W&ET Featured Monthly Article Vol. 35 May 2001

Feature

Vol. 35 May 2001

Relics Of The Coastal Isles
By Michael O. Smith

Every year the members of the Coastal Empire History Hunters Association of Savannah, Georgia go to the Georgia Coastal Isles to try to find a few more Colonial and Civil War artifacts. Within cannon range of Ft. Pulaski and down river from Savannah, there were a number of coastal defenses. Union forces maintained thousands of troops in the area, and after routing Confederate defenders they took over the homes, property, and food of local families to use as they pleased.

Once brush had been cleared from the heavily overgrown area, club members lost little time in making the most of a long-awaited opportunity.

Why so many men? Well, Ft. Pulaski was a true fortress, about like one of those English Medieval castles- a very difficult target to penetrate with the weaponry of those days. Even with superior force, it still took them a number of weeks to take over the fort. New York and Connecticut troops made up the bulk of the intruders, bolstered by other miscellaneous units, including some cadets. The troops were stationed in the region for over a year, so you can imagine how many artifacts were left behind.
Through the years these areas, many long deserted, have retained a measure of their original character. At many sites, river cabins and homes have been built, but there are no shopping centers or asphalt parking lots overlying prime hunting territory. Likewise, there is no gross clearing of areas to make hunting easy. As you might expect, many detectorists have visited these spots through the years, and have combed virtually every inch over and over again. Of course, you never get it all, and on this premise we return yearly to challenge the odds for one more missed button.
There have been times when hunters made big finds. One group, some years ago, came down from Virginia and located an area with a large Connecticut camp, uncovering hundreds of buttons and other relics. Those days seem long gone; however, the search goes on for new defense areas despite what some might consider long shots and slim chances.
For the first time since we started this annual custom, we had a tractor with a bush hog and box plate. Also, we had a known location of heavy activity that had been covered by vegetation for a number of years. Eager to work this long inaccessible area, we had all chipped in to get the tractor to the site. (Quite a feat, I might add.) Some of the guys were pretty good at running farm equipment, so they got the honors. Naturally, this arrangement meant we were at their mercy as to when they would clear and how much area would be covered, and we all impatiently awaited the end of each clearing session. You see, nobody could start searching until everybody was ready, and that included the tractor operator.
Our club had about 20 members present, and the area was only a half-acre in size. As a result, the scene was more like a competition hunt than an organized relic search. "Runners take your places. Start your detectors. Go!" Now, you know how some machines fight each other, crosstalking even at 25'. Well, this was one of the most frustrating obstacles we faced. There were a few hotspots, as there always are, and when two or more "dueling detectors" headed for these, it was like bringing two huge magnets together. Immediately, we would repel each other, and off we went, one eventually giving way to the other. Thank goodness we were all friends and gentlemen, and instinctively took turns, yielding to one another when appropriate. Incidentally, over 3/4 of the detectors were Tesoros.

Most relic hunters ask no more than an even break, but here's one the author could have done without. Still, he feels fortunate to have retrieved both halves of this old Savannah, Georgia carriage & wagon company nameplate.

Eventually a second area was cleared, which was also about 1/2 acre in size. This allowed those who wanted to put in a little extra effort, when the finds seemed to dry up, to continue hunting while the other area was being cleared. One of these had a lot of modern trash in it, so it was a little less rewarding and more frustrating. However, it did hold some good finds and demanded the respect of close and thorough searching.
The search lasted until dark, by which time the sand gnats were running us out of the fields anyway. At dark every one retreated back to the cabin and several tents that were set up. For the next few hours we became very domestic again- a shower if you wished, refrigerator, running water, and a couple of grills to cook steaks on. Boy, did we eat well! This was also the time when everyone got to show off their finds and have all those "mystery items" identified. We also had a fireplace, but this year it was not cold enough to need it.
The next morning we had breakfast and then looked a little more at the finds that had been set out for display. Finally, we heard the tractor crank up, and we all headed out to follow it to the cleared areas, to see if the closer cuts would meet our expectations. We were not disappointed!
The previous day, about 20 Union general service buttons were found. Some were cuff buttons, but most were coat size. The backmarks as well as the designs varied quite a bit. Some buttons were dark brown, some reddish brown, and others were crude with blank backs. I think one or two eagle "I"s were found that day, and I also found a large coat button. I had wanted to find a Connecticut button ever since I had been going there, and this looked as if it could be one. Cleaning it off gently, I could see the design a little better, and there it was- just what I had set out to find. As it turned out, that was to be the only one found on the trip. I think that I found four general service buttons that day, too.

After a couple of days of recoveries like these, Michael found himself already anticipating next year's trip to the relic-rich coastal site.

