His great-great grandfather was Thomas Gates, a hero of the Civil War and once a stable boy for Charles Carroll of Carrollton. His grandfather, John Adams Gates, told him a story that Thomas Gates had recieved the news of an incredible treasure hidden by the founding fathers. The only clue was, "The secret lies with Charlotte." His family was always considered a family of lunatics because of their belief in such treasure, but they continued to look for it. Gates' own father, Patrick, believed that the treasure didn't exist either, but his grandfather continued to tell him it did.