🥇 BANNER Civil war dog tag. Are you kidding me?!!!!!!

[Turbo21]

I decided to go digging at lunch time today and went to one of our local parks that was opened in 1914. We have pulled many silver coins and cool relics from this park but never in a million years did I think I would find a civil war dog tag!!!!

I had a good signal and was thinking half dollar

Duh the hole and out pops a big disc. I was thinking large cent as soon as



Being the curious person I am I started cleaning it in the field. Was confused when I see 1861 and a shield. I didn't know what it was so immediately started looking online



I first thought it was a civil war token but noticed some writing on the back. I then found it was a civil war dog tag. How the heck did that end up in this park!!!!

I am still in the cleaning stage but it's coming along nicely. It's in really good shape and just some peroxide made a lot of the original brass color show up

I still have ore cleaning to do but it just amazes me the history behind this.

Here is a pic of how it's coming along


The back still need some cleaning but the writing is all legible

The back says
Caleb r foster
COB
13 reg
Vol




I suck at research so a big thanks to kiros32

He found that Caleb r foster was in the 102 regiment Pennsylvania infantry company b
He was wounded at wilderness va
He mustered out with his company on June 28 1865
He died at 78 from pneumonia and he is buried in chartiers cemetary which is about 10 miles from here

I have started looking at values and looks like at auction it could go from $1750 to $2200. Wow

I am still shaking and this is definitely my best find ever its gonna be hard to top this one!!!

 

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[Xraywolf]

This man is what I would consider an elite civil war veteran.
The initial callup was for 75,000 men, and he was among this first group. They were not drafted or compelled in any fashion, pure voluntary. They dropped what they were doing in a rush of patriotic fervor and adventure, and signed up to put down the Reb rebellion. [Under 18 were not supposed to be accepted, so either his tombstone is in error or he had a workaround]
They were not considered regular army by any stretch, but rather militiamen, hired guns for a specific purpose. They, by necessity, received very little training before being pitched into battle, and the initial callup was for a term of 3 months, which at that early stage was deemed sufficient to put the rebellion down and restore order.

Little did anyone know the years long ordeal that was to follow. The 3 month hitch was soon extended to 3 years, then for the duration of the conflict. The callup was eventually increased to 500,000 and beyond, and eventually a draft was instituted in both warring sides, which proved to be highly unpopular and relatively ineffective.

This man with near certainly was part of the 1st major action of the war, Bull Run ,, Which resulted in a Union rout. Was almost certainly present at the bloodbath of Antietam, the lopsided and bloody rout at Chancellorsville [Where the famed Rebel General Stonewall Jackson met his end, mistakenly shot by his own men while returning to his lines on horseback from recon]. Odds are he was in the thick of it at Gettysburg as well, where the Union finally turned the tide against the audacious Rebs.

There could not have been very many men who answered the initial call in mid 1861 and survived in service to 1865 ,, Possibly less than 1% of the entire force but certainly in low single digits.
A good many were obviously killed or wounded, some captured, went MIA or even deserted/went AWOL. Some were discharged for expiration of term prior to the end of the war - So Caleb R Foster is just not any civil war vet, but an elite vet who saw the war through literally from 1st to last.

None of these are likely, but possible - Wouldn't it be great to find:

* A pic of the man
* His service record, including all deployments/awards ect
* His memoirs - Almost inconceivable that a man who had seen and done so much and lived a long life not to leave some form of a written record, but who knows ?
If he did, likely would not be anything formal [like a published book]. Civil war stories were not in high demand in his lifetime. Would most likely be just his recollections written on paper, I have seen many types like this at military themed museums, doubtless many other still stuffed in attic boxes.

Great find, once again - By pure random chance you have brought Mr Foster back to life again.
Odds are that he personally lost it himself, and must have been highly depressed. Probably traced his route best he could in a futile attempt to find it. Little did he know that losing it would be his key to being remembered, researched and talked about a century later - A form of immortality, if you will, that he had no way to conceive could possibly ever happen.

Those offering ancestry search service, I'd say do it, but don't attempt any contact yourselves.
That would be the OP's place to decide.

 

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[sprailroad]

Turbo21, What you found is beyond special, there are no other words I can add, that has not already been said. What is also special is the time and effort that members like Kiros32, Jeff of pa, OutdoorAdv, Xraywolf, Westfront and others are so often willing to give to help with information etc. for others. It's things like this that really do make this a great forum.

 

[Steve in PA]

That is certainly an unusual find for park that opened in 1914. That ID tag is in great condition, better that many of the ones found in Virginia. This guy was certainly from my neck of the woods. I dug a nice Civil War era privy in Temperenceville (todays West End) and Chartiers Cemetary is only two miles from my house. Congrats on great find.

 

[Turbo21]

That is certainly an unusual find for park that opened in 1914. That ID tag is in great condition, better that many of the ones found in Virginia. This guy was certainly from my neck of the woods. I dug a nice Civil War era privy in Temperenceville (todays West End) and Chartiers Cemetary is only two miles from my house. Congrats on great find.

