A serious question for you folks that seek and find civil war relics.

[Dirt slinger]

I posted this in the Civil War forum too.

As someone who has grown to love our history, I'm curious, when you dig up an obvious war related target, say a bullet, or buckle or whatever, does it "do anything" to you, I mean, do you take some time to just look at it and ponder the time, the moment that piece was left there, or is it just an interesting piece that goes in your pile or collection of "stuff"? I'm still very new to this, just a couple of months in, but I have a fasination with that time in our history and have had since I first saw Ken Burn's-The Civil War. I just finished watching it again for the first time since it aired in '90 and I cannot believe how it moves me to think, to feel, to appreciate what happened right here on OUR soil. I've gotten "softer" as the years have rolled by and I just think about it differently now than when I was in school, it means something now. I have yet to hunt a place where there are civil war relics to be found, but I know how I will feel if I ever do. 5 years ago I decided to do something different on Memorial Day, before the usual family deal with BBQ and games, I took my wife and kids to Jefferson Barracks here in MO. I wanted to hopefully begin to give my kids an appreciation for the sacrifices that has allowed them to have and keep their freedoms. I hadnt been there since I was in my late teens when we buried a family member, and really couldnt have cared less about what I saw, but when I took my kids I could hardly even get the words out without being overcome with emotion. I took them to my Grandfather's grave, a man I never met, I just knew he was a WWI vet. I took the kids to the cemetary to give them a bit of a lesson, but it was the cemetary that talked to me, and to be honest, I wasnt prepared for that, but it was a great experience for us all. Anyway, now that I've gotten all sappy, I was just curious what your finds mean to YOU.
Good hunting!
Ken.

The kids with Great Grandpa.

 

[Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska]

[size=large] [size=large] [/size]When Men's Hearts Beat Faster
by Vernon Cross

It was a loud intrusive sound he heard as consciousness started to return, men shouting, they were very close. He could feel his body being moved roughly. The flashing pain in his head felt as if it were split in two. A peculiar smell seemed to dominate his senses and his ears rang loudly. Again the searing pain shot through his brain. He raised his right hand and placed it to his head. He could feel the warm blood, and he touched and felt a deep gash in the side of his head starting at the end of his eyebrow and running back past his ear. He felt himself being lifted and again heard the sounds of men's voices as he was jostled around. He tried to open his eyes but only one responded, the other was swollen shut. He saw that he was being carried on a canvas stretcher toward a wagon drawn by two horses. Other soldiers lay crammed in the wagon with various wounds. Many had bloodstained bandages on one or more parts of their body, some were unconscious, others moaned in their misery and pain clutching their injuries. Other wagons being loaded with wounded men were on the field as well. Medical corpse personnel moved through the grim scene assessing the injuries and calling for stretchers. As they lifted him up to the men in the wagon, his bayonet slipped from it's sheath and fell into the tall field grass. The wagon moved on about its business of collecting the wounded from the battlefield. Men who were able held up their hand to signal for help, it would be a long night for those who were missed. Crows called to one another in the distance as they headed for their roost; it was the last thing the solider heard that day as he gazed into the setting red sun. He felt himself drifting back into unconsciousness, a twirling downward vortex into blackness.

The Civil War Battle of Cedar Mountain took place a few miles outside of Culpeper Virginia. The year was 1862 when this heated engagement, also known as Slaughter

 

[oldmancrash]

Very nice read. I havent gotten out yet with my new MD but I was right there beside you swinging yours! Thanks

 

[Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska]

n/t

 

[Craig in Alabama]

n/t

 

[charlie (ky)]

n/t

 

[Dirt slinger]

Thanks for that Vernon, that is awesome, a very neat perspective. I'm glad I'm not alone. Thanks guys.
Ken.

 

[Craig in Alabama]

n/t

 

[Jim West Pa]

n/t

 

[Elson(La)]

n/t

 

[Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska]

n/t

 

[Ed SW Fla]

n/t

 

[The Mountain Man]

