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By Dan Graybeal Daniel S. Graybeal, a resident of Wise Co., VA, began his search for the lost silver mine and his research of the legend some 24 years ago. This article explores Swift s Journal, the history of the area from 1750-1790, the geology of the area, local legend and a possible connection between Swift and the lost ancestry of the Melungeons, a group of people living near High Knob, VA, and Black Water, TN. Time, though, has a way of eroding even the most fascinating of legends and, while the old timers have told and retold the story, many newcomers to Southwest Virginia may not be aware of the possible existence of the mine and the very real geological possibility of precious metals in the Cumberland and Clinch Mountain ranges. A few local residents and some not so local, have spent many, many hours researching the subject and searching for the mines. In the earlier years some would-be prospectors, driven by visions of instant wealth, set out into the hills on a one day to several weeks search. The major thrust of the search centered around a copy of a treasure map that was so ambiguous even the map maker may have been confused. Their equipment consisted of meager provisions, a pick and shovel, canteen, and tremendous quantities of blind ambition. Many "treasure maps," supposedly pinpointing the site of the mine, have existed but in all likelihood most were counterfeit or ambiguous derivations of an original. Most prospectors expected to find a very shiny streak of metal embedded in a rock formation. Silver generally exists as a sulfide and exists with other metals such as lead, zinc, or copper. It will appear as a gray or charcoal colored material. If near pure silver should exist, it tarnishes to a gray color within a few days after exposure. This may be a reason why few finds have occurred. The fact that no one has reported a valuable find of treasure is not a guarantee that this treasure does not exist. Many people have viewed the subject with much skepticism, attributable in a large part to the lack of knowledge of the subject. According to Swift s Journals, large sums of treasure were buried in a cave near the mine and along the routes back to civilization. Some of the caches may have been found and never reported, whether they were found through diligent search or by accident. Court records shows that some counterfeiting of silver coins occurred around the beginning of the 20th century. In some cases the coins contained more silver than that issued by the U. S. Treasury. A question may arise as to the origin of the silver that was used for the coining. Most geologists feel that it is only remotely possible that silver ore or other precious metals could occur in the two aforementioned mountain ranges. Many finds of metals ranging from zinc to manganese have been reported throughout the area and a number of faults occur in the rock strata. One report of silver being found is recorded in the history of Tazewell Co., VA. Hopefully the portion of this article dealing with geology will provide the reader with layman s overview of the geological possibility of the existence of precious metals in the area. When dealing with a legend, all information must be considered, evaluated and placed in its proper perspective. Nothing can be totally ignored. Most of the printed materials have been very ambiguous and therefore useless to the novice. Based on 16 years of research, and actual searching, it appears that much of the acquired materials can be placed in an order that will be harmonious with the subject. Why hasn t the mine been found? The odds against it are tremendous. When dealingwith maps that may have been made 200 years ago, and area covering parts of four states and limited finances, the task can become monumental to an individual. It s very much like searching for the proverbial needle in the proverbial haystack when one doesn t know in which haystack to search. From The Dickenson Star. First in a series of articles published in 1989. |
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