It seems as though things in my life might finally be
slowing down enough to allow for some regular hunting. The weather this time of year still makes
detecting difficult, but I’m determined not to let that stop me! I got together on Monday with my friend Jim
to do some more Civil War detecting here in North Carolina.
We started out the day by heading over to a river crossing which our research indicated was used by a great many of Sherman’s Union troops on their way through the Old North State. We knew what to expect of the land around the crossing from our satellite image reconnaissance – the area was simply swallowed up by the asphalt and concrete of business development. What we were eager to check out, though, was the river itself. Unfortunately, the water level was too high and the current too swift for any water detecting at that spot, at least right now. Even still, it was great to walk along the water’s edge with a good friend and really soak up the history of the location. I could almost see the soldiers attempting to cross the swift current of the creek.
Not to be dismayed, we continued on to another local spot, a Union camp site. It was off in the woods, and the summer growth limited our search area somewhat, but there was still plenty of open area to swing. These open areas, though, have been heavily detected in the past, and we didn’t expect much. We each found one bullet before the heat and humidity drove us off. Jim’s recovery was a very cool half-melted three ring minie ball, found in an area where we have recovered a great deal of melted lead in the past. Mine was a dropped three ring minie found not far away.
I know it’s not much, but any day when I get to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors is a good one. Finding this bullet was just icing on the cake. I’m researching another camp site right now that has my hopes up for sure. I’ve really got the detecting itch back again, and can’t wait to see what other cool places we can discover before fall weather re-opens many of our old sites. Thanks for reading!
We started out the day by heading over to a river crossing which our research indicated was used by a great many of Sherman’s Union troops on their way through the Old North State. We knew what to expect of the land around the crossing from our satellite image reconnaissance – the area was simply swallowed up by the asphalt and concrete of business development. What we were eager to check out, though, was the river itself. Unfortunately, the water level was too high and the current too swift for any water detecting at that spot, at least right now. Even still, it was great to walk along the water’s edge with a good friend and really soak up the history of the location. I could almost see the soldiers attempting to cross the swift current of the creek.
Not to be dismayed, we continued on to another local spot, a Union camp site. It was off in the woods, and the summer growth limited our search area somewhat, but there was still plenty of open area to swing. These open areas, though, have been heavily detected in the past, and we didn’t expect much. We each found one bullet before the heat and humidity drove us off. Jim’s recovery was a very cool half-melted three ring minie ball, found in an area where we have recovered a great deal of melted lead in the past. Mine was a dropped three ring minie found not far away.
I know it’s not much, but any day when I get to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors is a good one. Finding this bullet was just icing on the cake. I’m researching another camp site right now that has my hopes up for sure. I’ve really got the detecting itch back again, and can’t wait to see what other cool places we can discover before fall weather re-opens many of our old sites. Thanks for reading!
"I know it’s not much, but any day when I get to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors is a good one."
ReplyDeleteI agree! Back in May, I found one musket ball near the Battle of McDowell (private property) before the rain chased me away. Then I realized I found it on the 150th anniversary of the battle! Enjoy reading your posts.
Thanks! You have to have an appreciation for the history, or you'll quickly get tired of this hobby. Congrats on your CW lead! I had a similar experience detecting a camp here in North Carolina on the 147th anniversary of the soldiers camping there.
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