The Hidden Galleon: The true story of a lost Spanish ship and the legendary wild horses of Assateague Island [Hardcover]

John Amrhein Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2007

On the island of Assateague, along the seacoast of Maryland and Virginia, there is a breed of horses that has run wild for centuries. Legend says they originated from a long lost Spanish galleon. This centuries-old tradition is remembered every year when 50,000 tourists descend on the island of Chincoteague to witness the annual pony swim and auction. On September 5, 1750, a Spanish warship named La Galga drove ashore on Assateague and came to rest close to shore and partially submerged. Her captain described her location as within two ship lengths of the Maryland and Virginia boundary. These precise directions seduced many in the future who would choose to seek her remains. In 1947, Marguerite Henry, wrote Misty of Chincoteague, a fictional account of real people of Chincoteague and a beautiful young pony named Misty. Her story documents the shipwreck legend that she was told of during her stay on the island. In 1961, 20th Century Fox released the movie based on this book. In 1980, the author was convinced like others that he could easily locate the wreck of La Galga after researching American and Spanish archives. He made no connection with the legend of the wild horses and La Galga as they had been attributed to another ship called the San Lorenzo. But that ship was the invention of a convincing con man. Soon, the author found himself in a federal courthouse where the State of Maryland had laid claim to the fictitious wreck. Maryland s attorney general fought to keep the author s evidence of the fraud out of the public record. The make-believe ship was awarded to the state based solely on a fraudulent affidavit. Now, armed with knowledge of the shipwreck legend obtained from a descendant of an Assateague Indian and great nephew of a real life character in Misty of Chincoteague, the author's search for La Galga resumes, not in the ocean, but on the sands and marshes of Assateague where he discovers that the ship s remains are hidden in a forgotten inlet. After discovery, the author informed the public and the federal government about the wreck's location. Federal officials declined his offer to demonstrate the discovery made in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. In 1998, a treasure hunter claimed he had located La Galga in 20 feet of water just off the deserted beaches of Assateague. But at the end of the litigation, all parties had to admit that they did not know where the wreck really was. In spite of this, and at the insistence of the federal government, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia awarded La Galga to the Kingdom of Spain. Today, that case is being cited as precedent by the Kingdom of Spain in its attempt to lay claim to treasure from other Spanish shipwrecks. The Hidden Galleon at last documents nearly three decades of dramatic and bizarre events related to the real story of a lost Spanish warship and the wild ponies of Assateague Island. Named Finalist in the History/Historical Non-Fiction category AND The Hidden Galleon, was named a WINNER in the Regional Non-Fiction category of the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anyone who's interested in searching for sunken treasure or investing in it should read The Hidden Galleon. The author faced every state and federal law for shipwreck claims in his battle to expose fraud and verify the location of La Galga, a 1750 Spanish warship. The author, who started out as a treasure seeker, became a meticulous, reputable maritime historian as he portrays the history of the ship and its connection to the popular legend of the wild ponies of Assateague Island coming from a lost Spanish galleon. - --Ellsworth Boyd, coulunist, "Wreck Facks" Skin Diver Magazine

John Amrhein supplies the reader with compelling evidence that La Galga could very well be the mystery ship that brought the ponies--and hundreds of years worth of intrigue - to Assateague. The people of this region hold their collective breath until his theories about Misty and her ancestors are sifted out of the sand and confirmed. - --Kessler Burnett, Editor, Chesapeake Life magazine

Misty of Chincoteague, the beloved children's classic, tells the story of wild ponies who survived a legendary shipwreck. Now, The Hidden Galleon confirms the existence of this ship and its final resting place. The author has painstakingly researched and accurately documented the history of La Galga, as well as her captain and crew. The Hidden Galleon is destined to become an adult classic for the millions of us who always believed in Grandpa Beebe and the mysterious Spanish shipwreck. - --Ann Buskirk, English Department, Frostburg State University

About the Author

John Amrhein made his first dive at the age of 14, where he became enchanted with the underwater world. After graduation from the University of South Carolina, he resumed diving to then become captivated with maritime history and research. He has written several articles on shipwrecks and was an advisor to the federal court in Wilmington, Delaware on a shipwreck salvage case. He is currently a real estate broker on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where he resides with his wife and daughter.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 523 pages
• Publisher: New Maritima Press; 1st edition (October 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979687209
• ISBN-13: 978-0979687204
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #497,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hidden Galleon, October 15, 2007

By 

Arthur J. Hullett III (Waynesboro, Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hidden Galleon: The true story of a lost Spanish ship and the legendary wild horses of Assateague Island (Hardcover)

"The Hidden Galleon" is a magnet that will draw readers through its wonderful historic "connect the events" content......this beautifully illustrated adventure is detailed with archival maps and drawings and pictures that brings the reader into a fascinating adventure of the last days of the Spanish warship La Galga to its final resting place in Maryland's Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
Author John Amrhein takes the reader on his lifelong journey to prove that the wreck of La Galga in a terrible hurricane in September, 1750 included the descendants of Chincoteague Island's pony population that attracts tens of thousands of tourists yearly to Maryland.
As a native of Baltimore, Maryland and a high school US History teacher here in Virginia with 40 years of classroom experience, I found that the book was impossible to put down and a delight to read. In truth, it brought back wonderful memories of the pony pennings that I loved so much to see whenever we traveled to Maryland's eastern shore in the 1950s.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hunt for Treasure, October 13, 2007

By 

Sally A. Markham - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hidden Galleon: The true story of a lost Spanish ship and the legendary wild horses of Assateague Island (Hardcover)

The Hidden Galleon brings the thrill of many years of treasure hunting right into your own living room and makes you want to continue reading as you participate in the progression of the hunt. The final conclusions are rewarding and exciting.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Galleon, September 26, 2009

By 

Debra R. Ober "Pony Girl" (Eastern Shore of Maryland) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hidden Galleon: The true story of a lost Spanish ship and the legendary wild horses of Assateague Island (Hardcover)

I purchased this book because of the positive reviews I had read and also because I have Chincoteague Ponies. I was hoping to learn more about the ponies and their actual origin than the authors personal life and legal battles. Way deeper than I expected. I would have to say that even after reading this book cover to cover, I still don't know any more of the ponies lineage than before I spent a month reading. I was disappointed and felt that I was left hanging, only to search more on my own or have to purchase another book. This was 95 percent personal and legal battles over ship wrecks and 5 percent or less about the ponies. The information and research on the ships was excellent, but I can't recommend this book to someone wanting information on the ponies.