Could this be a carved Acorn???

[zaxfire69]

Well folks I revisited a spot where I have dug some very nice bullets. I dug a couple today that were unique. First up was a deep barely audible signal. Repeatable though so I knew it was a good target. Believe it is a Colt Pistol Bullet. Next was one that when I dug it I knew it was different. Dug it after sunset so I couldn't tell what it was until I washed it at home. Well I thought that it looked different, but I tell you after I washed it I knew something was very unique about this one. Found it under two old oak trees. I'm not sure, but I think it is a carved bullet that looks like an acorn.. What do y'all think?

 

[rlc1940]

Looks acornish to me...I like it! Never know what you're gonna get next! That's what's great about our hobby! HH

 

[jewelerguy]

Looks acornish to me

me too. cool find!

 

[zaxfire69]

It does look like an Acorn. Found it outside a Union Camp! I dug several 3 Ringers in a 10 ft area then I found this one right after dark.

 

[terpfan]

Definitely an acorn. You've found a great piece there, congrats

 

[burglarifyoulike]

i see it too. picture the soldier carving it. cool

 

[zaxfire69]

I am super excited about this find! You never know what's going to show up! Holy Cow.

 

[Evolution]

That's a very cool find. Carved lead is such a personal relic to dig up. Makes you think about who was carving it. Congrats!

 

[VOL1266-X]

David, an acorn would have the top cap rounded off & usually a carved stem but I'm not a bullet expert. It's a nice ornately carved bullet and the soldier sure may have had an acorn in mind. Was the 14th Corps of the Yankee army stationed in the Natchez area? I know you recover many CSA relics there too. The acorn was the official 14th corps badge symbol of the U.S. army as designated by Gen. Hooker in late 1863. It's a special find whether it's CS or US. Congrats, Q.

 

[zaxfire69]

I've been looking for information on the 14th, but have come up short so far. The thing about the area I found this at nobody knows about it. The only way I know it was a US camp is from the Bullets and the General service Eagle button I found there. I've read that there were other detachments "Associated" with the 14th and this May have been a camp. Going to take some time, but I plan on getting to the bottom of this. Thank you for looking at it for me.


Here is a Tnet post from 2006

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...ob-civil-war-relics-eagle-buttons-tsgman.html

Scroll down to Dharmacy comment and picture... Don't know how reliable this is, but the piece he has is very similar.

 

[VOL1266-X]

I looked at it David. It is very possible that the soldier intended to carve the cap of the acorn & stem to stick on top from another bullet. The bullet you found does look like the makings of an acorn. The Yankees of the 14th Corps seemed to make a bigger deal out of carving intricate lines into the cap. As you know, I dug the acorn in the pic carved from a .69 cal. 3 ringer at a Gen. John Hunt Morgan CSA Cavalry camp BUT it could have been in a captured cartridge box from the 14th Corps in the Nashville area as pointed out by Tennessee Digger who discovered that camp. HH, Q.

 

[zaxfire69]

I'm going to keep researching and see what I can come up with, I will go back and see what else I can come up with in the area. I left a ton of mid tones in the area. 30's-40's on the F75. I was digging the bullet signals after I started finding them. I didn't know you found an acorn...I knew there was a reason to get in touch with you about this. Thanks Q !

 

[JR in Hohenwald TN.]

Zax.....Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Its been chewed on by a squirrel possibly a ground chuck or ground hog a long time ago as the patina is down inside the scrapes. They root them up or find them on top of the ground. Hogs do the same thing, they'll chew them like bubble gum giving people the impression they "battle chewed" but you can see the sharp indentations on those.

The other pictured are definely carved by 1266X

 

[VOL1266-X]

David, here's an example (#20) of a Yankee carved 14th Corps badge acorn from Stanley Phillip's book Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of the Civil War 1861-1865 for your reference. The label on the opposite page says "14th Corp. An acorn carved from a bullet". HH, Q.

 

[zaxfire69]

Zax.....Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Its been chewed on by a squirrel possibly a ground chuck or ground hog a long time ago as the patina is down inside the scrapes. They root them up or find them on top of the ground. Hogs do the same thing, they'll chew them like bubble gum giving people the impression they "battle chewed" but you can see the sharp indentations on those. The other pictured are definely carved by 1266X

Jr if it was chewed the animal was "Very Precise" about where it put its teeth . There isn't any markings above the ring of the bullet. I have some hog and squirrel chewed bullets and there is teeth marks all over the bullet. This is very precise vertical cuts.

 

[zaxfire69]

David, here's an example (#20) of a Yankee carved 14th Corps badge acorn from Stanley Phillip's book Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of the Civil War 1861-1865 for your reference. The label on the opposite page says "14th Corp. An acorn carved from a bullet". HH, Q.

Great picture Quindy.

 

[DanKnug]

Looks like an acorn to me.

 

[tennessee digger]

I too think it was an attempt to carve an acorn but it is not 100%. The end of the bullet was probably chewed on by a squirrel. There is no way to tell exactly what the soldier had in mind. I like it and think that I would call it an acorn until proven different. Good find!

 

[zaxfire69]

I don't think a squirrel chewed on it. There are no marks on the main part of the bullet above the ring. If I squirrel would have chewed it there would be marks on the bottom of the bullet also. I'm with Tennessee digger on this one...It will display nicely. Squirrel or Yankee it is cool non the less! I'll go back in there and try to find some more bullets. They are still there I bet!

I tell ya'll this IF a squirrel did do this I want this squirrel cause it is an artist! Ha Ha!

 

[zaxfire69]

OK after closer inspection I discovered something that I missed. I will make you guys a High Definition video today and show you exactly what i found. Close up of the bullet and everything in HD. I think there is something else to this than what meets the eye.