Detecting with Dad

Hey everyone!  I hope you got a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend.  It's hard to believe it's still January!  Of course, I couldn't let such a nice weekend go by without a little detecting.  My parents had an opportunity to come down for a visit, so I was fortunate enough to take my dad out for some relic hunting.

I took him out to an old home site in an area with quite a bit of Civil War troop movement, and the landowner was very gracious and knowledgeable about the local history.  It was my dad's first time with a detector, so I spent the first part of the day going over the equipment, as well as proper target recovery.  I explained how to locate a signal and interpret what the detector is saying.  Once we'd found something, I showed him how to properly recover the target, cutting a plug and replacing it to keep the grass roots intact and healthy.  I have to say, he was a pretty quick learner!  It was a new site for me, so you never quite know what to expect.  Unfortunately we didn't find anything from the war between the states, but my father was happy enough digging up a few square nails and other odds and ends.  We had a nice lunch in a gorgeous pasture overlooking a pond.  I couldn't help but reminisce about the times we went out fishing when I was a boy - we never did catch anything, but they are memories I'll cherish for a lifetime.

Although the finds didn't materialize as I'd hoped, we both got out to enjoy the beautiful weather and each others company.  He enjoyed spending time with his "boy-o", and I loved showing the ropes to my "papa".  After all, when it comes down to it, it's not about the things you find.  It's about the experiences and the people you share them with.  In that regard, this weekend was a huge success.  Until next time, thanks for reading, and God bless.

Reflections on 2012

Hey everyone!  Happy New Year!!

I wanted to write a quick note to thank all of you, my readers, for checking out Detecting Saxapahaw over the past year.  It's been a great one, with many "firsts" and exciting experiences along the way.  Two-thousand and twelve saw me dig my first knapsack J hook (something of a quest of mine), first artillery projectiles, and quite a few new varieties of bullets including my first Gardners, Ringtail Sharps, and 69 Minies.  I got into my very first hut site, and had the pleasure to dig it out with my friend Josh at DIV XX.  And from that, I recovered my first Civil War bottle!  I managed to pull another plate this year at DIV XXI, a cavalry sword belt plate.  As far as quantity and variety of Civil War relics, this year has been my best one yet.

I've had the pleasure of exploring some exciting new locations - camps and battlefields, woods and open pasture, construction sites in urban sprawl and serene creeks in quiet forests.  I look forward to discovering many new ones in the coming months.  (Or at least having a lot of fun trying!)  I've met many unique people along the way, and heard their interesting stories of the past.  I've continued to learn more about the world around us, both present and historical.

A lot has changed in 2012, too.  Relic hunting has been a major part of me - an escape from the trials of modern life, and a way to connect with something greater than myself.  There are certainly things I would do differently in retrospect, but I have continued to grow as a person, and to learn from experiences (both good and bad).  After all, life is a process of learning, from beginning to end.  I have remained true to myself, and that is perhaps my greatest success of 2012.  I've seen new friends come and go, and my life has been enriched by the part they played in it.  Oh, and I even got a new metal detector - details on that later.

New Year's is also a time to let go of the past and look forward to our future.  I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for all of us!  It's an exciting adventure, and I hope you'll continue to read along as I make 2013 the best year yet! 

So thank you again -
to my friends who stick by me through thick and thin
to my family who love and support me every step of the way
to my beautiful wife who is my world and my rock
to my God who has given me so much to be thankful for this past year
and to you, readers and fans, and those you hold dear.

Here's to the NEW YEAR!!

Merry Christmas from Detecting Saxapahaw!!

Hey everyone!  I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.  I spent the yesterday with my wife's family touring some of the museums in Raleigh, and of course I had to make a stop in at the Civil War exhibit at the Museum of History.  It was very well put together, with some really great artifacts on display.  I will say that it was quite a bit smaller than I imagined from the emphasis on the exhibit shown at their website.  It's still definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.  The exhibit is housed within the Museum of History and next door to the Museum of Natural Science, so there is plenty there for your viewing pleasure.  We had a great time learning together and spending time with each other this holiday season. 

I wish you all a happy holidays and Merry Christmas from Detecting Saxapahaw!!

 North Carolina uniform coat, NC Museum of History
Notice the NC sunburst buttons!

6 Pounder cannon used by North Carolina troops, NC Museum of History

A three-cannonball day!!

I got out again over the weekend with my friend Jim from Touch the Past, and had one heck of a day. I got a total of four bullets for the day, three of them 58 caliber three ring Minie balls and one Williams cleaner bullet.  I recovered these two interesting finials, one made of brass and the other from lead.  The brass finial is from a cartridge box, and is used to affix the leather flap to keep the box closed.  An example of a Union cartridge box showing that style of finial in use can be seen here.

