Originally Posted by Tom_in_CA
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Not 
Gold and currency had to be accounted for even in the 1800's. An example was the Washington Artillery. One of the few Confederate units with no money problems. They outfitted themselves with the finest cannon, uniforms and accoutrements at the beginning of the war.
The Washington Artillery comprised of wealthy businessmen from New Orleans started out with a chest full of gold coins to buy what they needed as the army travelled along. The trouble was that toward the end of the war there was nothing left to buy even if you had money. They returned home with money left in the chest. Bottom line just like Tom says: huge amounts of money just doesn't disappear in most cases to be found years later.