U.S. Box Plate & Artillery Hammer Dug on Tenn. Trio -1 Hunt at CSA Camp Today

[VOL1266-X]

The Tenn. Trio planned a hunt today at a Gen. John Hunt Morgan CSA camp. Josh was sick and felt too weak to hunt so Dman and I headed out to the site to hunt 2-3 hours. Initially, Doug had all the luck with an iron hammer that I recognized as a possible artilleryman’s hammer. Josh had dug an iron artillery gimlet in that camp last year and Doug recovered an iron canister ball there recently so we know Confederate artillery was camped there with the cavalry. After Doug recovered the hammer, he found a dropped .58 3 ringer, .36 cal. Colt pistol bullet plus an old pocketknife.
Ever have a day when you can’t seem get the coil over a good signal no matter how hard you tried? This morning, I couldn’t buy a bullet and Doug even shared some likely signals late in the hunt as we have always done if one Trio member seems to have all the luck. We were on the way back to the truck when I got a solid signal of 66-72 on the F75 display. It was only 6-7 inches deep and seemed too high a reading for a bullet-even a Gardner. Doug was in the process of digging another signal only about 15 feet away. I could not believe what I saw come out of the hole. Ironically, I have dug thousands of relics since I started relic hunting in 1995 including 2 state veteran pins, 3 breastplates, 1851 sword belt plate, CS plain brass militia buckle, many buttons, all the other relics on my profile page This is the FIRST relic I have dug with a U.S. on it. Tennessee Digger (Donnie) has had faith I would dig one and said it would happen at an unlikely place and time. Boy, was he right. Josh had a relapse after Doug called and told him what we had found today-LOL. HH from the Tennessee Trio and the upcoming Nov.-Dec. issue of North South Trader’s Civil War Magazine has my article “Christmas with Gen. Morgan” involving some Tennessee Trio hunts featured in it.

 

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[WILDFOX]

Nice finds....

 

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[SkyPirate]

Great finds!

 

[got2dig]

Nice hunt there guys. I look forwad to getting out a digging up some soon. Keep digging. HH

 

[Wldbil]

Big congrats guys... Nice finds and vid.

 

[sscindercoop]

Nice digs!!!!

 

[Deno]

That's a nice plate.

 

[VOL1266-X]

Thanks to everyone who looked and replied. We had a good day. Many times, we have almost considered that site hunted out. Guess not. I am sending it to Robert McDaniel for restoration since it's my first US marked plate. If I am destroying history, there are many hundreds of relics I have saved. I will post the restored example. Thanks from "Hammerhead" Dman too-LOL. HH, Quindy.

 

[Nana40]

Awesome awesome you two!!

Q-
If you don't keep Yankee CW relics then just send it to me.

-MM-

I was listening to American Digger radio a couple of months ago and they had an older gentleman guest on there. If I remember right, he said that back in the day when they would come across a Yankee camp while hunting, they'd skip right on over it. Could you imagine having the luxury of picking and choosing what camps you might want to be digging up? Yankee? ...nah. Let's leave that one. haha!

 

[Curious The George]

I suppose that an artillery man could have used a cobblers hammer for something.

 

[nsdq]

holy cow

 

[rebelrouser]

that is some great finds.sometimes it pays to dig big iron

 

[oldsalty19]

great stuff.......like the hammer

 

[mtbiker]

Super nice!

 

[Breezie]

Wooooooo Hoooooooo what a hunt! The TennTrio will be able to open their own Civil War Museum before too long! I love it all, especially the hammer. Here's a pic of a similar artillery hammer. Way to go, Breezie
Confederate Artillery Hammer | Civil War Stock

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Vol1226-X sent me an email with a link to this discussion-thread , asking for my professional analysis about the hammer. Therefore, I am not posting my "negative" analysis of the hammer without an invitation to do so.

There has been long-running debate in the relic-digging/collecting community about that particular type of hammer. A couple of books on excavated civil war relics identify it as an Artillery hammer. But unfortunately, there seems to be absolutely no historical evidence to support that ID.

Every type of Artillery tools/implements/equipment is shown in diagrams in various civil war era books on Artillery equipment. Examples are:
"The Artillerist's Manual" by Gibbon
"Artillery For The United States Land Service" by Mordecai
"The US Ordnance Manual Of 1861"

But no such hammer is shown in any of the civil war era Artillery equipment books, nor described, nor even mentioned in them. Also, no such hammer appears in any civil war era photographs of Artillerymen and their equipment.

