The Lost Treasure Of
1770
This
is the hunt for the lost treasure of the legendary Captain Ben
Caching. Tales have told for many years about Captain Ben Caching’s
treasure chest that had been left in the lower Delaware area and
never recovered. While there seems to be no single historical
document that pinpoints the origin or where abouts of this treasure
with absolute certainty, several tales of the treasure have emerged
over the years.
The most colorful story says that Ben Caching, was a surgeon in an
English fleet that went out in 1723 to capture the pirate Captain
William Kidd. Perhaps lured by the prospect of treasures, Dr. Ben
Caching became a pirate himself, and traveled with Kidd as his
surgeon. Later he betrayed Captain Kidd and set him up to be
captured by the English. Dr. Ben Caching and the others from the
fleet then sailed to Delaware taking with them the treasures of
Captain Kidd. Dr. Ben Caching then became known as “Captain Ben
Caching” and parted company with them. He then took a ship of his
own to plundered the shores of Delaware for many years. He
collected a vast treasure as he plundered every ship and shore town
he came across, eventually he ended up settling in the area that is
now known as Slaughter Beach, Delaware around 1760.
Eventually, as the tale continues, Captain Ben Caching built a
cabin near the shores of Slaughter Beach. In his final years,
Captain Ben Caching lived in a house he built in Milford, a
community about 8 miles (on today's roads) from the cabin he had
built at Slaughter Beach. According to records, quoted in the
History Books of Kent County, before Captain Ben Caching died he
asked to be buried near the cabin at Slaughter Beach, "…as that
would be near the sea for when he rose again."
Folklore associated with Captain Ben Caching’s abounds. As told by
First State Caching on Geocaching.com, "…it is popularly believed
that Captain Ben Caching’s unquiet ghost haunts the area of
Slaughter Beach, and that the shrieks, groans and gibberings which
in certain conditions of the atmosphere reaching far are his."
Others told that if you put your ear to the ground next to Captain
Ben Caching’s grave and ask, "Captain Ben Caching, where is your
treasure?" you'll hear the reply, "Cache it if you can" and "if you
cache it log it" and then the murmuring of the
coordinates.
Several stones believed to mark Captain Ben Caching’s grave are
said to have once stood near an old dock where the beach cabin once
stood, not far from a black oak tree, now also gone. Even the
ground around the oak took on a mythic aura. In describing the
mighty tree, First State Caching says, "There must be pyrotechnics
here in a thunder storm for the trees all about are blasted, torn,
riven and barked by lightning bolts-as if heaven were trying to
purify the earth to which the ashes of the wicked pirate had
returned."
The”massive oaken treasure chest" was never found among Captain
Ben Caching’s possessions, but none of Captain Kidd's gold that he
had taken was ever found. Treasure hunters presumed Captain Ben
Caching buried the loot from his escapades near his final resting
place, and many have tried unsuccessfully to recover the treasure.
Clues have been found to suggest the treasure may be found
elsewhere several miles from the grave. According to First State
Caching, these fortune seekers employed a variety of ingenious
methods to find its location, from use of a witch hazel divining
rod, to seeking advice from an astrologer, a spiritualistic medium,
a fortune teller and a clairvoyant. Even as technology progressed
Laptops, PDA's and GPS devices have been used to locate the
"massive oaken treasure chest".
After reading this story, if any of you are feeling an urge to go
after the treasure, restrain yourself as the journey may be long
and many have failed in their quest. Some never to be seen or heard
from again. Without luck to cache a treasure that may have
been only an imaginary one after all.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And
today? Today, Go get that Cache !
