- Mar 30, 2020
- 419
- 2,768
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I didn't find this today but it was shown to me for the first time this morning. A neighbor friend found this while digging in his yard, near the inland bays of eastern Long Island, NY. Although I know nothing about cannonballs, I did ironically find a Scovill pre-Civil War artillery button last week but a few miles from where this ball was found. So maybe through destiny it found me.
We certainly did have ships dating from the early colonial period plying these waters beginning in the mid-1600's. Not far from where this ball was found, across a channel, is the spot where Captain Kidd buried treasure on Gardiner's Island. He was arrested shortly thereafter and the treasure recovered by authorities. Strangely, the local family who owned the island became richer then. A piece of this treasure is stored in our local library, some woven golden fabric that was probably pirated in the Indian Ocean in the Mecca pilgrimage traffic. Today that island is still owned by descendants of the original family who were awarded the King James Patent, one of the largest privately-owned islands in the US. I did have the pleasure of touring the island through prominent local connections some 20 years back, but it is patrolled and the public not allowed to trespass.
We also had a 1700's Customs House at one of the largest whaling ports in the NE until 1847. Two small Revolutionary War skirmishes were fought here and the British were plundering the countryside for fuel, timber, fodder, and food.
So I'm not sure this is something related to our history or a trinket someone had on their lawn.
We certainly did have ships dating from the early colonial period plying these waters beginning in the mid-1600's. Not far from where this ball was found, across a channel, is the spot where Captain Kidd buried treasure on Gardiner's Island. He was arrested shortly thereafter and the treasure recovered by authorities. Strangely, the local family who owned the island became richer then. A piece of this treasure is stored in our local library, some woven golden fabric that was probably pirated in the Indian Ocean in the Mecca pilgrimage traffic. Today that island is still owned by descendants of the original family who were awarded the King James Patent, one of the largest privately-owned islands in the US. I did have the pleasure of touring the island through prominent local connections some 20 years back, but it is patrolled and the public not allowed to trespass.
We also had a 1700's Customs House at one of the largest whaling ports in the NE until 1847. Two small Revolutionary War skirmishes were fought here and the British were plundering the countryside for fuel, timber, fodder, and food.
So I'm not sure this is something related to our history or a trinket someone had on their lawn.
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