Are CW Buckles possibly a CW Grave?

[foolishgold]

I know that some people see us as grave diggers. After watching a documentary about the civil war and its death impact it makes me wonder. So many died and were buried or unburied in obscure places. Could these essentially be graves?

 

[absosecur]

My answer to that is no. Absolutely not.

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[diggummup]

With graves you have bones, among other things.

 

[foolishgold]

Still debatable.

 

[absosecur]

Graves are holes dug in the ground where people are buried. The buckles I have found are three to four inches deep. I believe lost or discarded. Not buried.

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[foolishgold]

Well in the manner that blood was shed in the civil war. Most anywhere near a battle or skirmish was a grave. Bodies just laid on top of the ground for many many years after the civil war. The union had a method after the civil war for trying to find and bury these people but the confederates were never given that. Read up.

 

[gman17]

I've though about this too. Maybe not a grave as been buried , but a body may have been there and over time all that is left is iron, lead and brass. The same way a dead animal disappears overtime, but in my opinion 99% of the stuff we dig is lost or tossed . I makes you think.

 

[foolishgold]

Exactly. Embalming was rare and so traces of bones would usually be long gone.

 

[absosecur]

I have seen cases of buried and in most u would also find buttons and many other smaller items that may have been on that person. If such as that happens to me I will contact someone cause I would have a problem with it. I do have high morals but a buckle all alone I don't see it.

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[el padron]

Well in the manner that blood was shed in the civil war. Most anywhere near a battle or skirmish was a grave. Bodies just laid on top of the ground for many many years after the civil war. The union had a method after the civil war for trying to find and bury these people but the confederates were never given that. Read up.

Wow....., really? I didnt know that......

 

[foolishgold]

Watch the documentary "death and the civil war"

 

[Davers]

What's Embalming have to do with the condition of the bones?

 

[BamaBill]

Gman17 has the right of it. Most buckles that are found (especially US buckles) are due to an equipment failure, a desire to shed weight, feeling like you're more of a target with a bright shiny brass target at your waist or on your chest, even being taken prisoner and being forced to shed the belt your sidearm is strapped to. Also, another possible source is a sloppy quartermaster or sutler. The Union army was well supplied in the field. In fact, that's why when searching for a Union camp it's a good idea to pay attention to what iron you're finding. They burned crates that supplies came in and that's where many of the nails came from. I was a DIV years ago and there were several quartermaster hut holes dug that had a lot of canteens, uniform insignia, etc., still in them. Why do you suppose they just left all that behind?

If it was a grave from an unrecovered body, there would be more acroutrements (eating utensils, buttons, etc.) around it.

 

[foolishgold]

It is a plausible and likely idea. Bones could easily be gone after 150 years. Just thought it was a interesting thought.

 

[MosesOfTheSouth]

we all poop ourselves when we die:
plane wreck, ship wreck, gun shot, hanging from that branch, smashed up mangle of limbs in what once was a vehicle of transportation.. and all possible scenarios thus far.
the flesh denying the continuation of drawn breath for the life of a man. consideration of "proper" ethics on our recycling is only a concern of the living. thus, anything goes.

 

[Tnmountains]

Exactly. Embalming was rare and so traces of bones would usually be long gone.

You still find bones of 9000 year old native americans on creeks and rivers from erosion so yes the bones are still there. On occasion a soldiers body or remains are found in my town during construction. The sad thing though after a battle most anything of value was removed. Buckles and buttons had value. The official war records mentions the thief's robbing the dead after battles with orders to shoot the scavengers. I know a lot of relic hunters and not one has ever dug a burial after getting a hit on their machine. Lots of times due to the nature of war they did not have a chance to recover or retrieve many of the things they were carrying and it got lost in time. That is where we come in and hopefully find and preserve the items. Couple of years ago a guy dug a bunch of CW buttons that had been put on a string and part of the string was still there. I think it made banner.

 

[foolishgold]

Good information. Got a link to the threaded buttons?

 

[diggummup]

You still find bones of 9000 year old native americans on creeks and rivers from erosion so yes the bones are still there. On occasion a soldiers body or remains are found in my town during construction.

There was a 2000 year old native American woman unearthed just a few months ago down the road from me during road construction- Road construction uncovers 2,000-year-old Native American skeleton in S. Florida  - NY Daily News

 

[duggap]

Someone once wrote an article describing the decaying effect of the human body on the plates. According to the article, the plates would come out in pretty bad condition from reaction to the decay process.

 

[lastleg]

A prairie rancher excavates by accident the bones of former inhabitants of his world, one he preserves,
the next he covers permanently with respect. Eventually all three return to the ground they all walked
and treasured.