Civil war items found in my back yard

[Jasonp]

Hello everyone. I have been lurking for a few years now. I was first introduced to metal detecting about 12 years ago, my buddy had the detector, a guy from work had a small rental house he owned which was less than a 1/2 mile from a civil war federal land mark, so we figured what the heck…. Hunted all day nothing, decided to go to the biggest tree on the property and for whatever reason we found 4 or 5 civil war bullets right at the end of the day, very cool…. Fast forward 9 or 10 years my dad retired and moved out to the country so I both think a detector for Christmas was nothing special only a couple hundred bucks. He lives right across from a civil war plantation which I believe also served as a hospital at one time during the war ( according to the owners now ). Two years go I moved into the country and bought a small piece of land which is within a half mile of a civil war battle at the end of the war, another roughly another half mile the other direction the Union soldiers camped overnight while the confederates were fleeing…. We tried my dads detector here mainly to get him out of the house and because I would love to find civil war objects on my property, not much luck with that… so I bought my own detector and wow for the money spent it is amazing, we can’t go 10 feet sometimes without another hit. The builder who we bought the house from said his son had hit the ground some and find an old gun behind his other house here ( most people around here have a lot more land than my 13 acres )…. Last winter I spent a lot of time online researching the battle and all I wanted to do is prove they were battling on my actual property…. Spring 2021 we get out and Shockingly my wife was the first to find a bullet in our field. I then found one. More recently my dad was able to find his first bullet here as well. Now I am on to two main goals. 1. To find something like a belt buckle. 2 to find a nice old coin or something with a date ( that is the best part to me being able to tell how long something has been there and date it )… after doing more research this winter and reading a lot of first hand accounts of the battle here I pulled out the detector and found properly the coolest thing right in my back field , what I believe to be a bullet they melted down and used as a poker chip……. I looked into the woods more and said ok I can see this ridge and where we have found most items so far let me now go back through the woods some… I was then able to knock the buckle ( actually believe it is from the ammunition holder ) off the list along with these three other bullets within 10 ft, one which I believe hit something, then an unidentifiable button

I hope you enjoyed , hope many more finds to come if these were still there after 150 years there has to be plenty left !!

Jason

 

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[njrelicgairl]

Hello everyone. I have been lurking for a few years now. I was first introduced to metal detecting about 12 years ago, my buddy had the detector, a guy from work had a small rental house he owned which was less than a 1/2 mile from a civil war federal land mark, so we figured what the heck…. Hunted all day nothing, decided to go to the biggest tree on the property and for whatever reason we found 4 or 5 civil war bullets right at the end of the day, very cool…. Fast forward 9 or 10 years my dad retired and moved out to the country so I both think a detector for Christmas was nothing special only a couple hundred bucks. He lives right across from a civil war plantation which I believe also served as a hospital at one time during the war ( according to the owners now ). Two years go I moved into the country and bought a small piece of land which is within a half mile of a civil war battle at the end of the war, another roughly another half mile the other direction the Union soldiers camped overnight while the confederates were fleeing…. We tried my dads detector here mainly to get him out of the house and because I would love to find civil war objects on my property, not much luck with that… so I bought my own detector and wow for the money spent it is amazing, we can’t go 10 feet sometimes without another hit. The builder who we bought the house from said his son had hit the ground some and find an old gun behind his other house here ( most people around here have a lot more land than my 13 acres )…. Last winter I spent a lot of time online researching the battle and all I wanted to do is prove they were battling on my actual property…. Spring 2021 we get out and Shockingly my wife was the first to find a bullet in our field. I then found one. More recently my dad was able to find his first bullet here as well. Now I am on to two main goals. 1. To find something like a belt buckle. 2 to find a nice old coin or something with a date ( that is the best part to me being able to tell how long something has been there and date it )… after doing more research this winter and reading a lot of first hand accounts of the battle here I pulled out the detector and found properly the coolest thing right in my back field , what I believe to be a bullet they melted down and used as a poker chip……. I looked into the woods more and said ok I can see this ridge and where we have found most items so far let me now go back through the woods some… I was then able to knock the buckle ( actually believe it is from the ammunition holder ) off the list along with these three other bullets within 10 ft, one which I believe hit something, then an unidentifiable button

I hope you enjoyed , hope many more finds to come if these were still there after 150 years there has to be plenty left !!

Jason

View attachment 2011971

Wow ! Nice. I hope to fine one some day.

 

[Jasonp]

The Picture of what I believe to be the coolest item as the research I have done says they melted down bullets to use for poker chips. Only one found, it was in the field area near other shot bullets , I wonder if it was dropped while fleeing , or left and maybe they camped here also ??

If anyone here is an old Civil War Rail Road expert or knows where I can find any maps please let me know. That is a whole other subject but one I would be glad to post about and some finds and why I am so curious, including one unidentifiable find

Jason

 

[JeffInMass]

Nice post- Good luck going forward!!

 

[jewelerguy]

awesome!

