Civil war destroyed saw mill artifacts unknown item

[JohnATP]

Finally found the spot where a small scale sawmill from the 1800's is located in a creek here in Louisiana. The folks that own the land told me they grew up hearing stories that Union troops came through and destroyed a small mill located somewhere along the creek but they had never located it. After weeks of searching I finally found large cypress logs that appear have been the structure support for whatever building was over the actual creek. I immediately jumped in the water and started getting signals right away. I found several huge square nails and broken chunks of gears but then I pulled up the item in the picture below. It weighs around 40 lbs and is rivited together. I can't really figure out what it would of been used for. Any ideas?

 

[Tony in SC]

The old sawmills were very different than the later ones but it looks like part of the husker, "carriage that holds the log". Tony

 

[relic nut]

Maybe part of an old pulley with the wood rotted away.

HH RN