My cousin back in the 1960's was a Civil war relic hunter and on occasion I would go out with him digging. I didn't have a detector of
my own so we used his Metotec (I think it was called) detector, or I should say he used the detector and I got the digging job. We found some stuff, bullets,
buttons, etc but I don't think he ever found a buckle. I thought it might be fun to go relic hunting again so I recently bought a metal detector as I live in Va. near sites which saw a lot of Civil War activity. Dumb luck or beginner's luck I guess
but I picked a spot in the woods near an old railroad station (now gone) on a rail line that transported wounded and
supplies during the Civil War. Within 4 hours on the first day with my new detector I found two oval US buckles, a round US breast plate,
two yankee buttons, one a guilded NY button, two lock plates with hammers for muskets, other musket parts, part of a sword blade, an old lock with part
of a key still in it, part of a stirrup, a chain with two hooks I was told was used to hobble a horse, a twist bit, a chisel blade, a broken axe head, a brass tab with leather still attached which I was told was used on a pistol holster to secure the flap, and a bunch of other metal
stuff I haven't identified yet. No bullets, coins or jewelry. What's odd is that everything I found was in an area about 100 feet in
diameter. It was suggested to me it could have been a trash dump near the station. Since I didn't find any bullets it doesn't sound like a battle site and this trash dump suggestion sounds plausible. In any event, I soon plan on another trip back to see what else I can find day two. I will post some photos if I can figure out how to do it.
my own so we used his Metotec (I think it was called) detector, or I should say he used the detector and I got the digging job. We found some stuff, bullets,
buttons, etc but I don't think he ever found a buckle. I thought it might be fun to go relic hunting again so I recently bought a metal detector as I live in Va. near sites which saw a lot of Civil War activity. Dumb luck or beginner's luck I guess
but I picked a spot in the woods near an old railroad station (now gone) on a rail line that transported wounded and
supplies during the Civil War. Within 4 hours on the first day with my new detector I found two oval US buckles, a round US breast plate,
two yankee buttons, one a guilded NY button, two lock plates with hammers for muskets, other musket parts, part of a sword blade, an old lock with part
of a key still in it, part of a stirrup, a chain with two hooks I was told was used to hobble a horse, a twist bit, a chisel blade, a broken axe head, a brass tab with leather still attached which I was told was used on a pistol holster to secure the flap, and a bunch of other metal
stuff I haven't identified yet. No bullets, coins or jewelry. What's odd is that everything I found was in an area about 100 feet in
diameter. It was suggested to me it could have been a trash dump near the station. Since I didn't find any bullets it doesn't sound like a battle site and this trash dump suggestion sounds plausible. In any event, I soon plan on another trip back to see what else I can find day two. I will post some photos if I can figure out how to do it.