Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.

Finds from the attached Cavalry Camp

U

umrgolf2000

New member
I recently posted finds from a virgin Union Infantry Camp. The next property over contained a large Cavalry portion of the same division. These come from 5 separate hunts over the last few weeks.

The ring is gold plated and shows two hearts. I was told the sabot pieces are from James shells.

Jeff
 
Wow! Fantastic finds! You are really tearing it up! You've got yourself a great site thanks for posting
 
Beautiful display of finds Jeff. I am stumped on the ball type thing right above the pocket knife.......... whatsit?
 
Larry (IL) said:
Beautiful display of finds Jeff. I am stumped on the ball type thing right above the pocket knife.......... whatsit?
Click to expand...

Hey Larry, thanks.. Its a 2 piece ball button. Before a few months ago when I found the first one here, I had no idea MO troops had these buttons. I had always been under the impression they were zouave buttons associated with New York troops. This one made the second one I've found, and the first was very close to this site. In fact, where I found the first was another division's camp, but part of the same army camped here in the winter of 1861.
 
I'll be darned, thanks for the lesson Jeff, I never seen one before.
 
Awesome relics! Way to go.
 
Jeff, that is a really nice display of relics. Could you tell me what the two iron pieces are in the first photo bottom right? Are they gun parts? Also, what are the large pieces of lead in the top right of photo one? I've found bar lead but didn't know it came in sheets. Thanks.
Clint
 
kansa54 said:
Jeff, that is a really nice display of relics. Could you tell me what the two iron pieces are in the first photo bottom right? Are they gun parts? Also, what are the large pieces of lead in the top right of photo one? I've found bar lead but didn't know it came in sheets. Thanks.
Clint
Click to expand...

I'm not positve, Clint, but I think they are gun tools. I brought a couple buddies along with me on different days, and both of them found common identifiable gun tools in the same area. Also the iron piece in the picture close to them is almost definitely another gun tool. I could be wrong, but that would be my best guess.

The large lead pieces are sabot fragments from artillery shells. I was told they were from James "squirrel-cage" shells, but again, I'm not sure on that.
 
Funny you havent found a plate yet. Great job. I like the zouave button. CCH
 
Cajuncoinhunter said:
Funny you havent found a plate yet. Great job. I like the zouave button. CCH
Click to expand...


Thanks EJ, I think the absence of plates is mainly due to the camps being very early war and how poorly outfitted they were. The ones who were lucky enough to get plates were being issued earlier surplus items like the Baby US plate you see in this photo.

Again, this is what the well-outfitted Union soldiers stationed in my hometown in 1861 would have looked like. (Note the Union uniform is gray ;) )
 
Great picture Jeff and a most educational and fun post. Thanks for joining us and sharing your finds.
 
What troops do you think used the 69 triangle base. I don't think there were any troops in MO. that used this bullet. If you know who used these, I would be interested in hearing your theory. Mark
 
SWMO Mark said:
What troops do you think used the 69 triangle base. I don't think there were any troops in MO. that used this bullet. If you know who used these, I would be interested in hearing your theory. Mark
Click to expand...


Given that they were found right alongside the other pictured .69's, its very evident to me they were being used by the same Missouri troops, likely infantry. I found three, one buddy found four, and another buddy found one on the site. Over the last 2 years, I've also found four others in local camps around town. Of the people I've talked to who hunt the area, the vast majority of them have found these bullets in local camps as well. I'd say somewhere around 20 people have told me they've found them in the camps. What is your theory as to why they're all over the place here in Rolla?




Do you have some sort of documentation that says Missouri troops didn't use French triangle base bullets? I'd also be interested in hearing why you think they didn't use them.

Noted Civil War historian and author, John Bradbury, has found several of them here in town also, and told me they are 100% Civil War drops.
 
I know a lot of relic hunters who have hunted the Rolla area since the early 70s and don't remember anyone finding, any of the triangle base 69s. I am not saying you didn't find them. Just wanted to see who you believed carried them. Lots of the troops from Rolla were down in my area dureing the war, none of the early camps around me have produced triangle base 69s. Just trying to learn more about the CW activity in MO. Didn't mean to make you defensive. Mark
 
Here is John's information, I'm sure he'd be happy to inform you more about Missouri troops using French Dragoon bullets, and the ones he personally found. I don't know enough about why they are here, he is the person to talk to about them.

The State Historical Society of Missouri
John F. Bradbury Jr., Assistant Director
573-341-4874
 
These bullets were most likely Federal Issue from the St. Louis arsenal, shipped up the river from being imported. We all know that most of the camps in Rolla are early war, when the Federal Gov was flushing the toilet at the armory to get anyone armed to fight. Also the .69 cal musket, either rifled or smooth bore could shoot these rounds. They could of had a train car full of them, but we just have not FOUND any outside of Rolla. I can only speculate that the units that had the French bullets did not participate and any actions in SW MO. A lot of troops were sent to Rolla by rail, only to be turned around and sent back to St. Louis to go down the river. I really don't believe that the Confederates camped even CLOSE to Rolla, so, we can pretty well write the thought of them being Confederate off, maybe captured to use in the Fed's muskets.


Mark
 
Great points, morelic55..

I heard back from John today regarding any info he had on the bullets.. It wasn't much, but he acknowledges that they in fact are found here.


"Jeff:

Never determined who used the French bullets -- ordnance records are hard to locate. But in my experience they are always found in 1861-1862 winter camps; largest part of that rmy was from Illinois.

John"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top