Back to the bullet lot

[DownNDirty]

After being cooped up for a couple of days due to Hurricane Mathew's effects I had to get out Saturday afternoon. So I headed back to a vacant lot where I had previously found over 100 Union bullets with the hopes that maybe one or two might be left. I went straight to the general area where I had found the majority of them and dug a few test holes; most of the bullets are buried about 18 inches deep.

In the third test hole I picked up a good signal and found a Williams Cleaner so I knew I was in a good area. I broke out the pinpointer and small shovel and worked through the deeper dirt. I was finding bullet on top of bullet (literally) with a few percussion caps mixed in. Eventually I put the Propointer down, dug through the dirt by hand and felt for the bullets. In the end I had 73 unfired Union bullets-three ringers, Williams Cleaners and a few Williams Regulations.





To date I have found 183 unfired Union bullets at the site, and I had to stop Saturday because it got dark on me.

So how did all those bullets get there? Earlier this year I took them to an archaeologist I know at the University of SC. He said that whenever the gunpowder that was wrapped around the bullets got wet they would discard the bullets rather than risk them not firing in the heat of battle. I know that Union troops camped very close to that spot (well-documented). The archaeologist said (as I already knew) that when the troops came through that area it was raining heavily for several days so they likely dumped their wet ammo there.

Makes sense to me; no telling how many more bullets are there.

 

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[Squirrel322]

Wow! That must have been fun to dig.

Very interesting how they all got there.

 

[Rogue Relic Hunter]

you found a GREAT spot. one most can only dream of. awesome. may we all find such a spot someday!

 

[Goldiver]

Holy cow that is a load of lead! Hope you can pull a few more goodies out of there.

Steve

 

[vpnavy]

 

[relic nut]

That's awesome! Most I ever dug in one hunt was 26 and I thought I was doing something. 73 must be a record. I never get tired of digging lead. Congrats!!
That's a load to carry out.
HH RN

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on all those finds

 

[Scrappy]

Totally rad! That's 10-times the minie balls I've dig all-time! Cool post and some interesting info I didn't know.

Great hunt!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Wow those are great finds. I'm sure you will keep hitting that lot until you find your last one.

 

[Patriot Relics]

My jaw is still on the floor after you texted me the pictures last night, the volume is just nuts. Great history recovered from that lot for sure.

 

[DownNDirty]

you found a GREAT spot. one most can only dream of. awesome. may we all find such a spot someday!

Thanks Rogue. I owe all the credit to my buddy Dirtstalker though-he discovered the site.

 

[DownNDirty]

That's awesome! Most I ever dug in one hunt was 26 and I thought I was doing something. 73 must be a record. I never get tired of digging lead. Congrats!!
That's a load to carry out.
HH RN

Thanks! I doubt it's a record but you are right-I had all of them in my right pocket and I walked to the car with a limp (or was that a swagger?) lol

 

[DownNDirty]

Thanks Steve

 

[Carolina Tom]

Congrats DND. I have never seen so much lead in one pile.

Very well done sir.

 

[DownNDirty]

Congrats DND. I have never seen so much lead in one pile.

Very well done sir.

Thanks Tom

 

[DownNDirty]

What I forgot to add in the post is that all of those bullets and caps were found in an area about two feet square, 18-24 inches deep. They must have dug a small hole there and dumped them. Probably covered the hole to keep the bullets from falling into the hands of the Confederate soldiers.

 

[deershed]

That's Awesome!! Always fun digging CW lead and when all you have to use is your pinpointer, has to be a blast.
Congrats!!

 

[devldog]

DND, Congrat's to you on the cache found of 3 ringer Minnie's. You did well. Mayan, (That's how we pronounce man in the south here) that was a great find. It is getting harder and harder to make finds such as this. A buddy of mine and I found a cache such as this back in the 80's in Atlanta. Pretty much the same thing. All the same type of ammunition, same caliber. Oddly enough, it was almost the same total of bullets found. I believe it was pretty much the same case scenario with the ammunition getting wet and the soldiers received a new issue of bullets and the old were discarded. I'm sure you know this, but always check and double check the wholes well just in case this was a lost cartridge box. In this case there would not only be an issue of bullets, but hopefully a finial, buckles, and a cartridge box plate especially if it were a union site. Great hunt and find and continued success to you.

 

[DownNDirty]

DND, Congrat's to you on the cache found of 3 ringer Minnie's. You did well. Mayan, (That's how we pronounce man in the south here) that was a great find. It is getting harder and harder to make finds such as this. A buddy of mine and I found a cache such as this back in the 80's in Atlanta. Pretty much the same thing. All the same type of ammunition, same caliber. Oddly enough, it was almost the same total of bullets found. I believe it was pretty much the same case scenario with the ammunition getting wet and the soldiers received a new issue of bullets and the old were discarded. I'm sure you know this, but always check and double check the wholes well just in case this was a lost cartridge box. In this case there would not only be an issue of bullets, but hopefully a finial, buckles, and a cartridge box plate especially if it were a union site. Great hunt and find and continued success to you.

Thanks dawg-I grew up in SC so I understand the language lol. Yeah I keep hoping to find other CW relics there, like buttons and equipment that broke and was discarded with the bullets but none yet. I will keep looking though-it would be great to find a box plate.

 

[DirtStalker]

Thanks dawg-I grew up in SC so I understand the language lol. Yeah I keep hoping to find other CW relics there, like buttons and equipment that broke and was discarded with the bullets but none yet. I will keep looking though-it would be great to find a box plate.

Well I'm glad your pinpointer is doing what what our machines won't. Need to dig and pinpoint all of the tractor tire hole