In the field I believed the lead finial on the right might also be from a cartridge box, as some Confederate boxes used lead finials.  The design isn’t quite right for a box finial, though, and I think it is more likely from a Confederate bayonet scabbard tip like either of these two examples.  I also found another button which I didn't record on video, since it was so caked in stuck on dirt that I didn't realize it was a Confederate uniform button!  This one is the second NC sunburst to come from the field.

Just before lunchtime, Jim came over to show me a canister shot ball he had just dug.  Canister shot is a type of anti-personnel artillery ammunition consisting of a larger number of smaller iron balls, effectively turning the cannon into a giant shotgun.  On our last hunt we pulled several friction primers from this area, as well. Thinking that we might be in an area to find some artillery, I started paying a bit more attention to the iron signals, just in case. The signal itself wasn't "loud" per se, clearly evident, but not blowing my ears off like I might expect. But it did cover a large surface area.  I had scooped out the blade length of my shovel and the signal was still in the hole (and now it was loud!).  There was no signal with a handheld pinpointer yet, meaning it was still quite a bit deeper, so I called over Jim to check it out. I was worrying my pinpointing was off, and it was going to be something smaller in the side of the hole. With his confirmation that I was spot on, I kept going down, and down, and down. And then it showed up - the top of my first artillery projectile! The picture with my shovel in the hole is to the top of the cannon ball, which is still in the hole in that shot.

When I could feel it break loose, I called Jim back over and we shot some video, which is posted below. While I was digging out the first one, I thought I felt the shovel knock on something in the side of the hole. So I kept on going, and sure enough, number two came out of the hole.  In taking that one out, I exposed the third one just below those two. I kept expanding the hole outward, and checked with the pinpointer and DFX to be sure, so I know I didn't leave any behind. Man, what a thrill to find one, let alone three at once!!

All three are six pound solid shot, which would be fired from a model 1841 Six-Pounder cannon.  They measure 3.58 inches in diameter, and are made of solid cast iron.  The six-pounder cannon, while incredibly popular during the Mexican War of the 1840’s, was being phased out during the Civil War in favor of Twelve-Pounder Napoleons and other larger guns.  Six-Pounders were still used in the Confederate artillery that was desperate for any cannon, and the Union still employed them in the Western theater as well as attached to cavalry for increased mobility using the smaller guns.  Solid shot ammunition would primarily be used in targeting enemy cannons, houses, wagons, and earthworks, and could be devastating against personnel if fired into a column.  Here is a video showing a six-pounder cannon being fired.

The artillery was cleaned using electrolysis to remove the built up rust and prevent further deterioration.  This process is necessary for iron relics to stabilize and preserve them.  They still need a few more finishing touches and a wax coating, but this is pretty much how they'll look for the future.  Below is the video from the hunt, which includes the cannonball recovery and some of the cleaning process.  Thanks for looking, and for the comments. I hope you enjoyed the story, pictures, and video of my exciting three-cannonball day!!

Diggin' in NC and a truly North Carolina relic

Well, I'm back from my detecting trip to Virginia, but still finding plenty of Civil War relics right here in the Old North State.  I got out with my friend Jim to a spot that he had researched, and we both made some great recoveries.  I'm really excited with the variety of relics I was able to find.  Here are my finds for the day.

The lead around the outside comprised most of my finds.  This included three round balls and a number of dropped and fired three ring minie balls.  The bullet in the top row center appears to have been carved, and I think it was originally a Sharps bullet.  I found an interesting variety of brass finds, too.  This included two J hooks (one missing the button end).  You may recall that I just found my first J hook at the beginning of last month, and I describe this item's use in that blog post.  On the right side of the group finds photo are two fragmented Spencer carbine bullet casings, used in ammunition for a Spencer repeating rifle by the Union cavalry.  On one of the two casings, only the flat base remains, which is not uncommon when these fragile pieces are recovered from the ground.  We found several fired Spencer bullets and brass casings in the area previously.

The three copper tubes are particularly interesting, and something I have never found before.  They are known as friction primers, and are used to fire cannons.  The longer tube would be filled with gunpowder, while the perpendicular nib contained a material that would spark with minimal friction.  The primer's longer tube would be inserted into the cannon, and a line known as a lanyard attached to the primer.  This would allow the artillery operator to stand well back from the cannon, and when he pulled on the lanyard, the friction would spark, igniting the gunpowder in the primer tube.  This flash set off the cannon's main charge to fire the projectile.

