More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officers Button Restored

VOL1266-X · Feb 11, 2012

More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

Thursday, I made a solo trip to the Union camp of the 72nd, 74th Indiana Infantry and the 105th Ohio Infantry located by Donnie (tennessee digger) over 20 years ago. My mission was twofold: Make some site pics for Donnie that I forgot to make on my hunt with Dman on Tuesday and hunt 3 hours or so to establish the perimeter of the main camp. My finds are shown in the first pic. That’s the first Springfield gun tool I have dug in several years. I recovered one solid GS eagle button and 2 more that just fell apart in my hands. One would have been a 3 pc. Staff Officer’s button too. It distresses me to see what is happening to the buttons and brass relics in the ground and this area has seen little or no fertilization.
You may recall the bent bottle cap looking relic in the 2nd pic that I dug with Tenn. Josh at a Gen. Morgan CSA Cavalry camp that we hunted on Dec. 23, 2011. After a light cleaning, it turned out to be a pre-war Kentucky Staff Officer’s button as verified by Buckleboy. Since this is the only KY button and only the second known Confederate button to be found at that early Confederate site, I sent it to friend Robert McDaniel of Relic Restorations in Alabama. He said he could straighten it and “make it look better”. I was very pleased with the results given what he had to work with and he does excellent work. I’m also happy that I didn’t throw it in my bag and toss it-LOL. Check your finds CAREFULLY. Many historic relics have been thrown in the trash. Doug, Donnie, and I plan to hit that Union camp again next week so stay tuned. HH and stay warm, Quindy.

johnnyblaze · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

Nice finds :icon_thumleft:

The button came out well :thumbsup:

Blaze

shanegalang · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

Quindy those are great finds. A CW era military button is on my bucket list. Best wishes, Shane (down in the swamps)

VOL1266-X · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

CMDiamonddawg said:
8) Quindy , The weather cooling down , glad to see your getting some nice relics and the button came out great dawg

It's 18 deg. here this am Dawg and the ground is frozen. I hope you can get back to the old mill sites soon. It's not but 4 weeks or so to spring Dawg now!! HH, Q.

Nana40 · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

He did a great job restoring that button! It's gonna look awesome in your collection!! :icon_pirat:

Burrrr it's cold out there today! :icon_thumright:

Maybe it'll kill off some of these bugs.

Congrats on the finds~ Nana :hello:

VOL1266-X · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

Old Stonewall said:
Nice saves Quindy!

Thanks Richard. I hope you are busy researching and writing a new CW history book since I haven't seen you post any CS relics lately from my favorite valley in VA. HH, Quindy.

Dman said:
Awesome finds. I am looking forward to next week. I hope you feel up to carrying my shovel.
Dman

I'm not carrying your shovel as you will need it. I feel sure you wil recover a C.S.A. buckle EXACTLY like Donnie dug last week-LOL. I don't think we will come back empty handed. Q.

Getty said:
Excellent saves there Quindy! Robert is truly a very talent restoration expert. That button came back great. Congrats!

I know you were very pleased wirth the work he did for you Roger. Stay warm & HH, Quindy.

HEAVYMETALNUT said:
Awesome restoration job! looks fantastic! nice finds as well Q!

He is a Relic Repair Master Dave and his method of matching patinas is amazing. Thanks and HH, Q.

TnMountains said:
So you found the outer perimeter then? I often wonder about secondary sites off main ones. Nice finds sir.

Good to hear from you Richard. I hope you are finding lots of great Indian relics this winter. I have a good idea of where the camp boundaries lay. I'll locate the pickets eventually when we clean the relics from the camp proper. Thanks for stopping by and glad to see you back on Tnet, Quindy.

MKnTenn said:
Nice Finds! That KY button is the bomb, rare and beautiful. HH

Thank goodness for a F75 MK. That button read "34" and in the brass range where a bottle cap would read "68-72". The money on the reatoration was minimal and well spent. HH, Q.

johnnyblaze said:
Nice finds

The button came out well

Blaze

Thanks J.B!! He can restore Colonial relics as well if you find one that you want to get restored. Send me a pm and I'll give you his contact info. anytime. HH and stay warm, Q.

shanegalang said:
Quindy those are great finds. A CW era military button is on my bucket list. Best wishes, Shane (down in the swamps)

I predict that you and/or BB will have a Pelican button in your collections by this time next year Shane unless Anthony picks it up on the surface first-LOL. It's great to talk to you guys in the field while you and we are hunting. HH, Q.

Nana40 said:
He did a great job restoring that button! It's gonna look awesome in your collection!!

Burrrr it's cold out there today! Maybe it'll kill off some of these bugs.

Congrats on the finds~ Nana

Nanners, I have been amazed at the number of bugs still flying around when we have hunted on sunny days with 60 deg, temps recently. Go out and dig another CS button because snake season is only 6-8 weeks away in Bama!! HH, Q.

treasurehound · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

Nice finds Quindy. That button is nice. Congrats on a great hunt.

Steve in PA · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

The Kentucky button came out nice Quindy. Robert McDaniel does good work as does Roland Frodigh.

VOL1266-X · Feb 12, 2012

Re: More Union Camp Finds & Kentucky Staff Officer's Button Restored

treasurehound said:
Nice finds Quindy. That button is nice. Congrats on a great hunt.

Thanks Randy. Good luck in East TN next weekend. Maybe the weather will improve. HH, Quindy.

Steve in PA said:
The Kentucky button came out nice Quindy. Robert McDaniel does good work as does Roland Frodigh.

Thanks Steve. I would not hesitate to send a rare relic to Robert, Roland, or Leonard Short. They are all great restoration artists-and I mean artists. That's a great skill to take a damaged relic and restore it for future generations to enjoy. HH, Quindy.