New Mexico Detectorist...

[Tejaas]

Any of y'all live/detect near the Glorieta Battlefield or Pecos National Park?

 

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[Tejaas]

Nobody?

You Ain't Done Wild And Reckless, Till You've Done It In Texas!

 

[DignTXRelics]

I don't live up there but I'm somewhat familiar with it. Planning a detecting trip?

 

[lastleg]

The Diggers did a show at Glorieta, found roundness.

 

[FLauthor]

Obviously you want to find some relics from this battle without having National Park units shooting at you. Alright, first go to your public library and use their Inter-library loan books. These were the military units involved in that Glorieta Battle. Go through those books looking for these titles: History of the 1st Colorado Infantry (Union); History of the 1st Colorado Cavalry (Union); History of the 3rd Colorado Cavalry (Union); History of the Second Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA); History of the 4th Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA); History of the 5th Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA); History of the 7th Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA). Surely there was at least one soldier who was a scholar and kept a journal or diary which later became a book. Usually they gave information where they encamped during their campaign. All those men didn't arrive to that battle by stage coach. They either marched or rode and would have bivouac'd somewhere on the march. Those areas may lie on private property and is accessible by you the detectorist. Unless you are a certified Archaeologist with permission from Attorney General Eric Holder to hunt that National Park then I wouldn't waste my time. Even searching the boundaries can be dangerous, ask anyone who tried doing that at Gettysburg. Wouldn't it be nicer to find a virgin CSA or Federal encampment in someone's cow pasture?
Sometimes you have to rearrange the titles to find these book treasures that hold more locations than a TH'er can even think of hunting. Now get to the library and start searching.

 

[Tejaas]

Obviously you want to find some relics from this battle without having National Park units shooting at you. Alright, first go to your public library and use their Inter-library loan books. These were the military units involved in that Glorieta Battle. Go through those books looking for these titles: History of the 1st Colorado Infantry (Union); History of the 1st Colorado Cavalry (Union); History of the 3rd Colorado Cavalry (Union); History of the Second Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA); History of the 4th Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA); History of the 5th Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA); History of the 7th Texas Mounted Rifles (CSA). Surely there was at least one soldier who was a scholar and kept a journal or diary which later became a book. Usually they gave information where they encamped during their campaign. All those men didn't arrive to that battle by stage coach. They either marched or rode and would have bivouac'd somewhere on the march. Those areas may lie on private property and is accessible by you the detectorist. Unless you are a certified Archaeologist with permission from Attorney General Eric Holder to hunt that National Park then I wouldn't waste my time. Even searching the boundaries can be dangerous, ask anyone who tried doing that at Gettysburg. Wouldn't it be nicer to find a virgin CSA or Federal encampment in someone's cow pasture? Sometimes you have to rearrange the titles to find these book treasures that hold more locations than a TH'er can even think of hunting. Now get to the library and start searching.

I feel as if you took a great liberty of assuming what I was inquiring about with my post...

I am actually a direct descendent to a German trooper who fought and died with the 7th TMV (and distantly related to many more.) He was present from the original muster near San Antonio - and throughout the course of the entire New Mexico campaign.

I own the originals of a fair-sized portion of the unit records for Company B of the 7th TMV... and copies of almost every known document from Texas-based volunteer cavalry regiments. I have expanded my personal archives to include Colorado, Louisiana, and Arizona Territory records as well.

It may sound rather pompous, but I know the entire Trans-Mississipi Departments inner and outer workings. Ive practically dedicated every free moment of my entire life since 5th grade to learning about Texas' role in the American Civil War... Countless hours in various Texas University archives, and close & almost constant communication with Texas History educators.

I have located multiple bivouac sites of Sibley's Brigade both to and from New Mexico... And obviously there were many, many more encampments on the return to central TX due to the "forced dismount" at Glorieta.

I am NOT trying to find an "in" to detect the battlefield at Glorieta, Peralta, Pigeon's Ranch, Kozlowski's Station, Apache Pass, or Valverde... In fact I was trying to locate anyone who had information on an almost unrelated subject.

I'd like to take this opportunity to inform you that Pecos National Park is composed of 4 different units, each from a different era of American History. The civil war "portion" is largely represented by the Glorieta unit... Which only about 20 percent of the battlefield lies within NPS boundaries. If one was so inclined, they may detect on the 80% of the Glorieta battlefield that is in public/private possession with at most a knock on a door and a "yes".

If you meant to offer sincere advice, I thank you, and apologize for my "as a matter of fact" response.

I assure you I know the tips/tricks/resources associated with doing productive and thorough research... And I am also well versed on the subject of limitations as laid out by Federal / NPS regulations.

 

[Tejaas]

Wouldn't it be nicer to find a virgin CSA or Federal encampment in someone's cow pasture?

I have done this, and one U.S. cavalry site in particular was in MY pasture... Check out my profile photo album for some of the finds.

Encampments are amazing sites, sure! They offer that insight into the day-to-day camp life & times of a cavalry trooper.

But "NICER"... no way!

NOTHING can compare to the nostalgia felt on a civil war battlefield where your own flesh and blood made the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs.

Even Mel Fisher couldn't experience a connection like that when he discovered the 'Atocha' down there in your part of the country! Haha!

 

[FLauthor]

It was sincere advice. Many TH'ers don't know too much about research or the ways to do it. I've written 7 books using that method and probably could have wrote 7 more but it's easier now to just look for the sites on the computer. Maybe inspire another author to write about their state. Looks like you have enough material to do such a book plus the finds you've made.