Confederate, Yankee and other goodies from the last few days of digging

smokeythecat

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Scroll through all the pics or miss the Virginia button and 6th corps badge.

Well, it's gotten very cold here now, so I think its over for awhile. These items are from a house burned in 1864 during one of the many battles in Virginia that year.

First up, apparently the homeowners had some children. I found numerous clay and ceramic coated marbles there. IMG_2547.webp Also, a doll baby and another head to a 2nd doll. IMG_2550.webp

I kept the one bottle neck. No intact bottles were found, but various parts of all kinds of glass was on the site.
IMG_2548.webp

The mid 19th century ceramic pieces got kept. IMG_2549.webpIMG_2553.webp

I found numerous porcelain buttons. These are identical to the ones I find in one of my 6th Corps camps, some miles away and thankfully I started pulling out some brass flower buttons.IMG_2522.webp

Two of the nicest buttons are identical cast flower buttons with shanks! IMG_2556.webp

These are two of about 10 total iron buckles, now conserved. IMG_2560.webp

Nice button in horn, and a lead cast underwear button. IMG_2551.webp

An eagle button and some more, smaller buttons. IMG_2557.webp

Three Goodyear rubber buttons. IMG_2552.webp

A brass spoon, in 2 pieces with hallmarks. I posted this one the other day. IMG_2558.webp

What is the blown glass rod on the left? A brass thingie and percussion cap. IMG_2555.webp

And, a find which had been subjected to heat from the fire that took out the house during the battle, a Virginia State Seal button with 1850-1860 backmark of Horstman & Allien on it.IMG_2539.webp

The last item was so smushed and folded in on itself and burned in the fire that I had a pretty hard time getting it straightened out as much as I did. I first though it was a percussion cap, as mangled as it was and heat damaged, but it weighs a lot more than any CW percussion cap. It is made of brass, and although buried, burned, torn, bent and then unfolded it is a small 6th Corps Badge from the Union army. I have seen them this size, but these small ones are hard to find. The smaller ones are either in brass or silver.IMG_2545.webp

I had a pretty good start to 2021. We'll see what the rest of the year brings.
 

Upvote 33
Excellent finds, Smokey! It sounds like you moved quite a bit of dirt to find all of that. When I was reading your account of the corps badge, I had several thoughts. How did you do that? I would have broke it! You must have patience, a delicate touch and a lot of know how. Spring is just around the corner. You'll be back at it shortly.
 

Had this nagging thought of where have I seen Smokey before? Well walking through the shop storage area yesterday I looked over as I was getting a bin of wood screws. There was the reason and answer.
Now me mind can rest-except now I have in possession a lawn bowling ball with the name Smokey. :laughing7:
20210128_095917.webp
 

Cute. I used to bowl a long time ago. Was pretty good at it too.

The "corps badge". Well, it was bent - a lot - and it's still not totally unbent. It was black when it came out of the ground. As I dug it I thought it was a percussion cap smushed, as I had dug one a few seconds before. So first, before doing anything to it, I weighed it again a percussion. It weighed over 2 x more! So its not a percussion cap.

Then I took a pair of tweezers and small jeweler's needle nose pliers and got them ready. I took my butane torch over to the sink, fired it up on low, propane would have worked as well, and heated it. That's when the color change to that reddish occurred. I bent each of the 4 arms a little. Then heated it again. You have to quench in cold water between annealings. Then bent some more. Then repeated a third time and decided to give it up while it was still in one piece.

It is pretty messed up, but was found next to a kepi button, a percussion cap and a Colt pistol ball, so I have no doubt this is what it is.
 

I thought applying heat would be involved. I, of course, don't know anything about these relics, so I looked it up. I did find an image of the badge. So, I know what it used to look like. Thanks for sharing all of your techniques. FWIW my highest score was a 210 and I saved that print out for years. :tongue3:
 

Dang Smokey you are the CRUSADER of North America! You always are working hard and finding such awesome relics! Sixth Corps badge is really cool!
 

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