Why am I not finding better items?

[rayray3]

Alrighty. Need some input here from the professionals.

I'm currently hunting a site on a friends land in Virginia. Hardly any trash, a CW artifact every 3-5 minutes. Ive pulled up over 40 buck and balls and 69'ers that don't appear to be fired, Many pieces of cannonballs, nails, 2 horseshoes, a Big ring that looks like it was on the front or back of a cannon used to tow it, a New York button and several smaller buttons, etc.. I'm stoked in finding all these items but was wondering where the brass chest plates, buckles, bayonets, and other wonderful things that you guys find, are hiding.

I did find a 1912 barber quarter but i think that must have came from a hunter because Ive found some old shotgun shells.

I know I'm in a great spot but i was hoping to find some "better items".
After describing what Ive been finding would you say it was a camp or maybe a trail. I'm wondering if this is a staging area where they made bullets, etc.

Where I'm hunting had both CW and revolutionary war in the area but definitely CW is what my findings have been. Any input is appreciated,
Thanks in advance.

 

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[d2]

The items you are finding are great. It may have been hunted befor but apparently not in a long time. Are the bullets and stuff deep? If you are finding shrapnel from exploded artillery you are on a battle field. And that is great. Can you post some pictures of the stuff you have found? Are the bullets fired or are they "drops"? As far as the big stuff, buckles and cartridge box breast plates, chances are you just aint went across 'em yet with your detector. Keep looking and when you think you have found it all remember this: You aint found it all go back over the place several more times. Also go slow, take your time if you are digging something every 3-5 you are doing great. Cant wait to see some pics...d2

 

[timbuckII]

Somehing every 3 to 5 minutes sounds good to me. Grid it out and go slow, you will pull something out sooner or later.

HH
TC

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

" a CW artifact every 3-5 minutes."

"over 40 buck and balls and 69'ers "

"Many pieces of cannonballs, nails, 2 horseshoes"

"a Big ring that looks like it was on the front or back
of a cannon used to tow it,"

"a New York button and several smaller buttons, etc.. "

"1912 barber quarter "

What was the question



have a good un............
SHERMANVILLE

 

[diggummup]

" a CW artifact every 3-5 minutes."

"over 40 buck and balls and 69'ers "

"Many pieces of cannonballs, nails, 2 horseshoes"

"a Big ring that looks like it was on the front or back
of a cannon used to tow it,"

"a New York button and several smaller buttons, etc.. "

"1912 barber quarter "

What was the question



have a good un............
SHERMANVILLE

Yeah right. Sounds like your in a battlefield,Many bullets were dropped in the heat of battle.find the campsite.

 

[SouthArk]

d2,

I think I see a .69 Musketoon behind you and to your left.

 

[rayray3]

Here are some pics of my finds. Went to a newer area and really didn't find that much. Just one 69er and what looked like maybe a percussion cap of some sort. It looked copper with it smashed and spread on the top. Found 3 of those.
Cannon ball pieces is really looking good with the electrolysis kickin'
This morning i hit a park for about 2 hours and just the little play area i recovered over 5 bucks in change! Mostly quarters. No dates earlier than the 70's. Must be a newer park.

 

[d2]

Those are some great finds. I see one of your bullets has been pulled and it looks like you have some melted lead if it is that is an indication of a camp site also, I wonder if the metal ring is from a "grape shot round"? I dont how big the metal ring in them was but I am sure someone on here does. Some of your round .69's being found in conjunction with the shell frags may be "canister" shot Once again great finds and work it slow...d2

 

[Montana Jim]

Better items?

 

[rayray3]

Thanks.
I guess I should have reworded my question better. Im definetly happy with what ive found but i always see pics of belt buckles and brass plates and i figure with this much stuff im finding, there would be these items as well.
I will keep the nose to the grindstone and see what i can come up with. Hey the next signal might be the big one!

When you say pulled bullet are you talking about where they have a screw at the end of a stick and pull the bullet out with that, hence the hole in the top?
Im almost positive that the ring goes to the cannon base. I went to the yorktown center and saw them on the cannons.

