PICKET POST GOODIES--ROUND TWO

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,

Rodeo Recon, Diggergrl, and I went on a trip to another one of my Civil War picket post sites. Kindafoundabuckle and I had thought we had picked it pretty clean, and it is a fact that this one was the least productive of the picket posts I had found. I knew that this die-hard crew of relic hunters would perhaps be able to squeeze a few more relics from the site. We walked out in the field on Saturday--freshly cut soybeans--and got to work.



Rodeo was the first one to nab a CW find--a .69 caliber round ball. He quickly also recovered a pistol ball as well. I replied with a .69 caliber round ball of my own:



The field was strewn with can slaw, and between all the aluminum we dug, we were finding a decent number of relics. Here's a photo of yours truly hard at work trying not to get skunked by these experienced relic hunters:



We made an effort to explore that vast expanse of field a bit, and Rodeo was rewarded in his exploration of the site--pulling three round balls and several grommets from a little patch up on a small hill. We started marking our finds with old cornstalks so that we could see the boundaries of the site. Can you see the detectorist in the photo above? Cornstalks in the foreground mark recoveries.



Digger suddenly shouted out "Button!" and we rushed over to investigate. She had what we first thought was a flat button (later cleaning revealed that this was the top of a knapsack hook). Then it was Rodeo's turn in the button department with a nice two-piece button that I suspected might be an eagle button. Digger quickly answered with another button--a flat button with shank intact (backmark says "double gilt"):



I found a few more .69 caliber round balls, as well as a carved round ball sliced perfectly in half. Rodeo made the last interesting find of the day--a bullet carved into a perfect three-sided pyramid:



Here is a photo of the 40 pounds of can slaw and junk iron we dug out of the site:



Our finds for the day before cleaning:



Our finds after cleaning:



And a photo of Rodeo's Eagle "I" button after cleaning. Welcome to the Eagle Button Club, buddy!



I was a little skunked on the button finds this trip, but I was glad to see the site still producing good finds! The last trip there, we were all battling the heat and the cornstalk stubble last March, and it appears that conditions in the field this time made for a great hunt for everyone. Congratulations to Digger and Rodeo! It was a pleasure to have you two along. Special thanks to Rodeo for some fantastic photos as well.

Oh...and by the way...



If you happen to see me out in my new Treasuremobile, feel free to stop in and say hi

Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[tymcmurray]

Very nice hunt!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Nice post, that field is huge! HH, Mike

Yeah, it is a big field... sounds like it's a large enough area to make an overseas detectorist drool....

 

[RonO]

Hi Buckleboy,
Good story, great finds, excellent photos! I would love to get on a Civil War site laike that sometime.
Happy Hunting,
Ron
Georgia

 

[{Sentinel}]

Buckle, had to add once more; great hunt my friend! any day you pull up Civil War relics is a good day.....PERIOD! I dont care the quantity alothough we PRAY for the mother lode Rodeo's Eagle was nice I like that! But I tell you, the most interesting find in my opinion was the perfect "pyramid" shaped out of a roundball. In my opinion, it looks like a homemade caltrop. Indeed looking at it, it would have worked just about as well. Glad you all got out together, it really is nice to get out with friends and do some hunting and have some comraderie! Good job ya'll and really good job to you too Diggergirl !

 

[BuckleBoy]

Buckle, had to add once more; great hunt my friend! any day you pull up Civil War relics is a good day.....PERIOD! I dont care the quantity alothough we PRAY for the mother lode Rodeo's Eagle was nice I like that! But I tell you, the most interesting find in my opinion was the perfect "pyramid" shaped out of a roundball. In my opinion, it looks like a homemade caltrop. Indeed looking at it, it would have worked just about as well. Glad you all got out together, it really is nice to get out with friends and do some hunting and have some comraderie! Good job ya'll and really good job to you too Diggergirl !

Thank you for your kind words, Sentinel. That was a pretty darn interesting piece--and I think it would've been much easier to make a 4-sided pyramid than a 3-sided one, since the soldier could've carved the base into a perfect square first, and then whittled off the lead on each side. It is certainly a puzzler, but one of the most interesting pieces of carved lead I've seen come out of the ground in a good while.

All the Best,


Buckleboy

 

[Mainedigger]

Buckleboy...I agree with Sentinel...looks like a caltrop to me as well...nice find!!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Buckleboy...I agree with Sentinel...looks like a caltrop to me as well...nice find!!!

This thought had crossed my mind, but I would imagine that the lead would be too soft to cause any discomfort to a horse at all. My hunch is that it was a good luck piece or perhaps a soldier just passing time. One thing is for sure--whoever did this must have had some practice at carving a perfect pyramid out of a bullet, because I've tried it and it is quite difficult to get it right. Four sided one is much easier.

-Buckleboy

 

[{Sentinel}]

Well, between the hoof and foot of a horse is a very tender spot. I think that 'object' could cause some discomfort for sure. I do agree with you it is a interesting piece. It could be indeed just some good luck object but I know that they did indeed make homemade caltrops but it would seem more practical as you said, to have carved a four sided pyramid.... Tell you what though, they were master carvers. I found a musketball that was carved on its surface to look like the moon. It was a fascinating find. Has little craters and blast marks on the edges carved by the tip of a knife. Either way it was a dang good hunt and nice finds bud!

 

[cavers5]

Great finds! Congrats! It's also wonderful to know that all of that trash is gone out of the field......!!!!!

Cavers5

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

Buckle, had to add once more; great hunt my friend! any day you pull up Civil War relics is a good day.....PERIOD! I dont care the quantity alothough we PRAY for the mother lode Rodeo's Eagle was nice I like that! But I tell you, the most interesting find in my opinion was the perfect "pyramid" shaped out of a roundball. In my opinion, it looks like a homemade caltrop. Indeed looking at it, it would have worked just about as well. Glad you all got out together, it really is nice to get out with friends and do some hunting and have some comraderie! Good job ya'll and really good job to you too Diggergirl !

Thank you for your kind words, Sentinel. That was a pretty darn interesting piece--and I think it would've been much easier to make a 4-sided pyramid than a 3-sided one, since the soldier could've carved the base into a perfect square first, and then whittled off the lead on each side. It is certainly a puzzler, but one of the most interesting pieces of carved lead I've seen come out of the ground in a good while.

All the Best,


Buckleboy

The soldier who carved the pyramid was a Pink Floyd fan end of story! He was sitting around the campfire wishing he had his copy of The Dark Side of the Moon to crank up. YEAH! Sentinel you said you have a round ball carved like a moon? Well theres your answer. It was the same soldier! Now all we need to find is some lead that looks like The Wall album cover.

Rodeo I want that pyramid! Im not sure if I would put it in my civil war collection or my Pink Floyd collection.

KFB

 

[Dman]

Buckleboy,
Thats a great bunch of finds. Love the eagle button.
Dman

 

[Colonial KirkPA]

John Walter would go "allll year."

BDD...Kirk

P.S. On one occasion, my uncle asked John Walter, "Do you ever find musketballs along the river?" His response, "Sometimes, but I ain't after them kind of relics. Only ooooold coins. Nothing newer than 1810."

 

[EARTHWORKS]

Great finds! Looks like you had a great day!