Caltrop?

[Beeps in my sleep]

This was found in front of a fort built in the 1700s to protect against indian attacks. Shippensburg also was invaded by 20,000 confederates during the civil war. I know setlers used to throw these out to stop Indians in pursuit but it also stopped calvary. Does this look like civil war or french and indian war to you guys?

 

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[recondigger]

Is it iron? It sure looks like one great find

Dig until your arm falls off

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

It is Iron..held a magnet to it and it damn near flew out of my hand.

 

[recondigger]

We'll congratulations

Dig until your arm falls off

 

[farmerjay]

That is really cool and must be rare. Good job.

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

The fort was constructed here after Braddocks defeat. The Delaware Indians attacked this area. But Gen Ewell and his 20k confederates also invaded this town so its hard to tell what it was for. It was dug near fort Morris ( Fort Franklin) depending on who you talk to in this town

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

creskol it is a caltrop. I took it to a Historian that did confirm it. From the email he sent me it looks to be civil war as they were thinner previous to that. He told me they were to stop confederate calvary. Apparently if a horse stepped on one of these it would be injured and have to be put down so it wasnt captured. This is what he told me.

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

https://sites.google.com/site/civilwartreasures/home/page2

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

I also said it was in front of a french and indian war fort. There is lots of undocumented battles in the Civil war. Search Shippensburg, pa and the civil war or dykeman pond. Heavy activity here and on top of that the Delaware Indians attacked this town often.

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

creskol i didnt come here to fight. But i do study history in this area. Just because no record of caltrops being used does not mean they were not. You wont know the history of Shippensburg unless you research it. It is undocumented for the most part. Shippen Place Hotel [History - Civil War] I only ask that you dont question my finds like that. Its old and I dug it. researched the fort and this area.

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

then what would you call it? I searched google and found tons of caltrop pics that look like the one I found https://www.google.com/search?q=civ...rCyQHamoCIDQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=770

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

your link does not work

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/w...ps-caltrops-aren-t-jacks-caltrops-aren-t.html


This is the link he is referring to. I don't know anything about caltrops or whatever so I can't be of any help. Cool find though especially if it is a caltrop (I'm not taking sides lol)

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Not from the Civil War.. There is no evidence of diaries,letters,newspapers, etc supporting the use of caltrops during the war - that is not to say a few soldiers made a caltrop that looks like what i posted in this photo and tried them. I am sure some sort of caltrop and traps were laid out during the war to damage a horses leg.... Out of million+ soldiers during the war.. i am sure some soldier sat around in a camp and made some caltrops and then laid them down somewhere, or just threw them around the camp for fun.. Pretty much bottom line is that to most civil war experts say: "that caltrops were not used in the Civil War!, no evidence". But - that does not mean a few soldiers made home-made type ones in a camp and tried them out... But the evidence is not there - unless you can find a diary of a civil war soldier writing about them using caltrops, then it is unlikely..

Here is a response that Creskol wrote on another site which i think sums it up:

"....there seems to be no Historical documentation (a battle-report, a soldier's diary, a "period" newspaper report) that caltrops (also known as crows-feet/jack-nails/horse-cripplers, etc) were used within the United States' borders during all the years between the American Revolution and the 20th-century's Labor Union conflicts. ... But regarding Historical documentation of their use in (the Civil War) ...there seems to be none. It is now possible to do a keyword-search of the entire (126-volume) Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. But the word caltrops -- nor their alternative-names crows-feet, horse-cripplers, jack-nails, etc -- is nowhere to be found in all those Official Records tens-of-thousands of Civl War army reports and correspondence. Sure seems like if caltrops were used somewhere in the US civil war, there's be at least one report of it. But there's none."

 

[WHADIFIND]

Nope, can't be a caltrop. Why? Because "we" can't prove the theory.

By the way, anyone know, for certain, what a memory is, after all, we are sooooooo smart, ain't we?

 

[Woodswoman]

I like it ! Whatever it is, it's a very cool find ! Congratulations

 

[WHADIFIND]

No more discussion from me on the topic.

 

[Diggin'PA]

I'm an intern at a University museum in Philadelphia assisting with historical research and found this in the library within our archives. Hope this helps...

 

[DocBeav]

Excellent finds there! Certainly looks like what you have between the last picture and the first one you posted from another site. Great job on the find and the research! (And for "provoking" "stimulating" conversational exchanges!)

Get back there and find a couple more! You may be re-writing part of history, or at least correcting an "omission" of history!

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Think I will dig into this further and ask two well known Civil War experts in the Fredericksburg area. One being the owner of the one of the biggest Civil War museum in the US (White Oak Civil War Museum) and a good friend of mine who owns a relic shop in Stafford for over 40 years. I have never asked them about a caltrop,nor have i ever seen one displayed in the museum,or @ any relic shops.

If they were used in battles they sure weren't used in any Cavalry battles that happen over in Culpeper,Virginia (Battle Of Kelly's Ford) I have seen countless countless relics from Battle Of Kelly's Ford area... photographs of what the diggers in the 70s/80s dug in that area and there was not a single caltrop. It would be great; if Francis Lord would have gave more documentation on what Cavalry battles the caltrops were used. Perhaps - some of the battles more out west? I have never heard of any digger in Virginia?? claiming to have dug a caltrop? nor have i ever seen them at any Civil War shows. Like I said in my last post - I do think they were used but at a very very small scale or only tested out perhaps in some small skirmish cavalry type battle and I think the caltrops would have looked more like what I posted before.

I think someone needs to really really dig into this "caltrop topic" by asking some civil war experts who have spent their whole life devoted to the Civil War and get their opinion. If I stand corrected, I don't think Peter George (CannonBallGuy here on TN) who is one of those experts - believes caltrops were used in the war?