Need your CW relic expert advice

[captain Jack]

I got into this hobby with the hope of finding civil war relics. I am slowly compiling research to hopefully eventually come up with a spot. (I think I'm a bad researcher).

But on to the real question. I FINALLY caught the relic hunting episode of that show cash and treasures and watched them dig a CW button out of a 3 foot deep hole. Are all CW relics that deep? or I guess I am now wondering what the common depth would be? I am hoping that since they were near the river that floods buried that button extremely deep. I was thinking that these would be closer to around 1 foot deep. If I am wrong...cool, but I'm gonna need a bigger shovel!

any consensus?

 

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[brnn53]

They were digging hut sites. Most of the relics that I have found are only a few inches deep. It depends on the site itself. Is it a farm field that gets cultivated yearly? If so, relics can be on the surface or a foot down. I recently dug in a pasture that has been such since the war and some minies were only 2-3 inches down but the ground was so hard that I bent my shovel. Research the area and you can get an idea of what is in store for your digging. HH!
Mike

 

[DCMatt]

I'm pretty new to relic hunting, too. But I found two bullets at 5 - 6 inches - less than 1/4 mile from my house! Also found two buttons (coin button and "sunburst" cuff button) but they are not yet confirmed as CW military relics. I've found a number of horse tack items that could be civilian or military. I'm hoping to find something to confirm this area was an encampment.

The area was a farm field and pasture for many years. It is along a pre-CW era road and about 4 miles from a small battlefield. I'm told there was a creek nearby before the housing developement was built in the late 70's. I believe that makes it a good candidate for an encampment area.

Good luck with your research!

DCMatt

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Trench warfare was the norm back then. Remember the story of the md'r who found a rifle that was buried vertical in a trench, near G-burg or in VA I'm not sure.

Chuck

 

[divedigger]

most relics are in the 3 to 6 inch range.I've eyeballed some laying right on the ground and duge 3 feet for others,but the majority are not deep.

 

[Gribnitz]

No, they aren't that deep typically. They were looking for deep iron signals, then digging down looking for what may have been left behind in hut sites.