FLauthor
Hero Member
- Aug 22, 2004
- 770
- 204
- Detector(s) used
- Excalibur 800; Fisher F5; White Beachmaster VLF
- Primary Interest:
- Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
OK, Relic Hunters, are you tired of searching the same old ground that everybody has been searching since the first detectorist used a Korean War surplus mine detector in the 1950's to present and the finds are scarce as hen's teeth? It's winter time and it's too damn cold to be swinging a coil. Pick a state preferably one you live in and near your home. All the known sites have been picked over but there are tons of them out there that have never had a coil passed over them. The American Civil War primarily happened east of the Mississippi and south of Illinois, Ohio to Pennsylvania to the ocean. Much of the states below them were marched and fought over and that's a lot of ground to cover. OK, boys and girls, go to your Public Library and in the Reference Room they have big thick Title books. you may have to blow the dust off because everybody uses computers today but a lot of books never see the light of a computer. I'm going to use Ohio as an example: Do you know that Ohio had 198 regiments of Infantry, 13 Regiments of Cavalry and numerous cannon batteries. Do you know how I know? I own the two volume set of Ohio in the War by Whitelaw Reid, 1868, found on eBay about 10 years ago for $100. Use Inter-Library Loan to get books that may be in other states and jot down anything that smells like treasure.
It's a treasure chest of sites. Do you want virgin sites? Use titles like Regimental History of the 21st Ohio or Regimental History of the 124th OVH or Ohio Volunteer Infantry. I've read both books and they were full of sites and the men who wrote them told me exactly where they encamped and where they marched. Another title to look under History of the First New York Regiment: 1775 -1783 or the History of the 2nd Texas Infantry and so on.
There was one TH'er who used this method and he found a Tennessee CSA encampment untouched and he was afraid to leave in case someone else should stumble upon it. Yes, you get paranoid when you find a virgin site. That TH'er is how you research to find that one Gold Mine. Granted some sites may have a parking lot or a mall sitting on it but that's progress.
Here is another tip: join the local Historical Society and explain to them that you want to be their field representative. Most Historical Societies are comprised of little old ladies and old men. Tell them of your hobby and that you'll donate a portion of your finds to their museum acknowledging you as the finder. I'm proud I can go to my Historical Society museum and see relics I donated 20 years ago on display for all to see.
Having that credential makes it a little easier when asking permission to hunt private property. You may get to hunt areas that the American Revolution, War of 1812 or Civil War touched and they've never had a detector on them.
There are some CD's out there that may still be available online or eBay like the History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, about 6910 pages with illustrations and maps; Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, Vol 1 & 2, 1370 pages and The Official Records of the Civil War, 128 volumes.
Why am I telling you all this? So it won't be forgotten and to keep our history alive for all future generations. I hope it helps any and all Relic Hunters out there to find that one virgin site that has your name on it.
Now get to work and start researching, you are burning daylight!
It's a treasure chest of sites. Do you want virgin sites? Use titles like Regimental History of the 21st Ohio or Regimental History of the 124th OVH or Ohio Volunteer Infantry. I've read both books and they were full of sites and the men who wrote them told me exactly where they encamped and where they marched. Another title to look under History of the First New York Regiment: 1775 -1783 or the History of the 2nd Texas Infantry and so on.
There was one TH'er who used this method and he found a Tennessee CSA encampment untouched and he was afraid to leave in case someone else should stumble upon it. Yes, you get paranoid when you find a virgin site. That TH'er is how you research to find that one Gold Mine. Granted some sites may have a parking lot or a mall sitting on it but that's progress.
Here is another tip: join the local Historical Society and explain to them that you want to be their field representative. Most Historical Societies are comprised of little old ladies and old men. Tell them of your hobby and that you'll donate a portion of your finds to their museum acknowledging you as the finder. I'm proud I can go to my Historical Society museum and see relics I donated 20 years ago on display for all to see.
Having that credential makes it a little easier when asking permission to hunt private property. You may get to hunt areas that the American Revolution, War of 1812 or Civil War touched and they've never had a detector on them.
There are some CD's out there that may still be available online or eBay like the History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, about 6910 pages with illustrations and maps; Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, Vol 1 & 2, 1370 pages and The Official Records of the Civil War, 128 volumes.
Why am I telling you all this? So it won't be forgotten and to keep our history alive for all future generations. I hope it helps any and all Relic Hunters out there to find that one virgin site that has your name on it.
Now get to work and start researching, you are burning daylight!
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