Found a Sherman Encampment - Civil War Hunting Partner Needed in Atlanta Area!

Dougie Webb

Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2019
402
697
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Detector(s) used
Fisher F5
Garrett Ace 200
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hey everyone - this new job of mine is really interfering with my hobby. I miss this forum! BUT, I have made what I consider to be a pretty exciting find! After tons of research, and the help of the David Rumsey Map Collection, I've figured out that Sherman's 60,000 soldiers (Forget, Hell!) camped out in my neighborhood the first two nights of their March to the Sea on 11/15-16, 1864.. The picture below is their encampment. The ones that I've circled conveniently lie on some vacant/wooded county property that is easy walking distance from my house (my house is the orange dot). I can't find anything about this by just a general google search, so I feel like there is a fair chance it has hardly ever been hunted!

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My son and I went out there last night for about an hour right at dark yesterday. I turned sensitivity all the way up and turned off discrimination on my Garrett 200. I quickly found a cache of very old nails (so brittle that they snapped). We cleared out a little more dirt and eventually found this chunk of lead (mixed signals - maybe other metal in there too?). The picture below is after chipping/scraping/boiling for a good while last night. You can see the iron exposed in the middle. Originally it just looked like a clump of dirt. I realize now that it's just caked-on earth/rocks that have been stuck to this piece of metal for so long it's become like one piece. NO IDEA what it might be a piece of - just junk, obviously - but based on how much rock/dirt is cemented to it, it must have been there a good long while. There is no evidence of there ever having been a house on this property. So I am fairly encouraged that this little find might have something to do with Sherman's encampment.

Would LOVE someone with more experience than me (or anyone, really) to come on out and explore. PM me if interested. I'm in the Clarkston/Stone Mountain area.

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Upvote 17
What's in this area right here?
 

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I could fly down there for a day hunt and fly back home that evening. You would have to pick me up at a local small air port
 

Very good research you did there.As to the number 20th,it could refer to a Regiment or a Division,not likely to have been a Corps. Look for Sherman,s 20th regiment or 20th Division and you,ll likely get some useful info.
 

The picture below is their encampment. The ones that I've circled conveniently lie on some vacant/wooded county property that is easy walking distance from my house (my house is the orange dot)

That must be your house above, top edge of map. County owned property can be historical or maybe usually why.
 

Good find, BUT, you gotta be outta your mind !! I have found several camps. BUT have never told anyone about them BEFORE I had hunted them extensively. There are treasures to be found, and they're yours, not everyone who shows up.
Tell one, he tells another, next thing you know, they are there digging while you're at work.
Be careful who you invited. Looks like cat is already out of the bag.
 

I had someone who lives near Mexico City, tell me after posting photos on the forum here, he found new dug holes around a site of his research.
 

Very good research you did there.As to the number 20th,it could refer to a Regiment or a Division,not likely to have been a Corps. Look for Sherman,s 20th regiment or 20th Division and you,ll likely get some useful info.
Thanks Crash!
 

Good find, BUT, you gotta be outta your mind !! I have found several camps. BUT have never told anyone about them BEFORE I had hunted them extensively. There are treasures to be found, and they're yours, not everyone who shows up.
Tell one, he tells another, next thing you know, they are there digging while you're at work.
Be careful who you invited. Looks like cat is already out of the bag.
Yeah I thought about that but I believe the more the merrier. Nothing there is gonna make me rich. But seeing others find “riches” as a result of my research would make me happy.
 

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