The Story of Pegleg's Lost Gold

2009-06-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Where are the mysterious buttes of Pegleg Smith ?? In the Anza Borrego State Park, somewhere near the I-40, or is it lost forever in the Chocolate Mountains ? Talk to any SoCal treasure hunter and you will get a different answer every time. I have been on this trail for years now and think I have it centralized to a small area. But a little background first, first I MUST say that there is a TON of confusion as to the real Identity of Pegleg Smith. Most believe that he is Thomas L Smith noted early mountain man and trapper. I am here to tell you this is NOT the Pegleg Smith who found gold out in the desert. Thomas L. was part of a trapping expedition with a man named George " Dutch " Yount. Someone on that trip did find what they called " native copper ", but it was not Thomas L Smith. Thomas L Smith lived on this story for the rest of his life. He would swindle drinks, food and money from anyone who would listen.The Pegleg Smith that I am referring to was a guide based out of Yuma AZ. He was responsible for the safety and well being of parties of emigrants, to either Los Angeles or San Diego, and would often travel with his companion Price. But on this particular trip he was the lone guide.
The usual way of travel was to follow the old Butterfield stage route, this route was established in 1857 and continued until 1861. From Yuma to Los Angeles it generally took about 282 miles and over 70 hours to complete. After leaving Yuma the trail dipped into Mexico for a couple of days, and then headed in a NW direction. According to Pegleg, all was good for the first two days, and they camped on the edge of one of the slough lakes near the New river. On the morning of the third day they encountered a bad sandstorm and after travelling for sometime became lost. Late in the evening, after trying to navigate through a tough day they bedded down for the night. Early the next day Pegleg knew he was lost. So he climbed the top of one of three buttes to get a lay of the land. As he was looking around and trying to figure out a new way out, he would casually toss a few rocks to the side. Some of these rocks were completely black and very heavy, a oddity for the desert. After Pegleg reached Los Angeles, he showed the rocks to his old partner Price. Price then scraped one of these rocks with a knife and was awestruck by what he found. GOLD !!!! with strains of silver and coated in manganese ( it was the manganese that made it black ). Price asked where did he find them, and all Pegleg could say was " on the top of them buttes, but I'm not rightly sure where ". Since
these words were spoken, countless people have tried in vain to locate these buttes and they are still as elusive as ever.
Now comes the task of finding these buttes, and finding the GOLD!!!! For me, the earliest and most accurate story would come from Pegleg's old partner Price ( after all who would you trust more than a old partner ). According to Price, Pegleg said on his return " it was almost impossible to keep to the trail, for the blow-sand covered it up, or blew away all traces of it in less than a half hour ". He tried as best he could to keep to the trail, but knew he was off track when he entered a ramp like canyon. Now the real question is, just how far up the canyon was he, and which canyon would it have been ?
Barrett canyon seems to fit the bill very well, it is a ramp like canyon, and it's the only one that fits the story. Pegleg states, that he was just north of the Carrizo Gap when he entered his " ramp like canyon ". But again I ask, just how far up the canyon did he go ? He did leave a couple clues though, he said " I climbed up the ramp for some distance to a small butte; it looked as though it sat on a ridge ". As he was on the top, looking over a way to get back to the trail. He saw " nothing but badlands and knew he would have to the long way into Carrizo." He also stated that he saw nothing but badlands and that the ridge was " sort of a hog back made by three or four buttes connected by saddles ".
Now, before you hop into your 4x4 and head for the gold in the hills, there is one thing you should know. This area is part of the Carrizo Impact Area, and has tons of unexploded ordnance. Plus it is ILLEGAL to enter this area !!! And why would you ? The gold ( if it truly is there ), most likely has been bombed to oblivion. It would also explain why the treasure has been so elusive, and why no one has been able to locate it.
This is where I believe that the legacy of Pegleg's Lost Gold may one day be proven. It would take a brave soul to enter a place where one could die just by taking a step. To me that is one risk that I cannot take. I have been to the Carrizo Gap and as Charles Knowles said of the area " I'm afraid you'll go out and try to find it and maybe lose your life. It's a devil of a place ".

Thanks for reading
Historik951

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Southern California's Lost Treasures

The Story of Pegleg's Lost Gold