 

[CreakyDigger]

Research pays off!

 

[JeffDowns]

Hello everyone. I have been lurking for a few years now. I was first introduced to metal detecting about 12 years ago, my buddy had the detector, a guy from work had a small rental house he owned which was less than a 1/2 mile from a civil war federal land mark, so we figured what the heck…. Hunted all day nothing, decided to go to the biggest tree on the property and for whatever reason we found 4 or 5 civil war bullets right at the end of the day, very cool…. Fast forward 9 or 10 years my dad retired and moved out to the country so I both think a detector for Christmas was nothing special only a couple hundred bucks. He lives right across from a civil war plantation which I believe also served as a hospital at one time during the war ( according to the owners now ). Two years go I moved into the country and bought a small piece of land which is within a half mile of a civil war battle at the end of the war, another roughly another half mile the other direction the Union soldiers camped overnight while the confederates were fleeing…. We tried my dads detector here mainly to get him out of the house and because I would love to find civil war objects on my property, not much luck with that… so I bought my own detector and wow for the money spent it is amazing, we can’t go 10 feet sometimes without another hit. The builder who we bought the house from said his son had hit the ground some and find an old gun behind his other house here ( most people around here have a lot more land than my 13 acres )…. Last winter I spent a lot of time online researching the battle and all I wanted to do is prove they were battling on my actual property…. Spring 2021 we get out and Shockingly my wife was the first to find a bullet in our field. I then found one. More recently my dad was able to find his first bullet here as well. Now I am on to two main goals. 1. To find something like a belt buckle. 2 to find a nice old coin or something with a date ( that is the best part to me being able to tell how long something has been there and date it )… after doing more research this winter and reading a lot of first hand accounts of the battle here I pulled out the detector and found properly the coolest thing right in my back field , what I believe to be a bullet they melted down and used as a poker chip……. I looked into the woods more and said ok I can see this ridge and where we have found most items so far let me now go back through the woods some… I was then able to knock the buckle ( actually believe it is from the ammunition holder ) off the list along with these three other bullets within 10 ft, one which I believe hit something, then an unidentifiable button

I hope you enjoyed , hope many more finds to come if these were still there after 150 years there has to be plenty left !!

Jason

View attachment 2011971

Nice find. Continue to enjoy. What am I saying? Of course you will.

 

[oldmxrat]

Cool finds, congrats!

 

[Diggin Dude]

Excellent finds!! Belt plate is Definitely a bucket list find!! Well done

 

[villagenut]

nice post up, and a big welcome to TNet That plate is a great find.

 

[Barrydang]

Nice find congrats! Reasons like that Why I keep swinging on my lil acre and a half. It gives up something when it’s ready.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Very nice finds and welcome to the forums.

 

[Digger RJ]

Hello everyone. I have been lurking for a few years now. I was first introduced to metal detecting about 12 years ago, my buddy had the detector, a guy from work had a small rental house he owned which was less than a 1/2 mile from a civil war federal land mark, so we figured what the heck…. Hunted all day nothing, decided to go to the biggest tree on the property and for whatever reason we found 4 or 5 civil war bullets right at the end of the day, very cool…. Fast forward 9 or 10 years my dad retired and moved out to the country so I both think a detector for Christmas was nothing special only a couple hundred bucks. He lives right across from a civil war plantation which I believe also served as a hospital at one time during the war ( according to the owners now ). Two years go I moved into the country and bought a small piece of land which is within a half mile of a civil war battle at the end of the war, another roughly another half mile the other direction the Union soldiers camped overnight while the confederates were fleeing…. We tried my dads detector here mainly to get him out of the house and because I would love to find civil war objects on my property, not much luck with that… so I bought my own detector and wow for the money spent it is amazing, we can’t go 10 feet sometimes without another hit. The builder who we bought the house from said his son had hit the ground some and find an old gun behind his other house here ( most people around here have a lot more land than my 13 acres )…. Last winter I spent a lot of time online researching the battle and all I wanted to do is prove they were battling on my actual property…. Spring 2021 we get out and Shockingly my wife was the first to find a bullet in our field. I then found one. More recently my dad was able to find his first bullet here as well. Now I am on to two main goals. 1. To find something like a belt buckle. 2 to find a nice old coin or something with a date ( that is the best part to me being able to tell how long something has been there and date it )… after doing more research this winter and reading a lot of first hand accounts of the battle here I pulled out the detector and found properly the coolest thing right in my back field , what I believe to be a bullet they melted down and used as a poker chip……. I looked into the woods more and said ok I can see this ridge and where we have found most items so far let me now go back through the woods some… I was then able to knock the buckle ( actually believe it is from the ammunition holder ) off the list along with these three other bullets within 10 ft, one which I believe hit something, then an unidentifiable button

I hope you enjoyed , hope many more finds to come if these were still there after 150 years there has to be plenty left !!

Jason

View attachment 2011971

Awesome!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Georgivs]

WOW, wish I had your back yard!

