🥇 BANNER HOW did this survive 150 years in a Virginia Trench??!?

[parsonwalker]

Thought these were all disolved to dust by now, but popped this one out of a Virginia Trench today Three ringer with full, intact pigskin powder bag. Still full of powder. Clean sand must've helped.



Then a couple of feet away, I pull out a Maryland Cross Kepi pin! Digging buddy told me these were pretty rare. I can't find a dug one on the web. Anybody know just HOW rare? And were these worn by Union Maryland, or Confederate Maryland or both? Solder points for two attachment pins are present on the back.



10 or 12 bullets and a couple more bullets-in-wood rounded out the day.



I haven't posted in WEEKS because I wasn't finding anything worth sharing. But I'm stinkin' HAPPY today!

 

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[Old Dude]

Well, Sir, Guess what. I am casting my very first banner vote in your favor. I have been reading this forum for over a year now and never felt I had enough knowledge in the matter to cast a serious vote. Your finds are so incredibly special and rare, I feel I am duty-bound to make the call. Those are finds of a lifetime!
My very first banner vote was made!

 

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[Joe1944]

That's just awesome. I've yet to find any type of bullet, but an intact one like that, and over 12 more, in one day? Epic!

 

[Red James Cash]

Think about it,its not as strange as you think.You want strange,heres strange.A TRex was found,one of the best specimens ever found.So well preserved in fact that bits of soft tissue was still found on it.Not shooting your find down by any means,just something for everybody to think about.

 

[parsonwalker]

Man, THANKS everybody! Because of your very kind words - and especially your INTEREST . . . (That's what I like the most, when people appreciate the same things I do) whether it makes it to the banner or not, I'm just really tickled that you got as big a kick out of it, as I did. I have one other like this one, but the back had broken open and the powder had spilled out. The big difference between the two though? The other one was found by DAD in the 1960s!! Fifty more years having passed, I had no idea any were still left. To address some of your comments, yes, I have found a few more bullets in wood in recent months. I think the great preservation is due to good old Virginia SANDY soil. Everything drains so well. Especially trenches. With the BIW, my theory is that when the bullet hit the wood, it was HOT. I think it heated the sap and created a man-made "knot," if you will. All these recent BIW were out of trenches. I'm sure these were from felled trees piled on top of earthworks. The tree rotted away, and all that's left is the "man-made knot" with the bullet inside. Strangely, most of mine are in (if you can believe this) PINE! I think because pine knots are so full of turpentine I guess? You know how long pine knots survive . . .

About the Kepi pin . . . I'm going to post that separately, because Cannonball Guy (a resident expert on T-net about all things Civil War) wrote and said (quote)

"Yes, it is a civil war Maryland Calvert Bottony Cross pin, used by Confederate Maryland units.
Maryland Botonee Cross

Yes, it is VERY rare... because there were very few such units. One was the (CS) 4th Maryland Artillery. Your Maryland Cross pin is required uniform equipment for re-enactor members of that unit. As that unit's website says, it was worn on the jacket or kepi.
4th Maryland Light Artillery

Info regarding the Confederate usage of the Calvert bottony cross on the current Maryland state flag:
Maryland State Flag History
Flag of Maryland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"

Thank you sincerely for all the banner votes. That was really cool to hear!

 

[Old Dude]

Bump

 

[HomeGuardDan]

still surprised the pin did not receive Banner - it is a rare find, 10Xs more than the bullet. I see bullets with the powder/skin dug about once or twice a year, which is rare. I have only see one of those dug pins ever - until now.

 

[wheatfinder13]

Very awesome bullets

 

[The Rebel]

Amazing Finds! Vote cast. Come on Banner!

 

[VetStudent]

Long time lurker- rare poster.....when I saw this image in the banner at the top of the page I instantly thought "Confederate Maryland relics!"

The cross botony is most certainly Confederate and would be valuable. I am a native of Maryland, with my great great grandfather having been a civilian blockade runner on the Chesapeake (for Richmond) during the War for Southern Independence- so I LOVE THIS ARTIFACT!!!

I keep an archive of eBay sales of Maryland confederate items on my computer at home and have never seen one come up for sale. I have seen war-era silk ribbons with the cross go for several hundred dollars. I will check a reference at home to see if I can find anymore info on this piece- but I do know that not many of any form of these crosses survived to present day.

 

[nsdq]

well i shall have to buy you the beer dang that is one heck of a save i thank you for sharing it with us

 

[Tnmountains]

Just saw that it made Banner here. Congratulations on your rare confederate cross ! I love typing that word. "Confederate".

 

[birdman]

That is simply fantastic!

 

[VetStudent]

The book that I had with many illustrations did not depict a pin. In my files I have record of a cross bottony pin that was probably turn of the century that had an inscription commemorating Cold Harbor. It sold for $120 last February.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Congrats on banner! You came back in full force and style!

 

[ModernMiner]

Congrats on making a well deserved BANNER!!!
AWESOME finds.
-MM-

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Parsonwalker, I suggest you submit your Confederate Maryland Cross pin photos (and story) to the North/South Trader Civil War magazine for inclusion in the next issue's "Field Recoveries" section. Tell Steve and Nancy (the magazine's Publisher and Editor) that Pete George sent you.

Have you researched the dig location's civil war history to find out which Maryland Confederate unit served at that spot?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Now that's saving history right there!

Congrats on making the BANNER too!

Dave

 

[wvplug]

Wow!!

 

[AQUA]

Congrats on the BANNER !!!

Sweet finds to say the least !!!

 

[parsonwalker]

Parsonwalker, I suggest you submit your Confederate Maryland Cross pin photos (and story) to the North/South Trader Civil War magazine for inclusion in the next issue's "Field Recoveries" section. Tell Steve and Nancy (the magazine's Publisher and Editor) that Pete George sent you.

Have you researched the dig location's civil war history to find out which Maryland Confederate unit served at that spot?

Been unavailable the last few days, but when I saw the banner I was really excited. Thanks to the many of you who were pulling for this! It's been strange - I've been hunting the trenches almost exclusively in this area that's been pounded for decades, because I found that hunting really s-l-o-w-l-y I'm getting FEW signals, but what I'm finding has been great stuff. Since finding the cross, I went back to the same spot and pulled another bullet in wood, a gun screw, and intact unfired buck-and-ball load and two iron/tin buttons in the same hole. I'll post them soon. They are tin but two-piece. Domed with 4 indentations like perhaps a flower button. Right on top of the trench, but deep. Anyway, I'm grateful for the votes and the many kind words of encouragement.

CBGuy - Yes, research indicates the 1st Maryland infantry for sure, and one source says the 1st Maryland Cavalry was there, too. Turns out you know my digging partner pretty well. PM sent. I will indeed send the story and some pics to the North/South trader mag. Appreciate the ability do some "name dropping" (Yours!)