# anonymous 1885: The Beale Papers, Containing Authentic Statements Regarding the Treasure Buried in 1819 and 1821, Near Bufords, in Bedford County, Virginia, and Which Has Never Been Recovered > anonymous, 1885. 24 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The only primary source; every other work is commentary on it. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CR7HPKM5FDS/the-beale-papers-containing-authentic-statements-regarding Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Beale ciphers](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers)anonymous 1885 **0** # The Beale Papers, Containing Authentic Statements Regarding the Treasure Buried in 1819 and 1821, Near Bufords, in Bedford County, Virginia, and Which Has Never Been Recovered anonymous, 1885. _J. B. Ward (agent), Virginian Book and Job Print, Lynchburg_. The 23-page pamphlet that is the sole source for the whole story: the narrative of Beale, Morriss and the box, Beale's letters, the three number ciphers and the decoding of the second with the Declaration of Independence. Sold for fifty cents. The Wikisource transcription was validated against page scans in 2017. **Beale ciphers** ReportCopy of **[The Beale Papers (1885 pamphlet)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/artifacts/ART0CR7JCAY5R16/the-beale-papers-1885-pamphlet)** Checked against the original0 ## What it's used for here The only primary source; every other work is commentary on it. ## Cited by on this site 24 records [A Thomas J. Beale of Virginia led a party west in 1817 to 1821 and lodged in Lynchburg.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/answers/ANS0CR7J6Z22635/a-thomas-j-beale-of-virginia-led-a-party-west-in-1817-to) Answer ANS [A hoard was buried in 1819 and 1821 and remains in the ground.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/answers/ANS0CR7J9N03FB1/a-hoard-was-buried-in-1819-and-1821-and-remains-in-the) Answer ANS [Ciphers 1 and 3 are book ciphers on real key texts and encode English.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/answers/ANS0CR7J1BC7GG3/ciphers-1-and-3-are-book-ciphers-on-real-key-texts-and) Answer ANS [The anonymous narrator was a real person who received real papers from Morriss, as the pamphlet says.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/answers/ANS0CR7J5ZT5NGB/the-anonymous-narrator-was-a-real-person-who-received-real) Answer ANS [Beale's iron box and the original papers](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/artifacts/ART0CR7JDA65RVF/beales-iron-box-and-the-original-papers) ART [The Beale Papers (1885 pamphlet)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/artifacts/ART0CR7JCAY5R16/the-beale-papers-1885-pamphlet) ART [The Beale Papers (1885 pamphlet): photo](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/copies/CPY0CR7JD2C1MZR/the-beale-papers-1885-pamphlet-photo) CPY [The Beale Papers (1885 pamphlet): scan](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/copies/CPY0CR7JCTJ1FT0/the-beale-papers-1885-pamphlet-scan) CPY [The Beale Papers (1885 pamphlet): transcription](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/copies/CPY0CR7JCJR43SQ/the-beale-papers-1885-pamphlet-transcription) CPY [The pamphlet's numbered Declaration of Independence (the key to cipher 2)](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT0CR7JBVA35Z5/the-pamphlets-numbered-declaration-of-independence-the-key) Dataset DAT [The three Beale ciphertexts as printed in the 1885 pamphlet](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT0CR7JBKG681G/the-three-beale-ciphertexts-as-printed-in-the-1885-pamphlet) Dataset DAT [Cipher 2 is a real book cipher and decodes cleanly, which shows the author could make one.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/evidence/EVD0CR7J1K673XD/cipher-2-is-a-real-book-cipher-and-decodes-cleanly-which) Evidence EVD [The pamphlet itself says the key to cipher 1 was never found by its narrator.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/evidence/EVD0CR7J41A2E4M/the-pamphlet-itself-says-the-key-to-cipher-1-was-never-found) Evidence EVD [Ward is named only as agent; nothing in the pamphlet or outside it records him writing it.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/evidence/EVD0CR7J58C1555/ward-is-named-only-as-agent-nothing-in-the-pamphlet-or) Evidence EVD [Beale leaves an iron box with Morriss and writes from St. Louis (claimed)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HXP6169Y/beale-leaves-an-iron-box-with-morriss-and-writes-from-st) EVT [Beale lodges at Morriss's hotel in Lynchburg (claimed)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HX6J14KK/beale-lodges-at-morrisss-hotel-in-lynchburg-claimed) EVT [First deposit of gold and silver near Buford's (claimed in cipher 2)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HWYR1G4M/first-deposit-of-gold-and-silver-near-bufords-claimed-in) EVT [Morriss gives the papers to the anonymous narrator (claimed)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HY5T26TP/morriss-gives-the-papers-to-the-anonymous-narrator-claimed) EVT [Morriss opens the box (claimed)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HXY04ZB3/morriss-opens-the-box-claimed) EVT [Second deposit (claimed in cipher 2)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HXEC0D43/second-deposit-claimed-in-cipher-2) EVT [The Beale Papers printed and sold in Lynchburg](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/events/EVT0CR7HYDM43GV/the-beale-papers-printed-and-sold-in-lynchburg) EVT [James B. Ward](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/people/FIG0CR7HVQP1G5S/james-b-ward) FIG [The Beale ciphers](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers) The mystery article MYS [Why does the Declaration key need corrections, and what does that show?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/beale-ciphers/questions/QST0CR7J0VR7YDW/why-does-the-declaration-key-need-corrections-and-what-does) Question QST ## Cite it ``` anonymous (1885). The Beale Papers, Containing Authentic Statements Regarding the Treasure Buried in 1819 and 1821, Near Bufords, in Bedford County, Virginia, and Which Has Never Been Recovered. J. B. Ward (agent), Virginian Book and Job Print, Lynchburg. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Beale_Papers ``` [Read it free at en.wikisource.org](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Beale_Papers) Key **SRC** 0CR7HPKM5FDS Kind Report Rights public-domain Kept 27 Oct 2026 Checked Against the published original Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS. [CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CR7HPKM5FDS/the-beale-papers-containing-authentic-statements-regarding/csl.json)