Each and every one has a story to tell if you just listen. Even after 30 years and about 10,000 bullets I get a thrill to dig another one. If I did not, I would quit. Bullets talk to me just driving down the road and I can't tell you how many places I have driven by and heard them calling my name. Stop and get permission and then find some. Each hole you dig is like a Christmas present, you never know what you are getting until you get the wrapper off. Sometimes its an old tie but sometimes its exactly what you wanted. The thrill of finding it and touching the history is what keeps me after them. To connect with a soldier a long ways from home, fighting for what he believed in. Hold his lost button and your hand and feel his presence. Sometimes I can "hear" things, jingling equipment, horses moving, and the hustle and bustle sounds that a large group of men on the move would make. Smell the gunsmoke. Maybe I'm nuts but I've heard and seen these things. Just last week I dug an Enfiled trigger assembly and the very first thing I did was lay my finger on the trigger and wonder how many times it got pulled. How did it end up where I found it ? How many lives did this gun take ? How many familes got the bad news about their loved one not coming home and this gun, this very trigger my finger is on, was the reason ? What happened to the man that carried it ? Just yesterday I handed a miniball to a visitor from Texas and saw the light in his eyes when he felt the weight. He's interested and he "felt it". If he stayed around he'd be a relic hunter for sure. I'll be sending him a small rack with a few bullets so he can own some history too and I hope his eyes light up each time he looks at them. My wife thinks I'm nuts when I dig relics out of the safe and "fondle" them. She might just be right.....................


The Mountain Man

 

[Elson(La)]

n/t

 

[Dirt slinger]

Each and every one has a story to tell if you just listen. Even after 30 years and about 10,000 bullets I get a thrill to dig another one. If I did not, I would quit. Bullets talk to me just driving down the road and I can't tell you how many places I have driven by and heard them calling my name. Stop and get permission and then find some. Each hole you dig is like a Christmas present, you never know what you are getting until you get the wrapper off. Sometimes its an old tie but sometimes its exactly what you wanted. The thrill of finding it and touching the history is what keeps me after them. To connect with a soldier a long ways from home, fighting for what he believed in. Hold his lost button and your hand and feel his presence. Sometimes I can "hear" things, jingling equipment, horses moving, and the hustle and bustle sounds that a large group of men on the move would make. Smell the gunsmoke. Maybe I'm nuts but I've heard and seen these things. Just last week I dug an Enfiled trigger assembly and the very first thing I did was lay my finger on the trigger and wonder how many times it got pulled. How did it end up where I found it ? How many lives did this gun take ? How many familes got the bad news about their loved one not coming home and this gun, this very trigger my finger is on, was the reason ? What happened to the man that carried it ? Just yesterday I handed a miniball to a visitor from Texas and saw the light in his eyes when he felt the weight. He's interested and he "felt it". If he stayed around he'd be a relic hunter for sure. I'll be sending him a small rack with a few bullets so he can own some history too and I hope his eyes light up each time he looks at them. My wife thinks I'm nuts when I dig relics out of the safe and "fondle" them. She might just be right.....................

The Mountain Man

Not nuts, just passionate, and lets face it, there are LOTS worse things you could be fondling! Keep the passion.
Ken.

 

[youdugwhat?]

I just read this post and felt the need to register and respond. I live in a state that saw no Civil War activity (NJ) but was represented with soldiers. I normally metal detect parks and have recently been relic hunting for American Rev artifacts. My reasoning for responding to this post is from a recent find in a field that they say has been fertilized with night soil from NY. Imagine how my heart stopped when I pulled out a fired ( and definitely connected with something) two ringer! So, my answer to you Dirt slinger is that you are not the only one who gets emotional when you hold something in your hand that changed the course of someones life and the course of American history. I feel privileged ( for lack of better word) to find an object that holds so much history. On another note if you travel across the border of MO to IL check out the Lincoln Museum in Springfield. I just returned to NJ from my home state of IL and this museum dwarfs many of the Rev museums we have here. Thanks for taking the time to read this

 

[Dirt slinger]

I just read this post and felt the need to register and respond. I live in a state that saw no Civil War activity (NJ) but was represented with soldiers. I normally metal detect parks and have recently been relic hunting for American Rev artifacts. My reasoning for responding to this post is from a recent find in a field that they say has been fertilized with night soil from NY. Imagine how my heart stopped when I pulled out a fired ( and definitely connected with something) two ringer! So, my answer to you Dirt slinger is that you are not the only one who gets emotional when you hold something in your hand that changed the course of someones life and the course of American history. I feel privileged ( for lack of better word) to find an object that holds so much history. On another note if you travel across the border of MO to IL check out the Lincoln Museum in Springfield. I just returned to NJ from my home state of IL and this museum dwarfs many of the Rev museums we have here. Thanks for taking the time to read this

Yep,been there, 2 years ago with my sons 8th grade class and I'm going again with my daughter in 2 weeks. Loved it. Thanks for the reply and Good Hunting to you!