DIV Blog - Day 4: Best Button Day

Day four of DIV week was the first of the four day hunt at Brandy Rock Farm.  I decided to follow my friend Sham out to a spot on the farm that he assured us would produce some Yankee relics.  I wasn't exactly sure where we were going until we crested the hill to reveal the area known as the Wisconsin Camp.  I was a bit disheartened, as I had searched this area heavily at the last DIV using my DFX with very poor results.  But now I was packing the big guns - a Minelab GPX thanks to Keith over at Fort Bedford Detectors.  My first signal out of the gate was a three ring Minie ball with a solid signal, and I knew I was in for a good day.  I barely moved from my initial spot, because the relics just kept on coming.  I ended up with a total of 24 and 1/2 bullets, another incredible day for lead.

What really got me excited, though, was the number of brass targets I recovered as well.  This included a record for me of eight general service eagle coat buttons.  I also found my very first kepi hat buckle, a J hook, a cap box finial, several belt studs, and a brass thimble.  The two iron objects at the top of the picture were mysteries to me, but my friend James identified them in the field as rifle parts.

While surface hunting on the hill, I watched my friend Barry get into three different fire pits.  He was well rewarded for his efforts with a beautiful eagle brestplate right at the end of the day.  I also got to watch Gerry, who I had just met, dig his very first Civil War bottles in a pit he located while probing in the same area.

I managed to find a pit of my own right at the end of the day, but there wasn't time to explore it.  So tonight I will do my best not to dream about what lies beneath.  It could be nothing at all... but I imagine I will have visions of plates and bottles dancing through my head!!  Wish me luck in the morning!