John Mosby’s Treasure At the end of the American Civil War, a Confederate captain named John Mosby (aka the “Grey Ghost”) carried out a series of raids on Union troops and locations. Some historians believe he was able to collect a huge fortune (worth more than six million dollars today). He eventually buried all the gold pieces. He never returned to it after the South lost the war. In fact, he was never sorry the South lost the war, despite having fought for it. He disliked slavery and joined Union President Grant to bring justice to Virginia. The large box in our classroom might be made of plastic, but it has just been dug up from between two very old trees near the Fairfax County Courthouse. Could this box contain Mosby’s fortune or is it just full of trash? For the answer, hard work is the key.