I drive by the west end (temperanceville) sign everyday. I have done a lot of detecting in the west end. Lots of old houses there. I would love to dig a privy there. Couldn't imagine the cool stuff to come out of it

 

[Xraywolf]

Just found this link, civil war buffs will get a kick out of it.
Many pics of vets in their later years at reunions and such - Last confirmed vet from either side Albert Woolson [Union] passed in 1956 at age 109.

How the last American Civil War veterans lived, loved and died

Another, specifically Gettysburg

https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2013/jul/01/civil-war-gettysburg-anniversary-pictures



There are allegedly around 35 [as of 2014] sons/daughters of CW vets still living, obviously the product of much older men with younger brides, and they themselves long lived.

Children of Civil War Veterans Still Walk Among Us, 150 Years After the War

 

[against the wind]

Incredible and rare find.
Well deserved banner.
Congratulations

 

[Truth]

That is sick!! Congrats

 

[Turbo21]

Just found this link, civil war buffs will get a kick out of it.
Many pics of vets in their later years at reunions and such - Last confirmed vet from either side Albert Woolson [Union] passed in 1956 at age 109.

How the last American Civil War veterans lived, loved and died

Another, specifically Gettysburg

https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2013/jul/01/civil-war-gettysburg-anniversary-pictures



There are allegedly around 35 [as of 2014] sons/daughters of CW vets still living, obviously the product of much older men with younger brides, and they themselves long lived.

Children of Civil War Veterans Still Walk Among Us, 150 Years After the War

I never even thought that some of their children are still alive. There are a lot of interesting comments at the end of the article. One of them talks about a child of a civil war vet that was still receiving pension payments from her fathers death until 1990


I am still digging to find more info on Caleb

 

[Turbo21]

Here is a little bit more info on his injury

 

[strick]

That is amazing!

strick

 

[DCMatt]

Here is a little bit more info on his injury

On the morning of the 4th of May the regiment moved from camp, and at noon of the 5th emerged upon the Wilderness battle-ground. Upon the Plank Road, near the point where General Meade afterwards established his headquarters, the Second Division separated from the rest of the corps, and while Sedgwick, with two divisions, moved off to the right, it advanced on the Plank, and after crossing to the Gordonsville Road, came suddenly upon a concealed foe, who poured into it a most withering fire. The line was immediately formed and a charge ordered, which was promptly made, and the woods in front were cleared. A position two hundred yards in advance of this was taken up and the enemy's coming awaited. At four in the afternoon, Hill's Corps, which had been hurried forward from Gordonsville, attacked in overwhelming numbers and with unwonted impetuosity. For two hours the battle raged with great violence, the slaughter being terrible, at the end of which the regiment was relieved and rested on its arms during the night, having lost, during the brief period of the fighting, sixteen killed and one hundred and twelve wounded.

Wounded on May 5, 1864 along the Plank Road near Spottsylvania Courthouse in central Virginia. Has surgery 5 (June 17) weeks later in Philadelphia. Returns to duty in March 1865.

 

[verbious]

An amazing find! There is an incredible amount of history here in the Pittsburgh area. Did you recently see on the news the canon balls they found in Lawrenceville? Congrats!!!!

 

[Turbo21]

An amazing find! There is an incredible amount of history here in the Pittsburgh area. Did you recently see on the news the canon balls they found in Lawrenceville? Congrats!!!!

Thanks. The parks here are nice and old and plenty of places to hunt

I didn't see the cannonballs I need to check that out!!

I know they have found canon balls from the revolutionary war on the hillside of mt Washington

 

[Turbo21]

Awesome cannonball find. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/c...onballs-in-Lawrenceville/stories/201703270150

 

[Jaysix]

That is awesome! Congrats!

 

[jimbonito58]

That really very cool and interesting . Large congrats nice Banner find

 

[Diggin Dude]

That's a awesome unique find! Congrats, thanks for sharing.

 

[Lanny in AB]

I decided to go digging at lunch time today and went to one of our local parks that was opened in 1914. We have pulled many silver coins and cool relics from this park but never in a million years did I think I would find a civil war dog tag!!!!

I had a good signal and was thinking half dollar

Duh the hole and out pops a big disc. I was thinking large cent as soon as



Being the curious person I am I started cleaning it in the field. Was confused when I see 1861 and a shield. I didn't know what it was so immediately started looking online



I first thought it was a civil war token but noticed some writing on the back. I then found it was a civil war dog tag. How the heck did that end up in this park!!!!

I am still in the cleaning stage but it's coming along nicely. It's in really good shape and just some peroxide made a lot of the original brass color show up

I still have ore cleaning to do but it just amazes me the history behind this.

Here is a pic of how it's coming along


The back still need some cleaning but the writing is all legible

The back says
Caleb r foster
COB
13 reg
Vol




I suck at research so a big thanks to kiros32

He found that Caleb r foster was in the 102 regiment Pennsylvania infantry company b
He was wounded at wilderness va
He mustered out with his company on June 28 1865
He died at 78 from pneumonia and he is buried in Chartiers Cemetery which is about 10 miles from here

I have started looking at values and looks like at auction it could go from $1750 to $2200. Wow

I am still shaking and this is definitely my best find ever its gonna be hard to top this one!!!

Many congratulations on the super-cool find!

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Pepper06]

It doesn't get much better than that.

 

[SD51]

One incredible find, Congrats and a great job researching the tag!