Unbelievable Civil War Camp (Warning Contains Stunning Relics/Great Pictures)

pitdiggers

Full Member
Feb 16, 2009
178
0
Northern Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Shadow X5, Tesoro Cibola, Minelab XTerra
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey TNET,

It's been a while since my last post but life sometimes just gets in the way of digging... Or maybe I was just waiting for a post that would blow your socks off. Today we decided to hit a new site that we have been looking into and little did we know what we were getting ourselves into. It has been a while since I have done a full day of digging and this was one of those days where you just couldn't stop. The site appears to be a Union camp based upon the research we have done as well as the real supporting evidence.... the relics! The day started off with only the occasional bullet until we stumbled upon the money hole. We began popping bullet after bullet with the occasional uniform button or knapsack hook. The sight of green brass in the hole is always a welcome sight, however the ground action wasn't too kind to many of the buttons. Most of the button backs we found did have matching fronts but as soon as they met the air they crumbled into what seemed like hundreds of pieces. The first great find of the day sounded just like any of the other button backs but instead out popped a star and crescent cape pin (our FIRST). This was just the start to the list of incredible relics we found today. After admiring the relics during a quick break it was back to metal detecting. The next hit was a solid signal on the MXT and was almost too good to be true which means almost always a Mason jar lid or can. After flipping over the plug there laid the white oval back of a cartridge box plate and the impression in the mud of the "U". After flipping it over and doing a quick celebration it was back to digging. Within a 20 yard radius there was soon to be three more plates coming out of the ground; another cartridge box plate, a carbine sling buckle, and a puppy paw "US" buckle. I normally dream of a one plate day nowadays yet today it was an unbelievable 4 plate day. Well instead of writing a book about every second of the day I'll let the pictures tell the rest. Hope you enjoy! What a great start to the year!
Oh wait don't forget the list of today's finds....
2 US cartridge box plates
1 US puppy paw belt buckle
1 carbine sling buckle
2 canteen spouts (1 engraved JNW)
200+ bullets (I lost count at about 206)
1 cape pin
1 brass artillery fuse
Buttons include general service eagles, eagle I's, Connecticut cuff, and New York cuff and coat
Knapsack hooks
3 bayonet scabbard tips
Camp lead
Various brass buckles, fasteners, grommets, and etc.

Happy hunting,

Pitdiggers
 

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Upvote 0

metalev4

Bronze Member
Aug 12, 2006
1,165
565
Wow, what a hunt!! I guess there are still some undug camps, awesome finds.
-Evan
 

MonkeyBoy

Bronze Member
Feb 6, 2006
1,600
57
Virginia
Detector(s) used
V3i
What a day!! I picked the wrong time to oversleep and get there late!! :BangHead:

Hoping that is a small fraction of what is left!!! ;D
 

ANTIQUARIAN

Gold Member
Apr 24, 2010
12,844
27,387
Upper Canada 🇨🇦
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Congrats on your finds Pitdigger! :hello2:
Love the insitue pics!
You're lucky to have so much history in the ground! :thumbsup:

Dave
 

olekyground

Bronze Member
Apr 4, 2009
1,565
429
Hardyville, KY
Detector(s) used
garrett A.T. gold

Other detectors: fisher F2/ Garrett ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My mind is blown!! I can only dream of such a hunt! I would have been happy just finding a US plate!!
 

DaleGM

Hero Member
Aug 21, 2009
854
262
Sacramento Cailifonia
Detector(s) used
V3i DFX MXT Excal II D2 6x10 950 4x6 & dx-1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
you boys back East got some awesome sites and CW history, just a CW bullet would make my year :love4: awesome hunt and finds Pitdigger love seeing the nice patina on the Pics straight out of the ground... ACW_Inf_box_art.jpg
 

{Sentinel}

Silver Member
Jan 11, 2007
4,739
286
Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
13
Detector(s) used
TEKNETICS T-2 LTD, Fisher F-75, White's MXT w/ 11 x 14" Excelerator Coil, WHITES Pulse TDI, WHITES Beach Hunter ID, Garrett Propointer and Lesche Digging Tool
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Alright, welcome to the Club, very nice site. Congrats on the Banner :icon_thumleft: :wink:
 

DMN

Bronze Member
Apr 19, 2009
1,290
74
pitdiggers said:
Thanks everyone. What is interesting about this site is that we are not the first to hunt it. The landowner has had numerous people over the past 20 years hunt the site but in the last 10 they stopped giving permission. I can only imagine what it was like 20 years ago. Not one time has anyone ever offered the landowner any relics that were found. Actually I had the owner out with me using one of my machines and he was digging right along side me. Many of the artifacts you see here are going to the landowner. In return we have the site all to ourselves!