 

[timbuckII]

Yes that is what d2 is talking about, the bullet being pulled with a screw attached to the end of the ram rod. The bullet next to it with the ring around the top makes me wonder if it was fired with the ram rod in the barrel. I have found similar ones and wondered if maybe in the heat of battle they rammed a bullet down the barrel, caped and fired with out removing the rod, hence the cone on top of the bullet caused by the indentation in the end of the ram rod.
HH
TC

 

[diggummup]

Nice finds.Have you done any research concerning this particular battlefield and area that you are hunting? I mentioned before that you need to find the campsite/s of this place.That is where the best stuff would be found IMO.Good luck and H.H.Here's a little info regarding CW campsites- Featured Online Article Volume 37 May 2003 Western&Eastern Treasures Magazine




How To Find Civil War Artifacts
By: Albert Sidney Witherington III




Civil War artifacts can be found where battles and skirmishes were fought. There were hundreds of engagements in the South; in Tennessee alone there were 298 engagements, and in Virginia 519. There were also engagements in 35 other states and territories. There are many sources that give great detail on every facet of the battles, but relatively little is written about where the troops camped en route to or between battles. Today most of the major battlefields are state or national parks and are off limits to relic hunters. Even though there has been a recent increase in relic hunting activities, most areas around battlefields have been searched for over 30 years and are nearly hunted out. Since most battlesites are off limits, depleted, or developed into residential or commercial areas, they are now yielding fewer and fewer artifacts.


This does not mean that a new or seasoned Civil War relic hunter needs to hang up his detector, however. In fact, there are thousands of sites out there that still contain artifacts. I'm talking about Civil War campsites. Hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides camped all over the South from 1861 to 1865. Although battles are well documented, campsites are not. Today, if a relic hunter wants to make recoveries in quantity, he must learn how to find where the troops camped- a quest that can be both frustrating and arduous.

Therefore, for best results, focus on areas of massive troop concentrations or major confrontations, such as between Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and around major cities in the Western Theater: Nashville, Vicksburg, Corinth, and Memphis, to name a few. Another important factor is the length of time the troops were encamped, which can determine how many artifacts are available at a particular site. Winter campsites are great places to hunt, since troops might have been at these locations for several months.


To find campsites, a person must know something about Civil War camps. There are several types: winter camps, summer camps, and smaller picket posts that may or may not have been fortified. Campsites vary, but certain rules for finding camps apply to almost all.

1. Troops would usually camp on flat-topped fills that were well drained.

2. Troops tended to camp on the south side of hills in the winter to take advantage of sunshine.

3. Camps would be located near a source of water and firewood.

4. Camps would be located at or near strategic areas such as fords, bridges, railroads, crossroads, and mills.

When looking for a camp, check out the hills beside streams, rivers, and springs. Another good place to investigate is along old, deep-cut roadbeds in the woods; these might be supply routes, since most troops got their supplies via wagons. When you are detecting, keep your eyes open for piles of bricks or rocks, dark glass, rusty square nails, pottery shards, and melted lead- all indications of camp activity. Bullets, particularly dropped but not shot, are another good clue that you are in are in a camp. When you dig a dropped bullet, hunt that area carefully. Mounds of dirt or piles of stone or bricks might mean a winter camp; also, rectangular depressions several feet wide in an organized pattern over a hillside indicate hut sites, which are rich sources of artifacts. Long, narrow trenches may be latrine or dump sites. You have to play your hunches, put yourself back in the 1860s, and use your imagination to discover where the troops were.


The second important factor in being successful at Civil War relic hunting is research. An excellent source of information is the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion. This huge work of many volumes contains all of the correspondence between officers and their commanders from both sides in the Civil War. The information is organized by military and states. This work can help a relic hunter plot the areas of the country where there was Civil War activity, and in some cases provides detailed information on possible campsites.

Civil War period maps are extremely helpful, especially when compared to modern topography maps, in pinpointing possible campsites. The Civil War Atlas, which is the companion to the war records, is a must for the serious searcher. The atlas shows many areas of troop movements, actual campsites, fords, roads, depots, streams, bridges, mills, and other features long since disappeared.

Productive research on camp life can also be conducted through diaries, letters, unit histories, and memoirs. These can be found in libraries and on the internet. Old photographs can give clues to possible sites. I found a camp in Nashville, Tennessee by studying a picture of a Union camp near the Cumberland River and the railroad, landmarks little changed since the 1860s.