Searching a small area where a house was being built, I dug a general service button, an 1877 Seated Liberty dime, and two halves of a silver-washed tag for a Savannah buggy & wagon company. Next I found a washer-like item with writing on the top. Later I was told that these were Civil War replacement buttons for uniforms. I had not found any bullets, but finally I uncovered a couple of Confederate pistol bullets, and then a Union three-ringer with three shotgun pellet indentations in it. I wonder which bullet, if either, made its mark?
The second day was the best, and one that we all hated to see end. As the tractor cut around a large dead oak tree, pieces of pottery started to appear, along with patches of oyster shells and darker dirt. This area was primarily pure sand, never worked with fertilizer, and the artifacts sometimes looked as if they had been lost yesterday. As we watched these obvious hotspots come to light, waiting our turn took a lot of self-restraint. It is at times like this that you forget you are a grown up and just want to ignore all the rules. Actually, we all did pretty well at holding back... even though most of us had our detectors on and headphones in place while we waited!
On the first run over half of us headed toward the old tree and oyster shells. First I found a Yankee button, and then a perfect large coat-size South Carolina state seal button. I held it up and yelled out "Confederate button!" Everyone paused, and then here they came! Soon one of the conflicting machines made its way to the spot, and I had to move on to another area, where I found more general service buttons and another of those replacement buttons. The first was pewter; this one was brass. Other recoveries included a couple of flat buttons surfaced and a pencil made of lead. Apparently this location was also a homesite during the Colonial period. (This was later confirmed when my friend Kevin Morey found an Irish copper dated 1766, and a British copper of similar vintage.)

Among the better buttons brought to light were these four found by Michael: Connecticut and South Carolina state seals, U.S. Military Academy Cadet, and eagle "A" (Union artillery).

Usually the first search through a concentrated area is the best, and I guess that was true here, too. We noticed that there was a lot of iron in the oyster shell area in front of the dead oak tree, and we kept finding buttons there with each pass of the tractor. As it turned out, the 4 x 20' area went down over a foot in places, and each 4" increment made a difference. On the next pass I found a large coat-size eagle "A" button. The general service buttons also kept coming, and I don't think anyone got skunked.
During one of those "down times," I went over some well-searched ground again and again, listening for that deep, fringe target that everyone else had missed. I finally got a broken but repeatable signal that seemed promising. With the Bandido II uMax and my Superphone 2001 earphones, I can tell, with over 90% accuracy, whether an item is iron or some other metal. When I located a little gold-colored item about 8" down, I started to get excited. It was a small cuff or kepi button with an eagle on it. On top it read "CADET," and on the bottom "USMA."
At first I was not sure about what it was. In near-perfect condition, could it be from the 1900s? One of the guys there had brought his Albert's button book, and it didn't take us long to confirm that my find was a Civil War era West Point Cadet button! Quickly I got a mental image of a teenager standing there with a telescope while the cannons were firing at Ft. Pulaski. I guess he had quite a tale to tell- one probably still being told by his descendants.
Kevin was doing quite well, also. In fact, he found the most coins for the hunt. One has the initials WVD on it, a large cent turned into a love token or perhaps an ID tag. Among his other interesting finds was an 1850s E. Lyon, New York token with the legend "Magnetic Powder & Pills for Insects & Rats." Yet another prized item was a ring with a large red stone, perhaps a garnet or ruby.

Everyone did an envious double take when Mark came up with a Confederate Army officer's button and a Zachary Taylor "Rough & Ready" 1848 presidential campaign button.

A father/son team had good luck, too, coming away with a heavily silver-washed "Co. H, 1st Regiment" ID disk, Union staff officer's button, and a period silver brooch.
Other best finds for the day included Dennis and Toni's small, two-tine buckle with the date 1858 flanked by two anchors. Toni also found a cuff-size US Ordinance button to add a little variety to the mix. Another oddity was a Rhode Island cuff button found by Rocky. John found an intriguing California commemorative token which looked like an 1849 $5 gold piece on one side, and depicted a 49'er panning for gold on the other.
The other lucky chap to get the grand prize was Mark. In the same area where I found my South Carolina button, he dug a beautiful eagle button with "CS" in the shield, and stars around the outside. Then, just to rub it in, he found another large button. This one, c. 1848, had Zachary Taylor on it, the words "ROUGH & READY," and a beautiful pea-green patina.
All in all, I believe about 75 military buttons were found. The other artifacts were just icing on the cake, and even my 12" tin plate was a treat. Everyone had a ball, and we hated to see the day end. After taking a few last minutes to view the latest finds, we went to the cabin to clean up. After that, with only an hour or so of daylight left, we headed home to the 21st century. It had been a great escape, even if it was temporary. I can't wait until next year, when history repeats itself once more!

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