video of huts

[HutSiteDigger]

Got video of 2 dug out hut sites and 2 non-dug out sites in Stafford,Virginia.. This camped was used in 1863 after the Battle Of Fredericksburg by the Army Of The Potomac, many soldiers in around this part of Stafford camps died of disease, illness and accidents until Lincoln replaced Burnside with General Hooker. They wrote in diaries that some of these camps in Stafford were called "Union Valley Forge" for the harsh conditions. The camp site is now the "New Stafford Civil War Park" in Stafford, which just opened last year. There are examples of hut sites and batteries.

My camera always acts up in this camp with the sound cutting on @ off. It did it again today, so I have no clue when i'm gonna get back and try and more video. The video is about 2 minutes long and will give you examples of what a Dug out, and Non-Dug out hut site, looks like. I get asked a-lot how to find "hut sites" etc. I have done other videos on here giving examples. I am in the process to do a full scale video of hut digging in the winter. Sorry just noticed the sound cuts out towards the end, but it should give some people an idea..

First photo is my video, 2nd video is a short video documentary of the civil war park. Stafford,Virginia had over 140,000+ soldiers camp and move through for 4 years during the war.

 

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[AreYouSerious]

Thanks for the video unless you are into civil war hunting i dont think most people would know what hut site is. i did not know. thanks for sharing.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

At the end there before the sound cuts off I was going to say I would get a bunch of iron/nail signals.. dig into it and hit ash then dig it out about 2-3 feet deep and probably come out with a few general service eagle buttons, ny militia button and some bullets.. But it should give example of low point/depression of non dug out hut in the ground.

 

[WHADIFIND]

Fascinating info!

They let you dig there!?!?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Fascinating info!

They let you dig there!?!?

Nope the site is protected now as of 2009, owned by the county. Big sign that reads "No Relic Hunting, NO First warnings" the camp was pretty well dug out back in the 1990s. The woods go back pretty far though and are along heavy duty power lines that stretch for miles. I hunted this camp with my dad years ago and didn't come out with much (though we were on the other side of the power lines and not actually in this camp) it has been pounded pretty hard ever since the 1960s pretty much.. Still a few non-dug huts left in this camp though. But, there are non-dug huts alll over Stafford..

 

[WHADIFIND]

Nope the site is protected now as of 2009, owned by the county. Big sign that reads "No Relic Hunting, NO First warnings" the camp was pretty well dug out back in the 1990s.

Yep. Just one more place where it is deemed more proper to let the past rot away. It's ok though. As we all know, if it's been dug out back in the 90's, then there just can't be anything else there. After all, it has been hunted out.

HH!

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Yah.. this is a site though where I think the county did a A+ job.. Better to be a Civil War park there then let houses be built on it. This land was suppose to turn into a housing development and the county stepped in and saved it. There may be a few archaeology digs in the future here though but not any time soon. Trust me.... the relic hunters back in the 80s and 90s dug this camp out pretty good..

 

[WHADIFIND]

Yah.. this is a site though where I think the county did a A+ job.. Better to be a Civil War park there then let houses be built on it. This land was suppose to turn into a housing development and the county stepped in and saved it. There may be a few archaeology digs in the future here though but not any time soon. Trust me.... the relic hunters back in the 80s and 90s dug this camp out pretty good..

OH! I agree!!!!

Absolutely!!

A completely hunted out ground!

AND, now, who will have exclusive rights to pursuing our wonderful hobby there? Not us, that's for sure. After all, we might destroy something.

HH! (wherever you still can).

 

[HutSiteDigger]

lol yah.. it would be a "archaeology permit" type thing. Unless you paid the county like $50,000 to do your own dig there, you have better luck winning the lottery then having the county grant you permission to metal detect there. There is already some guy who drives down there and monitors it everyday in hopes to spot a metal detector so he can turn them in. Back in the 90s you could dig anywhere you wanted to in Stafford, but now-a days since the population boom in Stafford in 1999, people are all about calling the police for everything.. If they see a truck pulled to the side of the road they will call the cops, if you go into the woods with a metal detector - they will call the police and say "some guy just went into the woods with a gun" they think a gun is a metal detector.. Back in the 1990s you didn't have to worry, but now you better have permission or know a good place to park before you head into the woods in Stafford.. It is a fairly big county though with a-lot of wooden areas but every other day they are building a new housing development or shopping center..

 

[WHADIFIND]

lol yah.. it would be a "archaeology permit" type thing. Unless you paid the county like $50,000 to do your own dig there, you have better luck winning the lottery then having the county grant you permission to metal detect there.

Again. Exactly my point. They've decided to make a VERY nice park for the public to come to and enjoy walking thru history. But, with proper rules and enforcement in place, tell me WHY is it sooooo wrong for this particular part of the "We the people..." to have a nice park to visit also? WITH our detectors in hand? They are chomping at the bit to make some poor Joe an example by confiscating everything but his toenails, just to show the FORCE behind their convictions! BUT!!! They couldn't also make the hobby available to John Q (tax paying) Public, by creating a very spelled out park permit system! NOOOOO....they would rather let things ROT in the ground while they're attempting to get all their permissions and permits and documentation in place in order to do one, 12 by 12 foot piece of ground.

What would be sooo wrong for a detectorist to, by happenstance or by their superior research skills, find an indication of where the "PROFESSIONAL PHONEY BALONEYS" should attempt to dig? The permit system would include reporting all finds and if something of particular interest showed up. That section could then be put in documentation hell whilst awaiting the "proper" authorities. Disallowing anymore hunting there except by the original person to make the finding and then only to help the "officials".

Ok. I've said my piece. I ranted my rant and put up the pipe dream that only exists in my head and in my bed after I've gone to sleep.

Thanks for reading, (those that got this far).

HH! (wherever you still can)

 

[Mekong Mike]

Same thing happened in prince william county virginia. back in the 1970s there was so much forest, now all housing developments. I remember seeing civil war era trenches in the woods west of woodbridge and east of manasas. That's all gone now. I was fortunate to be able to see the place when it was wilderness.