found tip possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (update)

ivan salis

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found tip possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (update)

while chatting with a local fellow doing a bit of research on a confederate camp site area in my area -- the person spoke of a "missing" union unit --a white officer commanding a small foot patrol unit of black soldiers ( said to be between 30 to 50 men) -- these men ran into a much larger rebel unit and got "boxed in" refusing to surrender ( the white officer was killed early on in the fight and it seems the black troops feared being hanged if they surrendered as this was wide spread belief --true or not --that this would occur if the black troops were caught by southern troops) so they fought to the death to the last man. -- after the fight for them refusing to surrender and thus forcing additional fighting which caused some additional maiming and killing of some of the southern soldiers (several more than if they had just surrendered when asked to )-- the angry southern soldiers piled their bodies in a heap and burnt them in revenge . --- the man who told me said his grandmother told him of it as a child --and said that she knew because it was upon her great grandpa's land (who was alive at the time * and told her as a kid) he was there when the event occured in the civil war -I have also found out from the man I spoke to that according to him no union troops ever came in the area to "look" for the "lost union patrol". so upon that bit of land is the burnt remains of between 30 to 50 men of the "lost patrol"-- I hope to attempt to find their remains ( if I can get land owner ok) and have them properly honored if I can.

later note ****this is freakish -- after completing the above post --I felt "compelled" to go see if this possible "site" had been developed or not --at 1 am in the morning mind you and its a fair bit from home --got in the car drove down there a sort of a remote area -- after seeing the spot -- I could have returned the way I came or take the long way around -- the was a small creek a bit down the other long road way --very possibly were the lost patrol got pinned in at --so I go that way -- as I approach it , it appears somethings in the road --the night fog was coming in but the image of something snaps me to --in the fog is a totally wrecked car with someone in it still --the car is still steaming and leaking gas --it had to have just occurred- I help the driver out ---the driver is muttering I thought I saw something in the road so I swerved -- its clear to see he went off the curve by the bridge --hitting trees with his passenger side which spun his car back on the road -- totally fubar ed-- the 20ish something kids beat up and bleeding but lucky to be alive --all he can do is cry "my car" over and over --silly kid -- hes standing by the car in the road even after I told him it might blow stay away from it -- then a huge dually type pick up comes flying like a bat outta --- down the road right at the no lights on wreck with the kid between the two --I flash my brights up and down several times to alert the oncoming truck --he pays no mind -- only at the last second does he see it and slam on brakes --close call--if I had not alerted him he would have plowed right into it kid wreck and leaking gas and all --boom. -- you know the "lost patrol" bodies was burnt to a crisp.-- this is freaky indeed. === the dually truck never even stopped just went around us on the berm "rolled on"
 

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Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (mo

Wow awesome lead I hope you find something! Good luck!
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

Well seems like something was telling you to go out.

Funny how things work out! A simple step one way or the other changes destinies. Maybe that kid would stayed in the car and gotten slammed by the Truck and be dead.

CRAZY STORY!

That is an awesome piece of history that your researching. I hope it pans out to what you think it is, would be a great thing for you to put this much time in and have the place honored with a memorial. 40-50 men killed in one grave is alot of people. Such a shame...

GENE
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

thanks guys --yep frankly --this was a very weird event * --I'm sure however if I had not been there the dually truck that was flying down the road would have smashed into the wrecked car sitting in tthe road with no lights on * killing the driver of the car who woukd have either still been in the car or beside it --thus between the car and the truck as it approached --with the gas leak once the truck hit it most likely --boom a flaming mass --so good chance the dually driver would have been toast too. --- the really odd thing is the "missing patrol" who's resting place I was looking for bodies were all burnt to bits back then.
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

Cool story good luck at that spot.
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

i hope it works out for you...
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

That is an extremely weird event, but it is quite clear to me that you were meant to go there at that exact time. You're right, it sounds like the kid would otherwise have been killed by the guy in the duallie.

To my mind, I think it was the hand of G-d at work.

Your story is like something out of a movie. And you were going to check out a site where a bunch of dead Union soldiers were stacked and burned.

WEIRD.


I am currently working on a metal detecting story of what I thought to be moderate strangeness, but yours has mine beat.
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

the "timong" was odd indeed -- a few min earlier --I would have ben past the spot when the kid wrecked ---a few min later * without me bring there to warn him ) the dually would have creamed the wrecked car (who lights were totally out and it was foggy) sitting in the road on the curve . ( leaking gas ) --all that would have been there would be a ball of burning mangled metal of the two vehicles. -- it was meant to be --that I was to be at that exact time at that exact place to save at least one if not two lives , is about the only way I can justify what occured. ( the how it was caused I do not know exactly --only what occured --- and who caused it --the lord in action in my veiw.)
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

Timing is everything. We all have events where we look back and say if I had not or if I had been there then this or that would have happened. I often wonder how many of these events we avoid by taking a right instead of a left or we forget a wallet and run back in the house, thus being on the road a minute later. How many events do we avoid and never even know it?
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (mo

You never know, it may pan out very well.
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

That young man's guardian angel was busy that night! I've been in situations that have lead me to believe there is such a thing as guardian angels.
Either way, you are a hero. You heeded that inner voice. If you hadn't been there at just the right time, several lives could have been lost!
Please keep us posted on what you find, and any other mysterious happenings!
Way to go, HERO! :icon_thumright:
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

Ivan, I believe, you were called upon and you delivered :headbang:
It seems to me, a lot of people with dreams of treasure, become intuitive.

