A filming crew with the History Channel’s Decoded Productions visited Danville this Sunday, September 12, and will return today to videotape several Civil War sites in Danville, including the Green Hill Cemetery. The material will be used in a future episode of the History Channel’s new “Brad Meltzer’s Decoded” series. Associate Producer Pete Berg said, “I am excited to work on this story, and I think that it will make for some very interesting and compelling television.”
The focus of the filming is on the mystery surrounding disposition of Confederate treasury carried by Jefferson Davis and his entourage as they traveled through Danville at the end of the Civil War. Many speculate that a portion of the treasury was secretly buried in Danville as the fleeing Confederate government officials were forced to move further south. The Green Hill Cemetery has long been suspected as the hiding place of the buried treasure.
The City has consistently refused requests over the years to conduct intrusive tests or any digging in the Green Hill Cemetery. The History Channel team used finely-tuned metal detectors and other non-invasive technologies during their Sunday visit to search areas of the cemetery. Videotaping was conducted with handheld cameras to avoid disturbing the turf. Municipal government personnel were on hand to provide assistance and ensure that no harm came to the cemetery.