Oil City, La. - Local authorities are baffled by the sudden disappearance of a man who claimed to have discovered a cache of Spanish gold and silver coins buried near the northern shore of Caddo Lake, not two miles from the bustling Magnolia Petroleum drilling operations.
The stranger, who went by the name of J. Mitchell and claimed to be a government cartographer from Washington, D.C., had been residing at Mrs. Caroline Marshall's Commercial Hotel on Commerce Street since late January. According to witnesses, Mitchell spent considerable time interviewing elderly residents about local folklore and legends dating to the early days of river navigation.
"He was mighty interested in stories about old Captain Shreve and them river pirates," said Captain James Denny, 81, a retired steamboat pilot who worked the Red River during the Great Raft clearing operations. "Kept asking particular questions about where Shreve might've cached supplies during his work clearing the Red River jam back in '33, and especially about his dealings with that scoundrel Lafitte."
Mrs. Caroline Marshall, proprietress of the Commercial Hotel, described Mitchell as "well-mannered but peculiar," noting that he carried unusual surveying instruments and often made references to places and events that seemed anachronistic. "He once mentioned the Great War as if it were already happening," she recalled. "When I asked what he meant, he looked confused and changed the subject."
The discovery was made Wednesday morning when Mitchell approached Sheriff Robert Marshall with a collection of coins and jewelry he claimed to have unearthed from a cypress grove near Ferry Lake Landing. The hoard included Spanish pieces of eight dating from the 1790s, French colonial coins, and several pieces of ornate silver bearing markings that local merchant Solomon Haas identified as "likely of Caribbean origin, possibly from Lafitte's Galveston operations."
Most intriguing was a brass compass of unusual design, inscribed with the initials "H.M.S." - possibly referring to Captain Henry Miller Shreve, the famous river engineer who cleared the Great Raft logjam and founded Shreveport.
"Mitchell claimed he found the treasure using historical records cross-referenced with land surveys," Sheriff Marshall reported. "But when we asked to see these documents, he became evasive. Said they were 'proprietary government materials.'"
Local historian Colonel Samuel Peters, who maintains extensive records of early Louisiana river trade and the Lafitte operations, expressed skepticism about Mitchell's methods. "While it's well documented that Captain Shreve had dealings with various river men of questionable reputation—indeed, he was known to have employed some of Lafitte's former associates in his river clearing operations—I know of no historical documentation placing Lafitte's treasure in this vicinity."
However, Peters acknowledged that the area's geography would have made it an ideal hiding place. "When Lafitte was forced to abandon Galveston in 1821, he had to move quickly. The cypress swamps north of Caddo Lake were largely inaccessible until recent oil exploration opened new roads. If Lafitte trusted Shreve to safeguard valuables during those uncertain times, this region would have offered excellent concealment."
The mystery deepened Thursday morning when Mrs. Marshall discovered Mitchell's room empty, his belongings gone, and his rent paid in advance through the end of March. Most puzzling was a brief note left on the dresser, written in an unusually formal hand:
"The past must be preserved, but the future calls. What was Shreve's shall return to Shreve's city when the time is right. Look for the marker stone where three oaks stand as one. - J.M."
Sheriff Marshall has launched an investigation, though he admits the case presents unusual challenges. "The man committed no crime that we can determine. He reported his find to authorities as required by law. But his sudden departure, combined with certain... inconsistencies in his story, raises questions."
The treasure has been placed in the custody of Caddo Parish pending determination of proper ownership. Legal experts suggest that if no legitimate claim is established, the find may become property of the state under Louisiana's treasure trove statutes.
Meanwhile, several Oil City residents have begun searching the area around Ferry Lake Landing for additional caches, though Sheriff Marshall warns that the marshy terrain remains dangerous and much of the land is now controlled by petroleum companies.
As Oil City continues to grow with the petroleum boom, longtime residents reflect on the area's colorful past. "This land has seen pirates and river rats, soldiers and settlers," observed Captain Denny. "Maybe it's fitting that the old secrets are coming to light just as we're digging deeper than ever before."
Anyone with information regarding Mitchell's whereabouts or knowledge of additional treasure sites is asked to contact Sheriff Marshall's office.