Civil War Era Whatzits

[BuckleBoy]

Here are three mysteries from my latest hunts at a CW picket post.

The first one is a tiny brass object a little over an inch in length. The three raised "buttons" on the top of the item go all the way through, and there was still a tiny bit of deteriorated leather on the inside of the item.





Second item is a pulled round ball. Many of the round balls recovered from the site have been charred or stained by ash from the fires. While I was cleaning it I saw this...I was wondering if you all think this might be...



The third item is iron. It certainly wasn't a nail! Obviously it either held two pieces together or held something down. Do any of you CW diggers out there have experience recovering a tent stake? I'm assuming these were iron, and this is about the right size. I've never seen one before.




Regards,

Buckleboy

 

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[Okie Hillbillies]

Re: Civil War Whatzits

Unless I'm badly mistaken the third item is an old railroad spike

Okie Hillbillies.....................................

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Civil War Whatzits

Item #1 is defiantly a strap-end.
Item #2 appears to be a patch mark

Thank you for your help, SWR. Can you find a photo of a strap end with a slit going through the brass tip?
Could you also define the term "patch mark"?

Thanks in Advance,

Buckleboy

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Civil War Whatzits

Excellent. I'm satisfied with both of those. Thanks again SWR.

Now the spike...

I have dug up some railroad spikes, but never any like this. Anybody have any information on CW tent stakes? I just have to make absolutely sure before I toss it.

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Civil War Whatzits

bump.

 

[IronSpike]

Here's the thread:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,267612.0.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The more shots you fire the harder it becomes to push a grease patched ball down the barrel. The blackpowder fouling will make it hard to "seat" the ball. After two or three shots, I cannot load my patch and ball rifle without cleaning first.. If you dont seat the ball on the powder, the barrel could explode. It must have been tough going in the heat of battle. Of course if the powder got wet, you had to pull the ball out the muzzle with a screw end on the ramrod. I dont imagine they fought in the rain.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Interesring BB.
With you being a more experienced CW detectorist than I..
I could only guess.
I like the assumed strap end though.

Mike

 

[DCMatt]

The more shots you fire the harder it becomes to push a grease patched ball down the barrel. The blackpowder fouling will make it hard to "seat" the ball. After two or three shots, I cannot load my patch and ball rifle without cleaning first.. If you dont seat the ball on the powder, the barrel could explode. It must have been tough going in the heat of battle. Of course if the powder got wet, you had to pull the ball out the muzzle with a screw end on the ramrod. I dont imagine they fought in the rain.

I don't want to hijack this thread but I do want to comment on BCH's reply. About 4 miles from my house is the Ox Hill/Chantilly battlefield. It is the only documented CW battle fought in a thunderstorm. From what I've read, most of the shooting stopped when the storm began. It must have been quite a storm as there are numerous civilian accounts as well as military records of it. Letters spoke of soldiers fearing the lightning more than the combat.

It is a little known battle as there was no clear "winner". But if the Confederate army had succeeded in cutting off the Union retreat after it's defeat at second Manassas (Bull Run) it could have changed the course of the war.

Now back to your regularly scheduled whatsit thread...

DCMatt

 

[BuckleBoy]

Here's the thread:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,267612.0.html

It was you that found those photos, working off johnnyi's ID. Well done!


I am reposting those photos here. And thank you again--Twice!

The correct ID is "strap end from a mid-19th c. valise"











Best Wishes,



Buckles

 

[kuger]

Man,great I.D's guys!I had seen the strap end and have dug them but didnt know what they were?I did know the patch mark one as I have dug those as well,some of them very defined "fabric"marks left in them....thats cool to me!!The spike I have dug as well,and have never really known what they were meant for.I dug one that was by a large piece if tin with holes punched in it(exact hole dimensions as the spike )made to classify gravel in the search for gold.We call it riddle plate or just punch plate.Probably wasnt a lot of that going on at your pickett post though huh?

 

[dick99344]

The more shots you fire the harder it becomes to push a grease patched ball down the barrel. The blackpowder fouling will make it hard to "seat" the ball. After two or three shots, I cannot load my patch and ball rifle without cleaning first.. If you dont seat the ball on the powder, the barrel could explode. It must have been tough going in the heat of battle. Of course if the powder got wet, you had to pull the ball out the muzzle with a screw end on the ramrod. I dont imagine they fought in the rain.

What you say is true. I use Pryodex Select in my arms. This propellant has a certain amount of lubricating qualities helping to make it easier to load subsequent shots. I find this fouling also stays softer in the bore. I have not used blackpowder in many years. Now, after 911, it is harder to find and buy around my neck of the woods. I use a .530 round ball patched by a .015 cotton ticking Crisco greased patch. This makes my patch and ball combination a .545 in my bore. There have only been a couple of times where I had to remove a ball from my .54 cal . Hawkens rifle. This was because at the range, my mouth was working faster than what I was doing and I failed to charge my rifle with propellant before loading the ball. I have used a ball puller only once. I use a device called a ball discharger that uses a CO2 cartridge. Press this against the nipple and it blows the ball and patch out of the bore. You may even have one of these devices. My patch and ball combination also leaves patch marks on the ball. Pulling a stuck ball can be very time consuming. I would not like having to do that in the heat of battle. It would have been nice to have this type of ball discharger during the Civil War. MHO HH