As you already know, hammers come in many dozens of shapes, according to their specific intended work-purpose. Fortunately for us relic-researchers, antique Tool Catalogs (from manufacturers and dealers) dating back to the second half of the 1800s are still in existence. Because the so-called Artillery hammer is not found in any civil war era Military Manual diagrams, I've searched diligently among the 19th-century tool catalogs. That hammer's shape has several distinguishing characteristics... the screwdriver/wedge shaped handle-end, the handle itself being all-iron, and the short wedge-shaped head. The "nearest matches" I've found are a Cooper's (barrel-maker's) hammer, a scythe-straightenening-&-sharpening hammer, and a crate-opener hammer. Each of those Civilian-usage types of hammers could have been used by soldiers ..who, for example, needed to open up wooden ration-crates & ammo-crates, and needed to straighten bent sword blades, knives, bayonets, etc.

In summary:
Despite the (incorrect) ID in a couple of relic-books as an Artillery hammer, there seems to be absolutely no Historical Document evidence that this form of hammer is specifically a Military-issue hammer, and especially, no evidence that it was as an artillery-specific tool.

In closing, I should mention that there are quite a few other incorrect identifications of relics in various relic-books. In particular, Dr. Lord's "Civil War Collectors Encyclopedia" is full of errors. My personal favorite is in the McKee-&-Mason book, which shows a Model-T Ford spindle-arm's brass bushing as being a civil war artillery fuze.

 

[kuger]

In closing, I should mention that there are quite a few other incorrect identifications of relics in various relic-books. In particular, Dr. Lord's "Civil War Collectors Encyclopedia" is full of errors. My personal favorite is in the McKee-&-Mason book, which shows a Model-T Ford spindle-arm's brass bushing as being a civil war artillery fuze.


Amen!!!!Wow,though one has to be very cautious as some folks these days dont like/cant handle the truth.....Unlike Quindy and crew however,they will be excited as I am to learn something new!Great digs guys and the chance to further all of our knowledge

 

[VOL1266-X]

Thanks Nana (get to digging!!), NSDQ, Don (hope you are feeling better), OS, & MTB.

Breezie, thanks for the pic. I recognized it as an "artillery hammer" from the books but it had universal usage as Rob said.

Cody (kuger) , we want the truth as you know. I spend time posting our finds for the benefit of those new to detecting and I learn something from this site every day. As Cannonball Guy told me a few years ago, he was glad to repay the people who helped to educate him along the way. It's about sharing knowledge. HH my friend and look at Josh's spur. We need help on that one. Q.

Now to Cannonball Guy; You are a CW relic expert and the premier expert on CW artillery and have proven that many times over. I appreciate you taking your time to research our finds and sharing your expertise on Tnet. From now, on, I guess we can call correctly label them utility hammers. "Artillery" hammer or not, you would have to pry it from Doug's hands as it came from a CSA camp where Gen. John Hunt Morgan was present and the tool was undoubtedly used there. That has meaning to us down here. I had 2 ancestors who rode with Morgan who were encamped with the 9th Tennessee cavalry there. Every relic we dig there is a great piece of CW history. Thanks again for your help and HH, Quindy.

 

[tennessee digger]

A big congrats to you guys! I was always told (as I told you) "you will dig a buckle when you least expect it". That is true. I know that was the last thing on your mind when you dug that plate. Good job. For a hunted out camp, you guys continue to do well there (Carthage, Tennessee?). Tell D-Man that HE would have found that if he had been dressed a little better Tennessee digger PS- I like that hammer too and I appreciate the info from Pete.

 

[Mike N Tn.]

Very Nice Relics!!! - Congratulations on the US Box Plate!!!

 

[VOL1266-X]

A big congrats to you guys! I was always told (as I told you) "you will dig a buckle when you least expect it". That is true. I know that was the last thing on your mind when you dug that plate. Good job. For a hunted out camp, you guys continue to do well there (Carthage, Tennessee?). Tell D-Man that HE would have found that if he had been dressed a little better Tennessee digger PS- I like that hammer too and I appreciate the info from Pete.

He was slightly underdressed for his standards Donnie. Just got lucky on the plate and thanks for your encouragement alomg the way. HH, Quindy.
Thanks for looking Mike. Good hunting, Quindy.