Original subtitles

-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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