My experience has shown that the best means of locating Civil War camps is to talk to other relic hunters, especially those with many years of experience. Often these mentors will volunteer some of their old hunting grounds. While they may consider these areas hunted out, you can almost always go there and find something that they missed, or hunt adjacent areas that may remain untouched. Go to the big Civil War shows, grill these old relic hunters with questions, take good notes and directions, and you will find something. Members of historical societies, local historians, firemen, policemen, teachers, surveyors, construction workers, court clerks, antique dealers, relic dealers, hunters, fishermen, and farmers can usually offer useful information, too.

Even if you do the essential research and learn how to use a metal detector effectively, you will still not find one bullet unless you develop, perfect, and practice your public relations. You may know where the relics are and have the equipment to find them, but unless you can convince the landowner of the site to let you explore, detect, and dig on his property in multiple trips, you will not be successful.

You must overcome the aversion to knocking on a stranger's door and asking permission to hunt on his property. You must present a clean-cut, non-threatening appearance and demeanor. You must develop a presentation to "sell" your desire to hunt for Civil War artifacts. This part of the process will probably prove easier if you are a member in good standing of a historical society, metal detecting club, or preservation society. For example, I belong to the Metal Detecting Club of Memphis, the Ames Plantation Historical Society, and the West Tennessee Historical Society. In addition, I am on the Shelby County Historical Commission, and teach U.S. history at the second largest high school in Tennessee.

I have practiced these tips since 1989 and have found over 100 Civil War camps, many of them untouched, from which I have dug 79 belt plates, 500 buttons, and over 6,000 bullets. If you follow the same guidelines, I guarantee that you will find more historical artifacts, too.

SID WITHERINGTON, a Germantown, Tennessee high school teacher, has written extensively about the history of the Mid-South and works closely with regional historical organizations and museums. In addition to metal detecting, he enjoys running and weight lifting.

 

[d2]

The bullet next to the one with the "screw hole" in it has been pulled also but a "wiper" was used on it. It pulls the bullet the same but with a different attachment on the end of the ram rod. I said "cannister shot" I believe when I meant "case shot". Cannister came in a can sorta like a big shotgun shell, case was loaded into the hollow cannon balls and other projectiles. I am pretty sure about that explanation but aint positive...d2

 

[Bossgobbler23]

Great article!

 

[timbuckII]

The bullet next to the one with the "screw hole" in it has been pulled also but a "wiper" was used ..d2

I have found wipers, they look like two S but with more open tops attached to a nut that is screwed onto the ramrod and used to clean muskets with a piece of cloth. I have used them to clean muskets and I do not think you could pull a bullet with one but anything is possible.

HH
TC

 

[d2]

Though not the intended purpose they would work to pull bullets with and I will post a picture soon as I can. Gotta carry my Mom to the doctor...d2

 

[SouthArk]

Maybe I can post a pic that has some wiper-pulled bullets. They're on the back row of this picture, along with some other pulls and stuff. These were all found on the same day and in a fairly small area.

 

[timbuckII]

Yea I can see the twist in the tops, I'll be darned, I never even thought about using the wiping worm for a puller. As they say. "Ya learn something new every day", I guess I have filled my quota.

THANKS , TC

PS: Great finds and pics!

 

[Gribnitz]

If your finding something ever 3 to 5 minutes, you have a hell of a spot. May be a plate in there, may not, but you can't beat that spot with a stick. If you pass over one, you will know it. It will sound off like a soda can unless its real deep, but it would still be hard to miss. Virginia soil is funny. Some places I have been have been the perfect sandy soil that just a tap of the foot would bury the shovel and you got extreme depth, other places are SOOO iron infested the ground is blood red and you can't get more than a few inches deep on buttons and bullets. My only suggestion is to make sure you are using a really good machine with manual ground balance in Virginia. The soil conditions go from mild to extreme that way.

 

[rayray3]

Nice picks South Ark!
Oh that round piece of metal that i thought was for the cannon appears, after cleaning it up is not circular but flat, like a horseshoe.
I thought i nailed it as the cannon wagon puller but those were round. I have to clean it up more. It looks more like a real thick washer than what was in the pics i posted.
Any ideas on that one?