Question about a found saw, possibly civil war related?

tlh2865

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Jan 4, 2017
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Good evening everybody. I was detecting an area in central Virginia that had a lot of civil war activity. No fighting occurred to my knowledge, but during Lee's retreat to Appomattox, a large portion of his army split at this very spot, each taking a different road, one heading west, the other north, and a sizable union force did the same in pursuit. I was detecting at the intersection of these two roads, and although the area has been well combed over for the past 50 years, I hit places people in the past did not. I found a piece of a union belt buckle and beside that, a large piece of brass that, through research, I found was a piece from a saw made in England between 1807 and 1816. My question is that likely to be civil war related? Or is it more likely from the farm that has resided there since the 1880s.
Thanks in advance everybody!
 

BosnMate

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Can you post pictures?
 

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tlh2865

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Jan 4, 2017
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At the moment I cannot post pictures of the finds themselves, but the saw in question would have looked almost exactly like this one. Except that the model I found came a from a saw made by Kenyon Sykes & Co. Vintage-ALEX-MATHIESON-12-Tenon-BRASS-BACK-SAW-_57.jpg
 

Charlie P. (NY)

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That is a Miter Saw used in making the angled edges for house trim moldings. VERY unlikely the CW soldiers bothered with bead or crown moldings.
 

Old Bookaroo

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Dec 4, 2008
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Why Civil War doctors were nicknamed "Sawbones" - and some people find lead bullets with deep tooth marks...

Saw.jpg

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villagenut

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There are other hand saws that look like miter saws that would fit better into the OPs description as shown in the photo of a mitering saw. The "bone saw" doues have a similar appearance but a more logical answer may be a "tenon saw" for making tenon joints on mortice and tenon framing of a home.While all of these may be considered as "back saws" they serve different uses. The photo he has provided is a similar look but two different types of tools. Here is a Kenyon and Sykes Tenon saw from 1815 according to one internet source. While probably not a bone saw, you may have an early homebuilding tool. Lets see a pic though, not a "looks like"photo.I think it may be cool anyways.

08-Kenyon-Sykes-tenon1.jpg
 

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Tnmountains

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They made saws in the early 1800's. I do not see any references of them making bone or surgical saws though.
Here are ampuation saws of that period.

Antique amputation and surgical saws

I think that Kenyon and Sykes still refurbishes saws.
 

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