinville, Georgia...

GARY:
That is a silver

-Confederate coin.
-[laughter]

NARRATOR;
...and in the yard
of Lieutenant Colonel

Benjamin Pritchard's
19th-century Michigan home.

-BRAD: Hey, hey, hey,
it's a coin.
-[detector beeping]

NARRATOR:
But tangible evidence

of actual gold has eluded them.

That is... until now.

-This is Kurt Hazard here.
-Mm-hmm.

He has a... a powerfully
interesting story

and some artifacts

I think you're really
gonna be impressed with.

Well, uh, I do have
something to show you.

-Mm-hmm?
-KURT: And...

my great-great-grandfather
was Elijah C. Hazard

and he was a member
of the 4th Michigan Cavalry.

And was present at the capture

-of Jefferson Davis.
-Wow.

What I have to show you today...

...is some gold
that was passed down

through the family
from him directly.

MARTY:
Well, I'd say...

that is gold, for sure.

And it is in my hand, isn't

And it is in my hand, isn't it?

NARRATOR: ...Kevin Dykstra,
along with Alex Lagina,

members of the team,
and Muskegon resident

Kurt Hazard,
have just presented

Marty Lagina with actual gold

that was obtained by Kurt's
great-great-grandfather

during the arrest
of Jefferson Davis in 1865.

MARTY:
And it's also nuggets,

-I mean, or been melted.
-Been-- yeah.

And one is interesting.
It looks like a crushed-up coin.

MARTY:
It does.

Tell me more.

According to my family research,

Elijah C. Hazard was wounded

at the capture
of Jefferson Davis.

What I have... this is a copy
from one newspaper

of his obituary.

And, uh, what it states
is that, uh,

"He was wounded during
the capture of former

"rebel president
Jefferson Davis,

this disability finally
bringing him to his deathbed."

-Oh?
-To me that..

-It was serious.
-It was serious.

-Yeah.
-He passed away-- it was
several years later, 1890,

but it sounds like he had never
fully recovered from that.

As I say, it referred to him
as being "crippled

-for 14 years," so...
-That's what it says there?

-Yeah, it says that he was...
-Could I see it?

-Oh, certainly.
-Kurt's story,

if it was just a story, wouldn't
really get my attention,

but it has validity to it.

This contemporary obituary

verifies that his
great-great-grandfather

was at the capture
of Jefferson Davis,

was in the Michigan regiment
that we know was there,

was disabled, and he ends up with a pouch with a few pieces

of disfigured gold.

This cries out "disguise."

You don't usually take
a-a full ounce of gold,

-which is what this feels like.
-Right.

-It's either in a coin
or it's in jewelry,
-Something.

-or it's in its native state,
it's a nugget.

-This is none of those things,
I would say.
-KURT: Right.

We know his grandfather has
no reason to have this gold

other than the fact
that he was at the capture

-of Jefferson Davis.
-Mm-hmm.

It is alogical conclusion,
it might not be the only one.

-The-- Okay, I'll-I'll...
-But it is definitely

a logical-- and it might be
the best one.

Has it got friends at
the bottom of Lake Michigan?

-[chuckling]
-AL: Probably bigger ones.

-It's definitely got some
cousins down there.
-Yeah.

This isn't what I meant
when I said

I wanted gold in my hand.

I wanted gold
from Lake Michigan or gold

with a Confederate seal on it,
or... you know,

something that
proves this theory.

But having said that,

this is a reasonable proxy
or a reasonable step

towards that, because,
like, you know,

I have to say it's significant.

What else have you got cooking?

We've seen some real
interesting, um, evidence

that the assassination
of Abraham Lincoln

can be involved in this as well.

That's not something that I was
looking for when I started,

but as these stories keep
getting brought to us,

-compelling
information about that...
-You think this could

be tied to
Lincoln's assassination?

I'm fairly certain that
the assassination

of Abraham Lincoln
could be involved with what

we're dealing with here
with the missing gold.

That would,
that would bring it up

-a whole nother level,
wouldn't it?
-Mm-hmm.

-Yes, it would.
-[chuckling]:
At least a whole 'nother level.

-Yes, it would.
-Okay, well, keep me
informed on that.

Okay, so what's next?

-On the lake?
-Yeah, on the lake.

Well, we've been working
with the state,

and we're right now
just waiting for the response

back to see what direction
they want to go...

-Okay.
-...with the permits we need,

but we're having a little bit
of a struggle.

We, um, we have not located

what we believe
is a gold bar just yet.

We know we're in the area.

Unfortunately, I don't think
it's gonna be that easy.

What isthat?

NARRATOR:
Although a sonar
scanning operation

just three weeks ago
detected a large object

near the debris field,
Kevin and the team

are currently waiting
for permits to explore

on the lake bottom.

Seasonally harsh weather
conditions have so far

prevented them from diving down to determine just what it is.

I think it's just getting
too wild out here.

It's a cowboy ride.

Holy [bleep]!

We-we were both hoping you'd
dive right down onto it, right?

We were hoping.
We know that lake bottom shifts.

-Of course.
-That sand is changing
all the time.

MARTY:
He needs to get back
in the water yesterday.

Look, the-- a storm comes up
and the sand shifts,

and it's all over, perhaps.

I mean, you know, you're not
allowed to actually dig yet.

So they need to get down there

while they can see them.
They need to get

down there now.
We're running out of time.

Well, gentlemen, I think we've
come as far as we can today.

So I really appreciate it.

-Pleasure to meet you, sir,
yeah.
-Most definitely. You as well.

-Kevin.
-[chuckles]

Al, and Bad Brad...

BRAD:
[chuckles] Good
to see you, Marty.

MARTY:
Get back out there!
Bring me some more news.

And-And it would be,
it would be very nice

to have another thing
put in my hand.

