U.S. Colored Troop Site Hunt; 1857 FE Cent, Eagle button & S.P. Cufflinks Today

VOL1266-X

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Location
Northern Middle Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1266-X, F75 X 2
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Tennessee Digger invited the Trio to hunt a CW camp that he had a large part in locating years ago. Unfortunately, Josh had to work but Doug and I were game for the 2 mile hike down steep terrain to a remote old Railroad camp manned by the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] Regiment U.S. Colored Troops to guard a long gone wooden trestle during the Civil war on a 1860 railroad. He said it would be a unique hunting experience for us and he was indeed correct.
This was basically just a “stair step” in the side of a mountain near the wooden trestle. Only the rail bed remains. Two steam locomotives were required for the CW train to pull the hill. The camp area was just about 3 acres in a tree covered flat that had never had trees cut or had been farmed. The remote site was not even ATV accessible. Only a handful of people even knew where the site was but Donnie told us not to expect much as it had been hit hard. The .69 cal. 3 ringers were the most common bullets dug there. This was because soldiers on garrison duty were issued the more obsolete or early weapons and the soldiers in combat received the best guns.
We had a good day. Doug scored the first relic with a nice coat size GS eagle button from the Colored Troop site. He went on to dig dropped .69 cal. 3 ringers, Spencer Carbine casings, one dropped .58 cal. 3 ringer, .44 cal. ball, and numerous fired bullets. Donnie spent time probing a trash pit but gave up until our next trip. He dug a 1900 “V” nickel, and an odd .69 cal. 3 ringer that had been pulled and had a very odd patina.
I had a great day digging 15 narrow gauge railroadspikes probably used as tent pegs by the Colored troops. I dug 3 Spencer Carbine casings, one Spencer Carbine bullet, one dropped .69 cal. 3 ringer, .44 cal. pistol ball, and a few fired bullets. My two best finds were a 1857 Flying Eagle Cent (Doug drooled on it-LOL) and what we think is a CW period silver plated brass cufflink that read “34’ on the F75 display.
The high temperature this afternoon was predicted to be 51 degrees and 20% rain but it snowed on us on the mountain on the way back to the car. This was a memorable hunt in a very historic site. Doug will cry about buying another new walnut display box again-LOL. Thanks Donnie for this opportunity. We tried to talk Julia Vaughn into going with us but Donnie said she vowed to never make that trip again-LOL. Enjoy the video & HH from Doug, Donnie, & Quindy.
Congats to Dman (Doug) as his Republic of Texas Infantry Button was awarded a Best Find of 2012 by Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine. You made the Trio proud! Congrats to our Oklahoma friend & hunting buddy John Freeman for making the Gold Coin Club in the Best finds issue of W & E for his 1846-O $2 1/2 gold coin.
 

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Upvote 11
You guys and gals better keep buying Display Cases cause you gonna gonna need em!! :occasion14:
 

Nice hunt Quindy! You put the effort into getting to that site and you were rewarded!!
 

Great finds, Quindy!
 

Quindy - You are so right. That was about the hardest place to get too that I have ever dug in, but looks like you guys had a great day! I really like your flying eagle cent. I have dug one too but that is another story for another day. I bet that curved railroad spike was curved like that to hold a pot over an open fire. Anyway y'all did find some good stuff today! Happy Hunting.

JuliaV
 

Quindy...... I really enjoyed hunting with you and DMan today. That place is very unique to say the least. The dirt is so loose and black as coal. I really didn't know if we would find anything as we had, in the past, hit it pretty hard and had dug maybe 200 or more bullets and buttons back there. The Tennessee trio (minus 1 today) proved that they could find relics with the best of them! Your flying eagle cent is pretty rare to dig so congrats. Of course, DMan found a firing range that I didn't even know about and there are still some bullets there that are on a STEEP hillside. Very, very unusual hunt to say the least and there are still some relics back there....... but the walk back, up the side of 2 different mountains, is not for the faint of heart. BTW, Quindy's backpack must have weighed 40 pounds! Great video Q. Look forward to the next hunt. Tennessee digger (who is worn out)
PS- Bigfoot told me to tell DMan to send child support or else!!!!!!!!
PSS- Who would have ever dreamed that in downtown Nashville that there would still be a place like that?:occasion18:
 

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Thems some very nice recoveries Quindy.way to go buddy.keep up the great work.
 

Team Tennessee scores again! You all did GREAT! Thanks for the video!
 

nice finds congrats HH
 

if you ever need a newb to follow and carry gear I am available sat/sun. Just let me know.
 

Love the button. Nice finds.
 

First , I want to Congratulate D Man # ! W & E Treasure Texas Button . Great job on the vid , seeing the actual site . says more than words could ever describe . The silver does look like a cuff link . Q , well done on the flying eagle . Donnie is quite the host and I agree with the spikes used as tent use , not sure about the altered ones . I think Don has a WW II musette bag for his finds , issued to AAF pilots and paratroops . Kool , you all hike those hills like your in your 20's . :laughing7: Enjoyed the vid and see " DAWG " on the side of the building in the last few seconds of your vid . Thank's for the sign .
 

That was a lot of fun to follow along with. Can't believe it was snowing! lol Love that flying eagle coin! Ya'll had a good day. Congrats to all the published friends!

Nana :hello:
 

I hunted a 35 USCT site here in Florida a few years back... we had a great map drawn by Major G.W. Scott of the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA), which showed picket posts. I went straight to the first post, which was under a great big live oak, and we ended up digging more than 50 pulled Minies out of a space maybe 12 feet in diameter, plus two Eagle buttons, a cuff eagle button, and two knapsack J-Hooks. I've given away most of the pulled Bullets, including one to the Author of a book on Black History. It really meant a lot to her. That's part of the reason I love this hobby.
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Wow amazing finds congrats!! Keep up the amazing work!!
 

i agree with Normalizer , if ever closer to east tenn and you need some one to be a Gopher keep me in mind , i will work for digging rites ,,,lol


and almost forgot , GRATZ to all ,, was a awesome dig it sounds like.
 

Thommy, I packed out those 14 spikes so I can preserve them for my collection and for some black frirends who appreciate CW history. Thanks & HH, Quindy.
 

Quindy,
I just watched that video again and 2 things jump out at me. One is that in the background where me and DMan are setting on the log, I think I got a glimpse of Bigfoot. Also, I heard some banjo music back off in one of those hollows.:help: Tennessee digger
 

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