[Detector]

Most accounts simply say young Martinez returned in the early 70's.

I've read that the "burnt wagon parts and trenches" were still visible in the 1920's before farmers working the land destroyed the site. No location other than west of dodge is mentioned.

Most accounts say he carried the silver back to the trench he hid in and buried it, but I've been told by some old timer treasure hunters that most likely he would have carried them to the bluffs to the north. The rocky outcrops in these bluffs made a natural cache used often for hiding valuables.

The Santa Fe Trail followed a valley between the Arkansas River and the bluffs to the north. Often this valley is far too narrow to allow 110 wagons to make a circle. One days travel from the Cimarron Crossing would have been a normal camp site for most travelers. It also would have been smack bad where Fort Atkinson/Fort Mann was located.

It just surprises me that no mention of the old fort(s) or their remains are in any of the accounts. Even Wright mentioned the old remains but never mentioned them in the Martinez account.

I've searched the most likely spot for years and have a lot of wagon parts but since its a well known stopping point as well as the location of at least one old fort they may have nothing to do with the Martinez group.

Happening if you can get your hands on a camera and inferred film for your flyby you might just see what others have missed. On a sunny day radiation is absorbed by the ground and buried objects. The silver would retain the radiation longer than the ground so if you take pictures on a cool night any buried objects should show up as a hot spot.