Button hoard...mysteries! Alabama cadet corps

[ChelleDotCom]

Hi all! My hubby and I have been working a permission site for a little over a month, and we go back often. The second time we went out, we found our first Alabama Cadet Corps button and we were excited....but now, we have been back maybe 10 times and the buttons just keep coming! My hubby found two buttons today for a current total of 19 of these rare buttons!

We wonder what could have happened there, as we are about 20 miles north of the University of Alabama at this site and we can't find a family member that lived at the house that was a cadet. We will keep researching and trying to figure it all out. In the meantime, we keep going back to see how many might be out there!

Also found out there: 1907 V Nickel, 1905 Indian head, several wheats, 1918 s Mercury dime, couple of Alabama Tax Tokens, several toe taps, 1939 vaccination tag, reins guide, large eagle button (maybe WWI...has an old scovill back mark)....hoping for some deep silver and more ACC buttons! This place will be on our list for a long time!

 

[sutphin]

WHAT AWAY TO SHOCK A MAN FROM SLEEP WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VANZUTPHEN

 

[sandchip]

Awesome finds!

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice digs. They are beaut's. Good job.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Bet ya'll have been finding it hard to sleep. Outstanding historic finds.

 

[g-olden years]

Wow! Andi

 

[huntsman53]

Super nice finds, congrats! The area where the buttons were found was either an area where the Alabama Cadet Corps trained or after leaving Southward out of Tuscaloosa with the advance of Union Troops on the city and University, they may have circled back Northward and stripped themselves of their' uniforms in that location to evade being captured or killed. With a lot of research and asking questions, you may find the answers.

The Historic Art of John Paul Strain

Marion Military Institute Archives: When the University of Alabama Came to Auburn?s Rescue!

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/University_of_Alabama_Cadet_Corps

Good luck!


Frank

 

[david680]

Could have been a house of ill repute that the cadets frequented! lol, nice finds.

 

[wkrp43]

Nice job. Welcome to tnet !

 

[Fullstock]

Amazing finds!

 

[Worm-Slicer]

Wow, that's a great site. I would guess there was discarded uniforms there. Where the buttons found in the same general area? If it's a camp site you should find things like cast iron pot fragments, eating utensils, melted led, square nails, and other odds and ends. If Confederate, maybe Gardners, but not necessarily if it's a late-war campsite. During the end of the war they were very careful with their bullets, I even heard they were disciplined if they couldn't account for their bullet numbers. I have a Confederate camp site I've found Confederate buttons from and loads of other things, but still yet to find a Gardner or even a Minnie Ball bullet. The toe taps are also a good sign of a campsite, those pop up too.

 

[Davers]

Wonderful finds.
Many of those buttons are in great shape, (well made).
A great site to hunt indeed.

Ps. If y'all need some help PM me. I'd love just 1 & I hunt alone....Please? lol

 

[huntsman53]

Wow, I never knew how rare and valuable these buttons are! (See the link below and scroll down to B4637 in the online catalog.) However, with so many finds, their rarity surely went down a scale or two.

Relicman Sales Catalog, Buttons, Page1.


Frank

 

[46Wheat]

Wow that's impressive

 

[CRUSADER]

Wow, I never knew how rare and valuable these buttons are! (See the link below and scroll down to B4637 in the online catalog.) However, with so many finds, their rarity surely went down a scale or two.

Relicman Sales Catalog, Buttons, Page1.


Frank

True, but the backmarks of the OP may make a huge difference??

 

[dansalata]

awesome!!!

 

[ChelleDotCom]

We were told they were rare too, most local detectorists find maybe one or two and its rare. We are pretty dumbfounded. The University has some in special collections...a complete dress coat (about 30 buttons) and 18 loose buttons. But outside of archives, even local museums don't have them. With the landowners permission, we are going to donate some of them, maybe. We are still searching the site. I have a feeling we will be hitting it for a long time.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Outstanding.

 

[parsonwalker]

Wow, I never knew how rare and valuable these buttons are! (See the link below and scroll down to B4637 in the online catalog.) However, with so many finds, their rarity surely went down a scale or two.

Relicman Sales Catalog, Buttons, Page1.


Frank

That's exactly what I was thinking. Hide some of those ACC buttons!

 

[kermit]

Great finds....