Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

[fyrffytr1]

Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

I had a chance to hunt some freshly plowed fields this morning so before sunrise I was swinging my coil. Two of my buddies joined me about 6:30. We hunted the first field for about two hours. I found a few round balls and one buddy dug an 1840 dime.
The second field was one that has been hit many, many times over the years and has produced some nice confederate buttons, so, imagine my surprise when I dug Eagle "A" and "I" buttons less than 10' apart!
The "A" one has a "Wm H Smith & co, New York" backmark. I can't make out the mark on the smaller "I" button.
We didn't get to the third field because it was too hot. I had sweat running down my back so We called it a day.
Hopefully, we'll get some rain and I can go back. Who knows, there might be a "D" or "R" eagle waiting for me.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Damn... That Confederate camp was in the third field!

 

[Dixiedigger]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Congats on the relics. I know the heat is awfull. I can't hunt long in TN either. Hope you get to go back.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Congats on the relics. I know the heat is awfull. I can't hunt long in TN either. Hope you get to go back.

We had to quit at 10am! There is a good chance of rain every afternoon for several days. Maybe we'll get some and it will make detecting better. Right now the dirt is very powdery. I almost need a sand scoop for it.
These buttons have not been cleaned yet. The "I" button had some water in it, probably from the irrigation system. Both were less than 3"s deep.

 

[RON (PA)]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Great job and great looking buttons.....what do the letters signify, different regiments/brigades, etc...thanks in advance.

 

[treasurehound]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Great job and great looking buttons.....what do the letters signify, different regiments/brigades, etc...thanks in advance.

A is for Artillery and I is for Infantry. Nice finds.

 

[Lil Eagle Eye]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Awesome finds!!

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Thanks all. I also found two pieces of an old bottle. It would have been neat to find a whole one.

 

[teleman 2525]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

couple nice buttons

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Damn... That Confederate camp was in the third field!

That field isn't going anywhere! It will be there when the weather cools off. And, around here that means January!

 

[VOL1266-X]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Nice recoveries. It's not uncommon to find U.S. buttons in a CS camp. This is especially true in early war CS camps like where we hunt. WTG and HH, Quindy in Tennessee.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Damn... That Confederate camp was in the third field!

That field isn't going anywhere! It will be there when the weather cools off. And, around here that means January!

I couldn't relate to that until about 2 years ago when I was out on little sleep, little food, and the heat really got to me. I'm pretty sure I was within a few minutes of passing out when I got to the car and dumped my entire jug of water over my head. So with that said, I don't blame you a bit for waiting for field 3... even if it is Confederate!

 

[vayank54]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Not bad. I see you got some 12th Georgia buttons too. I believe the eagle I cuff has a blank back as it has a floating shank.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Nice recoveries. It's not uncommon to find U.S. buttons in a CS camp. This is especially true in early war CS camps like where we hunt. WTG and HH, Quindy in Tennessee.

These finds came from an old homesite in a town that no longer exists. None of the homes even remain. And, there was no Civil War activity in this area. Andersonville prison is about 25 miles away from he site and that is the only part this area played in the war.
I feel like the buttons were collected by a gaurd at the prison and as time went by were lost or thrown out. I can't think of another explanation for their being here. I found the badge in my avatar one field over from where the buttons were recovered and it came from a prisoner who died at the prison.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Damn... That Confederate camp was in the third field!

That field isn't going anywhere! It will be there when the weather cools off. And, around here that means January!

I couldn't relate to that until about 2 years ago when I was out on little sleep, little food, and the heat really got to me. I'm pretty sure I was within a few minutes of passing out when I got to the car and dumped my entire jug of water over my head. So with that said, I don't blame you a bit for waiting for field 3... even if it is Confederate!

I also don't have to worry about other hunters working it because there are none. I have seen 3 other MDers here in the last twenty years and I hunt with two of them! The third is now disabled and can't hunt. I take my finds by his business so he can see them.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Not bad. I see you got some 12th Georgia buttons too. I believe the eagle I cuff has a blank back as it has a floating shank.

One was actually a rare 18th Ga.! I have heard of the 10th, 20th, 28th and 410th Ga's. but never found one. They bring big cents here!

 

[jimbob450]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Great finds, to bad about the bottle,I theink that is great. Jimbob

 

[hikeinmts]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

You were smart for stopping......a heat injury is nothing to fool with. Had two seperate ones while in the Army.
And helped pick up several soldiers and transport them to the aid station, when the heat got to them.
Only one of you......and the field isn't going anywhere. good hunt.....great buttons.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

I might add that, while these buttons are fairly common, they are very hard to find down here. It would comparable to finding a CS plate anywhere above the Mason-Dixon line.

 

[ProPointer]

Re: Dadgum "Yankee" junk!

Neat pieces o' history. Just astonishing things they wore back then.