Confederate, Yankee and other goodies from the last few days of digging

smokeythecat

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Scroll through all the pics or miss the Virginia button and 6th corps badge.

Well, it's gotten very cold here now, so I think its over for awhile. These items are from a house burned in 1864 during one of the many battles in Virginia that year.

First up, apparently the homeowners had some children. I found numerous clay and ceramic coated marbles there. IMG_2547.JPG Also, a doll baby and another head to a 2nd doll. IMG_2550.JPG

I kept the one bottle neck. No intact bottles were found, but various parts of all kinds of glass was on the site.
IMG_2548.JPG

The mid 19th century ceramic pieces got kept. IMG_2549.JPG IMG_2553.JPG

I found numerous porcelain buttons. These are identical to the ones I find in one of my 6th Corps camps, some miles away and thankfully I started pulling out some brass flower buttons. IMG_2522.JPG

Two of the nicest buttons are identical cast flower buttons with shanks! IMG_2556.JPG

These are two of about 10 total iron buckles, now conserved. IMG_2560.JPG

Nice button in horn, and a lead cast underwear button. IMG_2551.JPG

An eagle button and some more, smaller buttons. IMG_2557.JPG

Three Goodyear rubber buttons. IMG_2552.JPG

A brass spoon, in 2 pieces with hallmarks. I posted this one the other day. IMG_2558.JPG

What is the blown glass rod on the left? A brass thingie and percussion cap. IMG_2555.JPG

And, a find which had been subjected to heat from the fire that took out the house during the battle, a Virginia State Seal button with 1850-1860 backmark of Horstman & Allien on it. IMG_2539.JPG

The last item was so smushed and folded in on itself and burned in the fire that I had a pretty hard time getting it straightened out as much as I did. I first though it was a percussion cap, as mangled as it was and heat damaged, but it weighs a lot more than any CW percussion cap. It is made of brass, and although buried, burned, torn, bent and then unfolded it is a small 6th Corps Badge from the Union army. I have seen them this size, but these small ones are hard to find. The smaller ones are either in brass or silver. IMG_2545.JPG

I had a pretty good start to 2021. We'll see what the rest of the year brings.
 

Upvote 33

Truth

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Smokey you are amazing some great fines I love those buttons. You sit out and get out of the cold weather it’s been raining here for the past week so I’ll be out there tomorrow just passed me the baton and I hope I find just half of what you found I love those clay marbles you found a lot of them so you’ve been digging lol

Great job
 

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smokeythecat

smokeythecat

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I moved at least 2 tons of dirt over 4 days.
 

Hogtown Hunter

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Looks like some fun excavating though. Exciting finds.
 

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smokeythecat

smokeythecat

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Note the one large marble is fire stained on one side only. Getting through thousand of nails which are burned is tough. There is quite a bit more than this, I saw no need of posting every last thing. What is that glass vial?
 

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smokeythecat

smokeythecat

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Thanks all. The Virginia button was nearly unrecognizable as it was in the ash layer. It took 3 days to clean it with the Andre's pencils, and I then had to use ammonia on it for a few minutes, then neutralizing in baking soda then using the Andre's pencils some more and then a layer of Renaissance wax. Three days...
 

Calabash Digger

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birdman

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The Virginia button is the winner
 

islamoradamark

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the glass rod if it has a hole going through it it could be a chillum, relly like that brass spoon nice finds
 

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smokeythecat

smokeythecat

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I will have to look up that word! I did. Mine is about 2" long and with a small diameter hole in it. Both ends are finished, not broken. There is a lead pencil in the one photo. Little Silver Roo is helping me this morning. IMG_2562.JPG
 

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parsonwalker

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very well done my friend!
 

pepperj

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Great looking buttons, sounds like you had to work for them.
I have a love hate relationship with nails.
 

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smokeythecat

smokeythecat

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I kept some of the nails as they were perfectly preserved due to the fire and can be positively dated.
 

billb

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Smokey thanks for sharing the great finds and the recipes for cleaning
 

Lanny in AB

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Sweet finds!

Nicely done, and all the best,

Lanny
 

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