Newbie looking for some advice/knowledge in Ellisville, MS. area

[bobbydceee]

Hi all, just joined the forum and hoping to tap into some of your wealth of knowledge. So here's my story. My family has land in Ellisville, MS. (a few miles southwest of town), and although I do know a pretty good bit about the history of Ellisville, (the Knight stories, and a little bit about the Civil War era in the general area, such as the Skirmish at Rocky Creek, etc.), I'm wanting to know if anyone knows of any other areas NEAR or around the skirmish, or any other Civil War camp sites maybe, maps, routes, etc. to see if there could have possibly been some activity around my family's land. We always knew about the skirmish and that there was some activity somewhat near us, but that's took place about 3.5-4 miles away (supposedly), so you can imagine our surprise and excitement recently when we found around a 3.5" cannonball (still investigating) in the middle of on of our pastures while doing some plowing!! (see below, I hope i'm not wrong but I'm sure someone will point that out if so haha). We often find old bottles and other relics on the place, near a couple of the old homesites in the woods, but haven't done any detecting yet, I know, crazy right? I've always really wanted to, but now that we've found the cannonball, assuming that it's a cannonball of course, I'm about to go nuts to get out there and get digging as most of you can imagine! My family has owned the land since the late 1800's, unfortunately no one is left to actually "talk" about things from that era of course, but we do know a good bit about it. I'll be hitting the old homesites soon, so I'm excited enough about that, but I'm really trying to find some info on Civil War activity or camps near me. It's pretty hilly where I'm at, I know where a few springs are on the place that maybe could be possible spots to check out in case they were used as water sources, and I'd like to think maybe someone out there has some knowledge of the general area that might could help me out? If anyone knows anything about the area, I'd surely appreciate it!

Either way, love the forum, and reading all of you folks stories, thanks in advance for any advice, and look forward to hearing your responses! -Bobby

 

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[45th_Johnny]

bobbydceee: I think you may be on to something. There were C.W. camp all through that area. It was a part of the Free State of Jones, from Wayne County stretching on into Louisiana. There is no telling what you may find there. I have never seen a C.W. map of that area. Seems that all of the maps are of the major battles and usually only Yankee maps. Also there were a few outlaws known to be in and from that area. Springs were very important to everyone and everything. Before the white man came the Indians were there, but I doubt you will find anything Indian with a metal detector. Anyway, keep an eye out while you are looking around. I live on an Indian mound and my wife has a very nice collection. My brother's house is also on a mound 14 miles east of us.

Good Luck

 

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

Ellisville here also... I am a member of a local detecting group called the South Mississippi Relic Team, we have a Facebook page & meet the 3rd Thursday of each month. I actually found my 1st 2 Civil War era bullets in Old Ellisville last winter... Have you contacted anyone at JCJC, or USM in the history department to see if they could help, also Contact the Library of Congress via their website and see if they have any info. There are also a couple of people I know of in or near Ellisville that are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the history of the area. Feel Free to shoot me a PM here or join our group if you want the names of those folks...

 

[Mackaydon]

Through your local library (Reference Desk), you may also wish to obtain the name, phone, Email, etc. of your county Historian.
Don.........

 

[bobbydceee]

bobbydceee: I think you may be on to something. There were C.W. camp all through that area. It was a part of the Free State of Jones, from Wayne County stretching on into Louisiana. There is no telling what you may find there. I have never seen a C.W. map of that area. Seems that all of the maps are of the major battles and usually only Yankee maps. Also there were a few outlaws known to be in and from that area. Springs were very important to everyone and everything. Before the white man came the Indians were there, but I doubt you will find anything Indian with a metal detector. Anyway, keep an eye out while you are looking around. I live on an Indian mound and my wife has a very nice collection. My brother's house is also on a mound 14 miles east of us.

Good Luck

Thanks Johnny, you actually answered a question I had without me even asking it haha! I was wondering about the indians and actually have been doing some research about them as well to see if I could find out which ones were in the area, etc. Seems to be mostly Choctaw around there from the old maps I've found. I'd love to find some arrowheads so definitely gonna check out the spring areas to see what I can find (without the detector of course). Any tell tell signs as far as identifying mounds or indian inhabited areas? Just curious, thanks again, I really appreciate it!

 

[bobbydceee]

Ellisville here also... I am a member of a local detecting group called the South Mississippi Relic Team, we have a Facebook page & meet the 3rd Thursday of each month. I actually found my 1st 2 Civil War era bullets in Old Ellisville last winter... Have you contacted anyone at JCJC, or USM in the history department to see if they could help, also Contact the Library of Congress via their website and see if they have any info. There are also a couple of people I know of in or near Ellisville that are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the history of the area. Feel Free to shoot me a PM here or join our group if you want the names of those folks...

Thanks Wannabe! I'll definitely check out the group, I found them on FB and been looking through some of the stuff, really cool. I'll also look into the other references you gave me. Much thanks, maybe once I get going we can meet up and do some hunting!

 

[bobbydceee]

Through your local library (Reference Desk), you may also wish to obtain the name, phone, Email, etc. of your county Historian.
Don.........

Thanks Don, def will check that out!

 

[45th_Johnny]

bobbydceee: Choctaw Indians were there. The Indians were located probably on ever elevated piece of ground with good drainage, at one time or another. They needed water for drinking, transportation and trading. My brothers mound looks like a horses head from the air, but I think it was a deer head. My mound is raised in the center with raised rings around it. My brother farmed part of his land and after tilling the soil he would walk the field after it rained and pick up artifacts, some were broken from the tilling, most of the smaller items were intact. He had several natural flowing springs on his place. At night you can walk around the place a hear the water running, the next morning you could look for them and not find all you heard the night before.

Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane, I miss my brother.

 

[Brewertown]

I grew up in Ellisville on Main St. Top of the hill that everyone loves to jump. We were told our house was built on an Indian burial ground. Not sure if that is true but there were arrowheads found in our yard over the years. Also if you go out 588 and hit Sandhill Rd you will find Ellzey Cemetery. I was told by a childhood friend that grew up across the road from the graveyard that it was actually an Indian mound. And back in the woods across the road there was a civil war encampment. When her grandfather would plow each Spring he would often find CW relics. His fireplace mantle was lined with things he had found including PAPER MONEY. I could not believe that it had survived but it had. Tattered but definitely enough there to identify. Back to Ellisville, anywhere around town should be a hot bed for NA artifacts or CW artifacts. So much history there.

 

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

I grew up in Ellisville on Main St. Top of the hill that everyone loves to jump. We were told our house was built on an Indian burial ground. Not sure if that is true but there were arrowheads found in our yard over the years. Also if you go out 588 and hit Sandhill Rd you will find Ellzey Cemetery. I was told by a childhood friend that grew up across the road from the graveyard that it was actually an Indian mound. And back in the woods across the road there was a civil war encampment. When her grandfather would plow each Spring he would often find CW relics. His fireplace mantle was lined with things he had found including PAPER MONEY. I could not believe that it had survived but it had. Tattered but definitely enough there to identify. Back to Ellisville, anywhere around town should be a hot bed for NA artifacts or CW artifacts. So much history there.

Are you still local?

 

[Brewertown]

Yes, we live in Desoto on the Wayne/Greene County Line. You turn at Ovett on a dirt road and drive 500 miles and there we are lol.

 

[Wannabe Treasure Hunter]

I normally come into the Desoto Forest on Tiger Creek Rd... Have you got to do any hunting lately?