Rev War Cpt John Hinkley shoe buckle frame-Castine

[Castineman1779]

Well folks welcome to my first post and hope it is enjoyed. I may be Greenie on TN but at this great hobby as a relic hunter since the mid 90s. For those of you familiar with The Penobscot Expedition of 1779 in Castine , Maine it will be easy to follow along. For those not please Google " The Penobscot Expedition" to learn about this 3 week siege that ended up as one of the worst American defeats of the American Revolution.
I was able to relic hunt this site with permission from 1995-2009 and then 99% was put off limits to metal detecting. I wrote 4 articles from 2006-2010 on my relics , buttons and coins found there and if you have interest in reading them please let me know.
Now in May of this year I found myself in Maine and got to hunt Castine for 5 days. My last hunt was in 2009. Since most is posted I worked mainly the beach were on the 29th of June 400 Marines and militia soldiers were landed by boat to engage the British on the heights. On the left were militia that landed near a large granite boulder later named for a drummer boy named Israel Trask. On the right and center the Marines had landed to scale the Heights and take that ground. One boat carrying the Company commander named Cpt. John Hinkley and othere soldiers landed near Trask Rock. Cpt Hinkley climbed onto the boulder and shout orders to assault the Heights. Immeadiatly a Redcoat took aim and shot him dead. He landed at the feet of dummer boy Israel Trask behind the rock .
Fast forward May of 2014 . I was hunting around Trask Rock probably for the 30th time and expected little to be found. However earlier up the beach I did find a beautiful 3 pound cannon ball fired on the 29th of June when the Americans cannonaded the Heights. About 20 feet from Trask Rock to the shore I got a solid high 70s on my DFX meter and knew with little trash there maybe a coin. However what came from the sand under a rock was this perfectly preserved , brown from the sea salt, shoe buckle frame missing on the iron or steel guts that rusted away centuries earlier. It had a wonderful design on it of which I knew only officers wore them. My research of Cpt Hinkley
giving his life on that boulder tells me it was no doubt probably his and when he landed on the rocks below it broke from his shoe. That's my story and I am sticking to it. For a better understanding of that days loss of almost 100 militia and Marines Google "Assault on Penobscot". Here are some relic pics and hope you enjoyed my story. Sorrow that history cannot be explained in just a few lines. Happy hunting. Gary

 

[Castineman1779]

First I want to write thanks for all your comments. I respect them all to include a few that have doubts since for some I understand as it may be a leap to think of all the troops that landed why would his be found close to Trask Rock. The answer is what happened that morning and where the troops were in that landing. It indeed is written fact and history Cpt Hinkley was killed shortly after climbing on the boulder and killed. The Militia landed near Trask Rock and the Marines further down the beach right. The beach line being about 1000 feet . Those not killed on the landing climbed a steep ridge often by hauling themselves up with small twigs and branches. In a fight that lasted about 20 minutes the Americans drove the Redcoats back to their fort. Of the 400 in the landing there were about 100 killed or wounded. Cpt Hinkley was one of the few officers that day to loose his life. So it becomes to the history detective , that is me, to recreate the landing and narrow down who landed where. Now of interest I reread my story about Cpt Hinkley's shoe buckle frame and actually never did say it was silver or not. It is not but silver plated. Very few buckles are solid silver and would be expensive. However lower grade officer's had plated ones as did this caption . I have probably dug a few dozen of so shoe buckles in Castine on dry land. The plain ones tell me they are enlisted and the designed ones, usually silver plated, are officer. So I knew this buckle after cleaning still had silver remaining and indeed lost by an officer. Then I refined it down to being found about 20 feet from Trask Rock towards the shore. That told me it was not a leap to think it came from Cpt Hinkley's shoe. Could it have been another officer and suppose the answer could be yes but remember usually there was one officer in command of a company and his company landed at this spot. That is my reasoning and it makes perfect since. Well at least to me. Sometimes one has to believe and enjoy what lies in the hand. That is this relic hunters belief and my story. The history is there. I always welcome comments and my mission here is not to toot my horn, bragging rights or even get on a recognition but to share my passion with you.

 

[Iron Patch]

This brings it alive a little more! Very cool to read the post and now actually see the place. Gary you should edit your post and add this on the first page as well.


Now that's a place you would definitely day dream as you swung the coil!

 

[Ahab8]

This brings it alive a little more! Very cool to read the post and now actually see the place. Gary you should edit your post and add this on the first page as well.


Now that's a place you would definitely day dream as you swung the coil!

A very special place indeed. The story of Trask Rock gave me chills when I first heard it. I could just picture this young boy standing there with musket balls flying by him. Hard to get a kid to work these days lol. They have claimed for years that you can hear the sound of his drum out there. Cool stuff. Thanks Gary and IP

 

[park pirate]

Awesome finds brother and welcome to the forum..

 

[Castineman1779]

Yup I have had the video in my Favorites for a few years now and if knew how to post it I would have. Thanks to you and IP for doing it here for folks to watch. I have stood on that rock many times and in May did a selfee kissing it. The whole beach from Trask Rock all the way down on the right to the Point was a relic mine for may years of cannon balls, grapeshot, musketballs and other ord. I was very fortunate still to find a perfect 3 pd CB in May well preserved and a few grape. Also the commander of the Marines was also killed on the Heights that morning. Chilling yes.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Congratulations on your finds Gary!
I really enjoyed reading your post!

Dave

 

[pepperj]

Thanks once again Gary for taking the time and the interest in telling us a little about your passion about this one historical event, it's been a good couple days as I've learnt something new about history.

Also a thanks to you Ahab & IP for the contribution to the thread.

 

[BurntBear]

Excellent post! Thanks for sharing this experience!

 

[yakker]

Excellent story + history lesson (not boring) and a beauty of a find! Thanks for sharing Yakker

 

[Pointman]

There could be reasonable doubt concerning the owner of the shoe buckle, but regardless it was found at a very historical place and surely came from an officer's shoe. Priceless for many reasons. Thank you for the information and story.

 

[Castineman1779]

I understand reasonable doubt and am happy just for folks to see a relic like this. Appreciate your comments Pointman. I always wondered why this year it decided to come under my coil since I know me and army of other relic hunters over the years have searched this beach I believe when lost that day it was moved out into the deeper water and probably a storm brought it to shore. To me it was what I call a "Quality Moment" when the machine is shut down and a nice flat rock is sat on. I think we all have had those moments and it's just you and the history in your hand. Breeze just had one with the Civil War drum relic. All I can add is What a Hobby.