The End and the C.S. Naval Academy-- Part 2: On the Move Southward to Augusta

From April 3 to 9, Lt. Parker and his cadets were at Danville, Virginia, and then moved south to Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 10 and then to Charlotte on April 13.  Here the Confederate treasury that they had been guarding was placed in the Charlotte mint temporarily, but taken out as the Confederates  moved to Chester, South Carolina.

There the use of the train was abandoned and the treasury put on a wagon train, with gold packed ins small boxes and  and the silver in kegs.  The group, along with First Lady Varina Davis and her children, they traveled to Abbeville, S.C., by April 15 and stayed until the 17th and then  to Washington, Georgia, on the 19th and Augusta on the 20th.

By then, the midshipmen, Parker and the wagon train were in a serious situation.  They had no idea where President Davis or any member of the Treasury Department were.  They were helped thy the fact that they had joined a company of men under Captain Tabb back in Charlotte. But, there were bummers from Sherman's army and looters in the area.

But, he was able to secure  the treasury in the vaults of a bank in Augusta, and they remained in Augusta until after the surrender of Johnston.

--Old Secesh