Mike
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

all I can say was I felt "compelled" --like I "had to" -- the timing of it was mind boggling to me -- needless to say it was very odd indeed -- but then I leave a odd and very non normal but interesting life in general
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

KARMA!!!! now your going to find something good. willy
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

Awesome twist of fate. I really believe that the Lord sent you to that lonely road that night. Also I see it as a "sign" your quest is very near to that area, like the exact spot may be under that particular section of blacktop. I would go back (with permission) and search the immediate area around where the auto was wrecked..........NGE
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

There has been huge intrest in "colored" troops in the Civil War over the past 10 years, another metal detecting site is currantly collecting donations for one said unit as I write this. Although local lore or rumors are fun to listen too and day-dream about, I think if this were true, information about it would have came out ages ago. Good luck in your search.
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

SWR said:
ivan salis said:
while chatting with a local fellow doing a bit of research on a confederate camp site area in my area -- the person spoke of a "missing" union unit --a white officer commanding a small foot patrol unit of black soldiers ( said to be between 30 to 50 men) -- these men ran into a much larger rebel unit and got "boxed in" refusing to surrender ( the white officer was killed early on in the fight and it seems the black troops feared being hanged if they surrendered as this was wide spread belief --true or not --that this would occur if the black troops were caught by southern troops) so they fought to the death to the last man. -- after the fight for them refusing to surrender and thus forcing additional fighting which caused some additional maiming and killing of some of the southern soldiers (several more than if they had just surrendered when asked to )-- the angry southern soldiers piled their bodies in a heap and burnt them in revenge . --- the man who told me said his grandmother told him of it as a child --and said that she knew because it was upon her great grandpa's land (who was alive at the time * and told her as a kid) he was there when the event occured in the civil war -I have also found out from the man I spoke to that according to him no union troops ever came in the area to "look" for the "lost union patrol". so upon that bit of land is the burnt remains of between 30 to 50 men of the "lost patrol"-- I hope to attempt to find their remains ( if I can get land owner ok) and have them properly honored if I can.

A powerful story of folklore based on local rumor, I am sure.

The 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry, 8th United States Colored Troops and the 35th United States Colored Troops of North Carolina who engaged the Confederates in the Battle of Olustee obviously were not part of your "lost patrol" story. It is safe to say...there was no small foot patrol unit of Black soldiers who were killed and bodies burned. However, good luck on your mission to validate this rumor.

Also, two thumbs up on being a good Samaritan.

Which bothers you most, the existence of the military unit or the other?
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

SWR said:
Kentucky Kache said:
Which bothers you most, the existence of the military unit or the other?

This thread is not about SWR. Try making your posts to the topic, and not the other posters.

If you stayed with the post, you wouldn't have said what you did. I don't think the poster was asking anyone to try and prove him wrong. Stay with the post.
 

Re: found tip to possible location of "missing " union patrol from civil war (more)

swr you are correct -- the 35th and the 54th and the 8th were all at olustee * the 8th usct ( which were green lightly trained troops who had never seen battle before -- at the time were placed on the vital flank area -- a very ill advised move ) their commanding officer was killed early on in the battle--- they fought bravely by vainly --taking massive losses (over 300 men) before falling back in disarray -- late in the battle --the 35th and 54th were called into play to shore up the union lines both units are credited for fighting hard and well --as it became clear that the battle was lost ---the 54th was tasked with guarding the rear as they retreated -- of the about 5,000 union troops that took part in the battle 203 or (about 4% 1 in 25) are known as KIA --506 * or a bit over 10% of them (1 in 10 ) are listed as MIA unaccounted for( meaning a real dead or missing in action count of 709 men or a bit over 14% of the total union troops there) and 1,152 wounded in action (or better than 20% were listed as wounded in action) for a total of 1,861 or 37.22% chance of being killed,mia or wounded ( on a % basis it was one of the bloodest battles of the war)--more than 1 in 3 chances-- its been reported that bands of confederates went on the feild and shot wounded black soldiers after the battle was over rather than take then prisoners as they should have. --thus the high MIA count -- a small 30 to 50 man unit could have easily gotten cut off from the main body during the confusing union retreat from this mauling that they took and been hunted down by rebel calvary --(from what I gather it was black union foot soldiers and confederate calvary that boxed them in and attacked them) --still trying to find out details --I do not know fully the time frame that this occured at yet --only that it occured during the war -- if earlier it might be a a patrol / train track wrecking crew or if later on-- cut off stragglers from olustee but with 506 * MIA's listed from the battle and a badly messed up "retreat"-- a small group of 30 to 50 men being "lost" in the shuffle of the retreat would not be impossible in my veiw .
 

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