Virginia is a great place to hunt but hitting some of those new england cellar holes would be awesome as well!

I'm sure the reason you were able to get the opportunity is your integrity and thoughtfulness toward the people you've dealt with in the past. No doubt it has passed along to other's ears. This is a lesson to all of those people who ask permission--share, and the word gets around. You've uncovered one heck of a trove and congratualtions are in order. I hope to see more of these posts as your digging and recovery continues. This is just stellar.
 

baywalker

Bronze Member
Aug 24, 2011
1,116
432
Southwest Florida
Detector(s) used
Garrett & Fisher
Minelab Excaliber II
Garrett Pro Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
AHHHHHHHHHBANNER I would get the sifter and go over everything thats a lot of digging in one day.

Jonnie
 

diggummup

Gold Member
Jul 15, 2004
17,815
10,120
Somewhere in the woods
Detector(s) used
Whites M6
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is a dream site that most of us can only wish to hunt someday.

kakcsdad said:
thats why i would love to go hunting up there instead of florida where i am at :icon_thumright:
You know Andrew Jackson camped his troops in your town back during the war of 1812. There is the potential for old finds up there. Moreso than down here anyway.
 

OP
OP
pitdiggers

pitdiggers

Full Member
Feb 16, 2009
178
0
Northern Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Shadow X5, Tesoro Cibola, Minelab XTerra
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks everyone for the Banner votes! This is awesome and your comments are a pleasure to read. To all of you who pm'ed me I will try to respond this evening. Ok, to answer a few of your questions...the WE I refer to is myself and my sons! Better than sitting in front of the Xbox they say. Monkeyboy was also in attendance but slept in and missed most of the morning. He was there to see the buckles pop out of the ground though. Actually Monkeboy and myself watched helplessly as the boys each pulled out the plates. It was surreal. In 30 minutes all four of those buckles and cape pin were in my boys hands. Talk about exciting.

Have not posted in a while. Been real busy publishing a bunch of new historical books which will be coming out later this year. I will update this thread as we continue to dig the site.
 

bearbqd

Bronze Member
Jun 20, 2007
1,094
624
Shenandoah Valley
Detector(s) used
Minelab EXP II w/ Sunray X-1 probe, Garrett AT Pro/Propointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Will some please help me retrieve my lower jaw. It seems to have hit the floor and rolled away.
 

OP
OP
pitdiggers

pitdiggers

Full Member
Feb 16, 2009
178
0
Northern Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Shadow X5, Tesoro Cibola, Minelab XTerra
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
To all of you Florida folks...you may not have all of this civil war stuff but have you ever tried the local fossil hunting? What I would do for some of those Peace river fossils!!
 

baywalker

Bronze Member
Aug 24, 2011
1,116
432
Southwest Florida
Detector(s) used
Garrett & Fisher
Minelab Excaliber II
Garrett Pro Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
pitdiggers said:
To all of you Florida folks...you may not have all of this civil war stuff but have you ever tried the local fossil hunting? What I would do for some of those Peace river fossils!!
Was on the Myakka river ( just west of the Peace ) hunting an old swimming hole the rivers are almost dry this time of year and found a couple megladon teeth . come on down .

Jonnie
 

OP
OP
pitdiggers

pitdiggers

Full Member
Feb 16, 2009
178
0
Northern Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Shadow X5, Tesoro Cibola, Minelab XTerra
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
BornOnFire said:
That is simply a great day. You must be on cloud 9! The fact that you gave all relics to the Landowner was a very admirable move. I'm sure a lot of folks wouldn't do the same. Well done friend.
Not all the relics happily to announce. They get to keep what they want but they did let my boys have all of the buckles. I will probably give the something else in return.
 

Hutch911

Hero Member
May 19, 2008
892
25
Linden, VA
Detector(s) used
Minelab GPX5000, Whites MXT, Garrett AT PRO
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
WOW That's a Dream come true !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :notworthy:
 

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