 

[Jasonp]

Thanks everyone for the kind words...

So a little insight about half of my land is cleared and was farm land until about 4-5 years ago.. There are 3 unique items about my property. 1. Civil War traveled right through for at least a day long battle ( I have found other maps which kind of indicate maybe confederate soldiers were camped around here before the battle but can't confirm ). 2. Farm Land. 3. Rail Road...... I am not sure how long it was farm land but this whole area has been for a long long time. The other half is wooded, and the Rail Road is where my property stops. The Rail Road is what the Confederate troops were trying to hold in Lee's retreat.. What I am not sure is if the rail road is in the exact spot that it was back then ( and if any of it was in fact destroyed when the south ultimately lost the battle over those two days ).

The reason I am unsure is because we find rail road items like ties/spikes way up in the woods , I am talking a few hundred yards away from the tracks. The tracks now are elevated and there is a really cool water culvert that was built so the water on the natural spring/pond whatever you want to call it has a way to flow through.... However this was built in the 1920s.... I put a picture below, very cool, but for this reason and the actual rail road items found way away from the tracks I am not sure if they were originally there or how much of that has changed.

My grandfather got to come visit a few weekends ago, he is 90 and still farms his back yard garden to this day by himself... When walking through the woods he believes it might have been farm land or where they raised livestock behind the field up until about 30ish years ago, he believes most trees are around that age, with a few really large trees closer to the creek and rail road tracks being at the very least 75-100 years old.... That helps a lot because we find nails both modern and older even though there is no structure, but maybe from old fence But would farmers use any old rail road parts for any farming or live stock reasons ?

The battle itself was won by the south for the first two skirmishes that day, but the third skirmish they were outflanked and retreated... The ones who went toward the river the other direction were captured, the ones who went down my land and road fought another battle throughout the next few days. When the Union won that third skirmish and made camp for the night it was for a half mile from the rail road station, which would all but end on my property. That is why I am trying to find where the rail road and water was at that time. I really believe if I do there is a lot of unfound items ( not sayin a ton or anything valuable, just really cool items like I posted above ).

Here is the water culvert and so you can see how high the tracks are above ( now )........ and then for those that enjoy solving unidentified finds, please any insight to these, I believe one is from some kind of smaller engine, and one I have no idea , don't know if it is civil war or modern but likely from rail road They were found on my land but closer to the tracks ( I don't know the exact easement that the rail road owns I can't find that anywhere, but most say between 50 to 250 ft from either side of the tracks )

Jason

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Well done !

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

Hello everyone. I have been lurking for a few years now. I was first introduced to metal detecting about 12 years ago, my buddy had the detector, a guy from work had a small rental house he owned which was less than a 1/2 mile from a civil war federal land mark, so we figured what the heck…. Hunted all day nothing, decided to go to the biggest tree on the property and for whatever reason we found 4 or 5 civil war bullets right at the end of the day, very cool…. Fast forward 9 or 10 years my dad retired and moved out to the country so I both think a detector for Christmas was nothing special only a couple hundred bucks. He lives right across from a civil war plantation which I believe also served as a hospital at one time during the war ( according to the owners now ). Two years go I moved into the country and bought a small piece of land which is within a half mile of a civil war battle at the end of the war, another roughly another half mile the other direction the Union soldiers camped overnight while the confederates were fleeing…. We tried my dads detector here mainly to get him out of the house and because I would love to find civil war objects on my property, not much luck with that… so I bought my own detector and wow for the money spent it is amazing, we can’t go 10 feet sometimes without another hit. The builder who we bought the house from said his son had hit the ground some and find an old gun behind his other house here ( most people around here have a lot more land than my 13 acres )…. Last winter I spent a lot of time online researching the battle and all I wanted to do is prove they were battling on my actual property…. Spring 2021 we get out and Shockingly my wife was the first to find a bullet in our field. I then found one. More recently my dad was able to find his first bullet here as well. Now I am on to two main goals. 1. To find something like a belt buckle. 2 to find a nice old coin or something with a date ( that is the best part to me being able to tell how long something has been there and date it )… after doing more research this winter and reading a lot of first hand accounts of the battle here I pulled out the detector and found properly the coolest thing right in my back field , what I believe to be a bullet they melted down and used as a poker chip……. I looked into the woods more and said ok I can see this ridge and where we have found most items so far let me now go back through the woods some… I was then able to knock the buckle ( actually believe it is from the ammunition holder ) off the list along with these three other bullets within 10 ft, one which I believe hit something, then an unidentifiable button

I hope you enjoyed , hope many more finds to come if these were still there after 150 years there has to be plenty left !!

Jason

View attachment 2011971

holy cow, awesome save. Big time gratz

 

[Trezurehunter]

Great looking plate.

 

[dieselfool]

Great find on that US plate! And welcome!

 

[devldog]

Great CW Saves of the plate and the lead. Really special that you found it on your property too.