Happy Birthday George. Washington family relics!

DirtyMike&Tab

Jr. Member
Apr 4, 2017
91
192
Fenwick Island, De & Harper's Ferry, Wv
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2, Mx Sport, & At pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was lucky enough to have permission for a couple years to dig “Happy Retreat”. This was the home of Charles Washington. George Washington’s brother. It’s docemted that George did indeed visit his brother at this home several times. Also it’s mentioned in Charles’s journals that “natives” would come up to the property and they would have to run them off while building this home. Durning the civil war it was owned by the towns judge. Who broke his back by falling off his horse crossing the creek leaving his home one day. Well the creek is at the edge of his property and there is still a historical trail through the woods there. Which at the edge of this creek on the trail I found 3 coins that date to then and a printing plate with the judges names inscribed backwards on it. During the war soldiers did camp on the property for a day or so here and there too. So there is a lot of relics on this property. Everything in these photos were found around the home. I’ve been told that some of these buckles date to the 1600s and most likely were family heirlooms. The clipped corner plate in the middle I’ve been told it’s a Rev War plate and I’ve been told it’s a plate off of a trunk. Im pretty certain there is a Rev War sling buckle in there. If anyone knows anything about any of the small buckles please let me know. Anyways I felt today for George’s Birthday it was an appropriate time to post. And I know this stuff was not dug today but on George’s Birthday “today” in 2008 I dug the sling buckle on the property. Enjoy and have a great day! 95017E8D-4854-47B7-9EC5-4B2B48945180.jpeg789C2927-5CA3-487F-A81F-8416C90D14B1.jpeg
 

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Upvote 23
Absolutely awesome digs from a very special place! :notworthy:
 

Great hunt and nice set of relics. Spans a pretty good period.
Would have to see the back of the clipped corner piece but on surface does appear to be a plate. The buckle to the left of it is definitely a period (rev war) buckle.
 

Very nice collection of historical artifacts.
 

Wow! Great finds. Looks like you got quite the variety of interesting coins and relics. That 2 cent piece looks to be in great condition - love those coins...
 

Super Cool! Great Permission!!!!
 

thats just amazing great post
 

Funny, I just saw this post on Facebook and commented about hunting in that area. Then I open up T-Net and see it again. That is a great collection from that site. You must have has some kind of special influence to get on it because it was obviously unhunted.
 

Bill Gavin owned then. And I lived across the road from him. He and I would go to our local civil war round table meetings together. Mr Gavin is credited as being the first person to use a metal detector to search for civil war artifacts. He wrote the first book on civil war belt plates. Believe it or not, even though he was such an avid detectorist, battle fields was his thing. Not bullets, not buttons, but plates. And lots of them. He knew there was stuff in his yard but he told me he figured he’d let somebody else have some. Again civil war plates were his thing.
 

You know there is a ton of stuff still there. I never once asked him to dig his yard. But he did ask me to dig it so he could see what I found several times. Now it’s in a historical trust. He let me keep almost everything. There were a few items he wanted and asked me never to tell anyone what they were. But I will say there was some “killer” relics there with some serious US history.
 

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