A load of gold worth up to $54 million went missing during the Civil War. There may be a break in the case.

It's the stuff that fuels fortune hunters' dreams.

And some of it may even be true. Or not.

For decades, Civil War buffs and assorted fortune seekers have combed the hills and forests of northwestern Pennsylvania, looking for a Union shipment of gold that reportedly was lost near tiny Dents Run in June 1863. Depending on which account you believe, the Union wagon train was carrying up to 52 bars of gold weighing 50 pounds each -- a haul worth some $54 million in today's market.

The mystery so far has yielded little beyond a few vague historical artifacts and a whole lot of stories.

But the Legend of the Dents Run Gold gained new life last week when FBI agents and state officials were spotted digging up the snow-covered ground off Route 555 in Benezette Township.