KEVIN:
We're working on it.

NARRATOR:
One day after their meeting
with Alex and Marty Lagina

in Traverse City, Michigan...

-KEVIN: Lake Michigan,
here we come.
-AL: About time.

NARRATOR: ...Kevin Dykstra
and his brother Al

have traveled some
40 miles west

to the marina on Lake Michigan

-in the town of Frankfort.
-Well, let's hope this time

with Brian, we can
get some work done.

-Yeah.
-I mean, it would be great

if he could direct us onto those
targets that are down there.

NARRATOR:
They are eager
to work once again

with underwater imaging expert
Brian Abbott

to resume dive operations
on Lake Michigan

in search of
a 19th-century boxcar

and a reported $140 million

in missing Confederate gold.

-KEVIN: Here's the marina.
-AL: I'm ready to get back
in there.

KEVIN:
It's very exciting to be back
in Frankfort

and return to the search,
return to the hunt, if you will.

The anticipation I feel today
of finding the proof

that there is gold bars
laying at the bottom

of Lake Michigan
is very strong.

Let's get this underway.

AL:
Let's see what we get.s g.

AL:
Let's see what we get.

NARRATOR: ...treasure hunter
Kevin Dykstra

and his brother Al have arrived at the marina

to resume dive operations
on Lake Michigan

in search of a fortune
in stolen Confederate gold.

Kind of curious, though,
about that object

-that appeared
on the sector scan.
-Yeah.

-Hey, guys.
-BRIAN: Hey, man.

NARRATOR: Joining Kevin and Al
once again

-for today's operation...
-How's everybody?

-Brian. -NARRATOR: ...are dive master

Frederick J. Monroe, underwater
imaging expert Brian Abbott,

and boat captain
Luke Springstead.

Well, here we are again.
What have we got?

We've got a couple
of interesting targets.

Why don't you come back here
and take a look at?

Tell me what you think.

NARRATOR:
After further processing
the sonar data

collected from their
most recent operation,

Brian Abbott has
been able to generate

an even clearer picture
of the object they detected.

They're casting some weird
shadows on the ground, and...

-Can you measure that
once real quick?
-Absolutely.

So, if we come here this way
across, we're just about

a little over 12 feet depending
on the direction that you go.

We went east-west,
now we'll go north-south.

Uh, we're at six and a half
feet, roughly,

depending on how you measure it.

That's about half of a boxcar.

NARRATOR:
Late 19th-century boxcars
were designed to be

36 feet long
by seven feet wide.

However, since it is probable
that when the boxcar

was pushed off the ferry that

it was being transported on

it likely could've
exploded upon impact

with the lake bottom...

...could it be possible
that Kevin and the team

have finally found a section
of the missing boxcar?

And if so, could they also
be close to locating a fortune

in missing Confederate gold?

I think they're very
interesting targets.

I think they're something that
we need to put divers on.

KEVIN:
Will you be able to put us

-right back on that spot?
-Yeah. Absolutely.

-Excellent.
-Yep.

Luke, we can probably
fire the engines up,

-and get this thing
headed out there.
-Absolutely.

-[engine starting]
-And we're off!

KEVIN:
Everything look good,
Captain Luke?

Sure does.

Hey... looks like
we got some swells.

And they're crashing over
the wall pretty good.

That's not looking good.

When the boat is at the dock
in the marina,

it's always usually
pretty calm.

But when we start taking that
boat away from the dock

and head out to the big lake,

that's when you start to see
those waves.

And once they start crashing
over that pier,

you really have to be
on your A game.

-Yeah, why don't we get
life jackets on?
-All right.

NARRATOR:
The fact that
the weather conditions

are currently creating waves
as high as eight feet

is a devastating development.

It means that the dive
operation Kevin and the team

hoped for today may be over

before it even has
the chance to begin.

Is that hatch closed or is that
window closed up there?

Hatches are closed.

I'm getting a bad feeling
about these waves today.

AL:
Yep. I am, too.

If they're this big right here,

they're gonna be
bigger out there.

More treacherous is
the frequency of them.

-They're very close together.
-KEVIN: Hang on.

Oh, wow.

Oh, yeah.
There ain't no way.

Can't put a tripod down in this.
Let alone recover it.

You guys watch it
back there, okay?

-Hang on.
-AL: Man, these are huge!

KEVIN:
It's very depressing,

having all these resources
at our disposal

but yet being so dependent
on the weather.

I know Marty is gonna
be disappointed,

and I'm totally worried
we're running out of time

to find that gold on the bottom of the lake.

-All right. Why don't you have
Luke turn us around?
-BRIAN: Yeah.

KEVIN:
There you go, Luke.
Let's go.

I'll never give up
on this mission.

There's no turning back.
Come hell or high water,

we're gonna exhaust
every option to get out there

and find what's on the bottom
of that lake.

We'll find it.
I know it's there.

NARRATOR: For Kevin Dykstra and his team,

an eight-year quest
to find a legendary boxcar

at the bottom of Lake Michigan

has now become a battle
against nature itself.

But after finally obtaining
the tangible evidence

that could prove his theory--

that a vast conspiracy to steal
and launder millions

in Confederate gold-- is true,

has his time to find it
now run out?

Or will his only chance
to unlock the final secrets

of one of the greatest
mysteries in American history

require him to go further

and risk much more

than he ever bargained for?

Next time on
The Curse of Civil War Gold...

We don't have much time left.
If we have to bring in

a professional diver, so be it.

KEVIN: I need to be able
to show Marty proof.

Let me know when you get
to the bottom.

KEVIN:
The stakes are really high.

What is that?

-There's another one.
-How many did you see total?

-Four or five.
-Holy...

MARTY:
Am I seeing what

I think I'm seeing here?

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