The most unique recovery goes to this 1844 One Shilling coin from Britain.  Until the Coinage Act of 1857, foreign silver could be used as legal tender in the United States, so finding foreign coins in Civil War or pre Civil War sites is not unusual.  I'm typically not as excited by coins as I was before I started relic hunting, but a unique find like this would certainly be the exception.  In my opinion, it is a relic first and foremost, and will be displayed as such.

The best find for the day was actually my very first signal of the day - a North Carolina sunburst uniform button.  The condition leaves a lot to be desired, but a Confederate button in any condition is an excellent find.  As is typical with these NC buttons, the shank is no longer intact.  This is my second NC sunburst button, and the first (which is in much nicer condition!) was found right here in Saxapahaw last year.  Jim recovered several confederate bullets in the area (including an excellent "57" marked Enfield and a Charleston high-base minie), and the round balls I found were also likely used by the rebels.

DIV XXII Day 3

WOW, what a day!  I am beat!

DIV XXII at Beauregard Farm has finally wrapped up, and it was so much fun.  I started out the morning detecting the 69 field with Jim, as most people had gone on to other locations and there was plenty of space to detect.  We got into a patch of 69 caliber bullets and other relics, so we called up Dwight and Glenn and invited them to join us.  We all made some good finds in the area, especially Jim who had a great day overall.  Before lunch I had racked up nine more 69 caliber bullets and one small colt pistol bullet.  I just love finding those massive projectiles, and it's difficult to imagine the destruction that they could inflict.  I also got two eagle buttons, one with significant face damage, and the other in quite good shape.

Then it was off to the DIV sponsored lunch, where we ate BBQ and perused the impromptu museum of recently unearthed relics.  These included buckles, buttons, artillery projectiles, bottles, two ID tags, and more.  After lunch I went back to detecting with Jim, but the finds slowed down considerably.  I found a cool bayonet scabbard tip, but that was about it. 

I was exhausted, and dragging across the field when I got another signal on the side of a hill.  Digging down, I uncovered a piece of camp lead, and immediately recognized the black ash on the outside of the lead - I had found another hut site.  With only 40 minutes until the end of the hunt.  As another digger commented "Congratulations, and I'm sorry."

For the remainder of the 40 minutes, Jim and I dug like mad, trying to recover as much as possible from the rapidly expanding hole.  The ash layer just kept going and going, it seemed without end.  We weren't able to completely explore the hut, but we did as well as possible in the time allowed.  In the end, we didn't end up getting any stellar finds, but the experience was incredible.  It was Jim's first hut dig, and it was awesome getting to share that with him.  We did record the GPS location of the hut, should we ever get a chance to return.  What we did recover from the hut included fragments of broken glass, crockery, dinner plates, and lots and lots of oyster shells.  It's incredible to think that what we were recovering was the remains of a soldier's meal, and even part of the plate he was eating from.  Jim put it best when he said "This is the closest I have ever been to an individual Civil War soldier."

DIV started strong and ended with a bang.  I'm sad to have to go, but anxious to return to my home in Saxapahaw (and get some rest!).  As with the last DIV, I will make a recap post in the next few days highlighting some of the specific finds, with new pictures and information about their use.  Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

DIV Blog: Day 2

Day 2 at DIV XXII started off slowly for me, but ended up being another really great day for Civil War relics.  Once again I spent most of the day detecting with my NC friends Jim, Dwight, and Glenn.  We detected at a new section of the farm, starting at the top of a hill and working down.  The soil here was some of the worst I've ever encountered, and detecting was challenging to say the least.  I managed a few bullets in the morning, and then an iron trigger guard from a musket.  The iron loop on the front of the guard would have been used to attach the rifle sling.

After that find, I hit a dry spell for quite some time.  After checking in with Jim and telling him about my slump, he suggested I head to one small section of the field where electromagnetic interference from nearby electrical lines made some of the high-end detectors unstable.  Since many people will avoid these areas, and my DFX is less affected by the EMI, he thought I might be able to find a bullet over there.  I went exactly where he had pointed, and dug a three ring bullet within just a few minutes.  As it turns out, there was a small pocket of bullets in that area, and within fifteen minutes I had dug three more, including a pulled three ring bullet and two Confederate gardner bullets.  I have only dug one gardner before this, so I was thrilled to find them.

I found two more bullets before the day was out, a three ringer and a colt pistol bullet.  With just a few minutes left to go, I found another musket piece, the trigger assembly!  It's humbling to think of the history contained in that small piece of iron.  When I got a chance to start cleaning my finds at the hotel, I discovered that one of the three ringers I had dug included a star in the base.  This is a maker's mark used by the Washington Arsenal, and is the second such bullet I have dug (the first at DIV XIX at Hansbrough ridge).  It was another great day of digging, and I am having a blast up here in ol' Virginia!  Until next time, thanks for reading!