Camp for the night

[kermit]

Has anyone tracked the movement of troops to and from battle sites looking for the camps that they use while marching. I read someplace that a unit could travel 10 to 15 miles a day depending on the roads and weather etc.
Has anyone found anything in these overnight camps.

Thanks for any info


Kermit

 

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[stoney56]

Kermit, you might try reading some of the Official Reports if some of the battles were near you. Remember that the men and horses needed a pretty fair amount of water to keep going as well, so most camps were near that resource.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/records.htm

 

[backbonz]

Absolutley. 15 miles a day or more was common. I use this all the time. Its not easy though. Modern roads and old ones dont always match up. Research can be exhausting, but fun. here is the link to the complete OR's. Do a search.

Has anyone tracked the movement of troops to and from battle sites looking for the camps that they use while marching. I read someplace that a unit could travel 10 to 15 miles a day depending on the roads and weather etc.
Has anyone found anything in these overnight camps.

Thanks for any info


Kermit

 

[BuckleBoy]

This is where the real finds are in civil war hunting today. I have with my buddies uncovered three such overnight campsites in Virginia and one in KY. Each has been difficult to pin down. One was excruciatingly difficult. Good luck, and hit the books! Oh, and havin' a buddy or two will help you as well (you can cover more ground when you try to pinpoint the campsite's location).

Buckleboy

 

[MichaelB]

I agree with all who posted. In my case a line of Union trrops that extended 6 miles traveled down a sandy penisula(Fort Morgan), across bayou mud(Magnolia Springs) in torrential rains and then followed the main river North to attack the defences of Mobile, AL(Spanish Fort). All the way they drug cannons and supplies, no small feat. From the official records, diaries and newspaper clippings (believe it or not the Mobile Press gave an almost scorecard account of skirmishes),I have found the column traveled from 3 to 15 miles per day. One of these overnight sites was discovered by chance when the local town put in another water tower and started digging trenches for the water pipes. Another gave up the remnants of an entire rifle.

Land has gotten to be so expensive in Baldwin County that people are now reluctant to let you go exploring through their old oak grove, creek bed or ravine.

I discovered a possible new site from one official record I found in the great collection at Cornell. I recognized the creek name from my hometown where the old timers had talked about hiding injured CS troops. As soon as the horse flies, yellow jackets and nutra( a rat the size of a dog for people not from the deep south) go away for the winter I will be looking for the next mystery sight.

Best of luck to you.

MichaelB

 

[d2]

Dave Poche' has written 2 books, one on locating CW camp sites the other on how camps/forts were laid out. The first one is devoted to how far troops moved in a days time and their needs during an overnite stay. Water was number one, for horses, mules and soldiers. The OR's are important for info as well as is what you have been told about the area you intend to hunt by the older folks. Get a map of the area you intend to hunt that shows hwys and co. rds. then get a map that was made back in the 1850-60's. This will show where the roads used to be and where they are now and you can see if they have been moved and in which direction. Remember they had to have water and big creeks or springs along the roads are places to hunt. You can do it, it will take a little research. A friend of mine, in his 70's, told me that the field behind his house was used as a hospital area during one of the battles here in Ark. I could find no mention of it in the OR's but he grew up hearing it from his parents/grandparents etc. I went out behind his house the past spring and found 3 bullets, a pewter button and 6 pounds of ticks and redbugs. As soon as it cools off I will be hitting his field hard. Good luck...d2

 

[ramjet2187]

What do you get for a pound of ticks nowadays?

 

[dasabighole]

YUM YUM , NUTRA!

 

[brnn53]

I have been researching the movements of the 15th Corp after Bentonville. Some units camped on my farm and I have found some relics (see pic in favorite CW find thread). The research is half the fun but information can be sketchy and you have to reference period maps with modern ones to narrow the areas down. d2 is correct with his info below. Good luck. They are out there!
Mike

 

[jeff from east pa]

Civil war troops were as tuff as nails. stonewall jackson marched from harpers ferry to antietam and went directly into battle no rest. I have found some of my best relics along retreat routes and routes of march. you have to remember there were thousands of companies and regiments ect who camped every night for over 4 years thats alot of camps. and only a small percent has ever been found.