What did the declassified documents reveal?

Alleged Missing Civil War Gold in Dents Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania – Federal Bureau of Investigation – May thirtieth, two thousand twenty‑two. This record is notable because it is among the first FBI files released concerning the long‑standing rumor that a shipment of United States gold from the Civil War era was buried in Dents Run, Pennsylvania. The document was released to the public on May thirtieth, two thousand twenty‑two as part of a Freedom of Information Act request, case number unknown, under the authority of the FBI’s declassification office. The original PDF is hosted at documents two dot theblackvault dot com, and the entry on The Black Vault was posted on May thirtieth, two thousand twenty‑two. The file begins as an FBI import form, serial number three seven four E dash P H dash two five five three five three two, revision October sixteenth, two thousand nine. The header reads: “UNCLASSIFIED Federal Bureau of Investigation Import Form. Form Type: Email. Date: March thirteenth, two thousand nineteen. Title: (U) LI – ’I ~;mai2‑s Approved By: SA I L‑ – Drafted By: – – Case ID number: 374E‑PH‑2553532 (V). The fate of United States gold in Elk County, Pennsylvania – Cultural Property Crimes – Other. Synopsis: (U) LI – emaih; ++ UNCLASSIFIED.” The body of the record contains a series of encoded characters and placeholders, followed by a forwarded email dated February second, two thousand eighteen, six fifteen PM, subject “Pinkerton”. The email references internal FBI file identifiers such as b6‑1, b7C‑1, b7E‑1 and notes a pending request to check Pinkerton files. Later the document includes a response from the National Archives and Records Administration dated February twenty‑first, two thousand five, addressed to an unknown requester at seven hundred Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, District of Columbia. The letter states: “This is in reply to your letter requesting information about a lost Army gold shipment in Pennsylvania during the Civil War. Nineteenth‑century War Department records are in the custody of the National Archives, particularly Record Group ninety‑nine, Records of the Office of the Paymaster General, not arranged or indexed in a manner that facilitates subject searches. In order to search for information about United States Army payrolls and gold shipments—whether lost or not—one must know the full names of paymasters, exact dates of events, and the full names and unit designations of associated military personnel. Should you wish to visit the National Archives and pursue your research, be advised that Record Group ninety‑nine is currently held at the College Park, Maryland facility (Archives II). Information about visiting the National Archives can be found on our website, archives dot gov.” The record also contains a brief citation of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency holdings, noting that the Library of Congress received a register of Pinkerton records in nineteen fifty‑six, with…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

Alleged Missing Civil War Gold In Dents Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania

◆ BLUF — The short version

Alleged Missing Civil War Gold in Dents Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania – Federal Bureau of Investigation – May thirtieth, two thousand twenty‑two. This record is notable because it is among the first FBI files released concerning the long‑standing rumor that a shipment of United States gold from the Civil War era was buried in Dents Run, Pennsylvania.

Date: JUL 10 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)

↯ Dispatch — press play4:59

0:004:59

↯ Share

X in r/

Episode notes

Questions about this case

What was Alleged Missing Civil War Gold In Dents Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania about?: Alleged Missing Civil War Gold in Dents Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania – Federal Bureau of Investigation – May thirtieth, two thousand twenty‑two. This record is notable because it is among the first FBI files released concerning the long‑standing rumor that a shipment of United States gold from the Civil War era was buried in Dents Run, Pennsylvania.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

intelligence-vault

Related cases

✉ Dispatches

A short dispatch when a new file is released — narrated, answer-first, and linked straight to the primary source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

↯ Subscribe to the feed

RSS feed Browse all cases

Alleged Missing Civil War Gold In Dents Run, Elk County, Pennsylvania

Questions about this case

Related cases

This Declassified Briefing Covers A February Tenth, Nineteen Fifty Three

Today, We're Examining A Declassified United States Air Force Record

CIA Current Intelligence Bulletin, Chinese Nationalist Forces In Burma, March

Genesis And Development Of The Chinese Nationalist Government

NSA Today, We Examine A Top Secret Cable From The Joint Chiefs Of Staff

Questions about this case

Related cases

This Declassified Briefing Covers A February Tenth, Nineteen Fifty Three

Today, We're Examining A Declassified United States Air Force Record

CIA Current Intelligence Bulletin, Chinese Nationalist Forces In Burma, March

Genesis And Development Of The Chinese Nationalist Government

NSA Today, We Examine A Top Secret Cable From The Joint Chiefs Of Staff

Get the next declassified case in your inbox