ReidMan
Full Member
- Jul 16, 2008
- 238
- 116
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 1
- Detector(s) used
- F75 main, Infinium water, TDI red dirt, 1266x if I feel like digging iron.
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
Sometimes good deeds do get rewarded. I have a small computer business and got a call from an elderly client about his printer, I have been there several times for his printer and other small tasks. Tried to help over the phone but it was clear he didn’t know his way around a computer. Made an appointment for that afternoon and when the time came took a ride over there. As I was riding up to the 1920 era home I thought to myself I would like to detect this yard. After a brief few minutes with the computer printer was again working, I started asking about the house age and told my customer how I liked to detect and if you would allow it I would just forget the bill, he asked what I was looking for and I told him old coins and possibly civil war buttons or bullets as Hampton has a good civil war history. He told me to wait a minute and he went to retrieve something from upstairs. Anticipation was killing me when he came down with 2 small boxes full of civil war buttons and medals. He proceeded to tell me how about 15 years ago his aunt died and they had to clean out her house, her Grand Father had been in the civil war. They had found and old uniform that was in terrible shape and they cut the buttons and medals off of it and tossed the uniform out. He opened one small tin box that had a bullet in it. He said he had been wounded at Chancellorsville and this was the bullet they removed. Wow just looking into the boxes my heart was skipping a beat or two. Then he asked me if I wanted to have them? Looking in the boxes I could clearly see the Va staff buttons and I told him they could be worth money. He said he didn’t care, he had almost thrown them out several times and wanted someone who would appreciate them to have them. It was one of those moments I was choked up only thing that came out was sure. After I started to research it was clear this wasn’t just any Civil War solider, he had lived in my town. He had told me his name E.A. Semple it didn’t ring a bell with me then about who he was. First thing we found out were the Va buttons appear to be post war backmark is nothing I have ever seen. Little more research found that this was Major Edward Armistead Semple, 1842-1910 a road where I lived was named after him, Semple Farm Road, and another after his mother’s side of the family, Armistead. He was in an Alabama regiment when the war broke out, later a Lt in company A, 57[SUP]th[/SUP] North Carolina Infantry rose to Captain. He was wounded at Chancellorsville, recovered and was made Major of his unit. He was captured and imprisoned at Johnson Island prison, released June 13, 1865.
He returned to life in Hampton or Elizabeth City County, VA as it was called then,
and became a civil engineer and county surveyor. Several of his maps are ones we use to find old properties in my area and can be found in the Library of Congress.
I don’t find much about him again until 1905 where he helped as secretary of the committee; organize the Big Bethel Monument where the first Confederate soldier was killed.
Since he was in a NC regiment I can only speculate that maybe the uniform they found was the original and when he joined the Veteran ranks in VA he changed all his buttons, or maybe since he was a prisoner at the end of the war his uniform was tossed out for the march home.
He was awarded the Confederate Cross of Honor that bears his name at the top.
The research continues into his life and service and I will make a special display for everything together. It really makes you wonder what is in people’s attics and closets. Reid
He returned to life in Hampton or Elizabeth City County, VA as it was called then,
and became a civil engineer and county surveyor. Several of his maps are ones we use to find old properties in my area and can be found in the Library of Congress.
I don’t find much about him again until 1905 where he helped as secretary of the committee; organize the Big Bethel Monument where the first Confederate soldier was killed.
Since he was in a NC regiment I can only speculate that maybe the uniform they found was the original and when he joined the Veteran ranks in VA he changed all his buttons, or maybe since he was a prisoner at the end of the war his uniform was tossed out for the march home.
He was awarded the Confederate Cross of Honor that bears his name at the top.
The research continues into his life and service and I will make a special display for everything together. It really makes you wonder what is in people’s attics and closets. Reid
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