Hints, tips, warnings??

[Parkit]

I'm about to begin my very first Civil War relic adventure. I've been detecting for several years but only recently dug my first CW-era minnie ball, by accident at a local park. That kind of sparked my interest, and since there was a CW battle not far from where I live I figured I'd have a go at it.

I've done some research, the battle itself is well-known locally but from what I can tell the "best location" is either kept a well-guarded secret (seems most likely) or there just hasn't been that much interest in it (hardly likely). It was an all-out brawl at one location for about 3-4 hours, then became a running skirmish for about 15 miles. The general areas where all this took place span about 15 miles north-south and maybe a mile east-west. Today the great majority of this is farmland, a few low areas (no real "high ground" here), and some easily identifiable creeks. There is one marker but it's not located "on the battlefield", this is a fact but I don't know why the actual location isn't marked (see above liklihoods).

I guess what I'm kind of looking for is any GENERAL helpful hints anyone can share with me about where to start. I plan on driving the overall area on what roads there are nearby that are passable in 4WD, aren't posted and aren't fenced. I just want to get an idea of what kind of access there might be, the lay of the land, a better picture than what I can get from aerial photos from Terraserver and maps, and get a feel of how large an area I'm probably going to have to cover. I'll also make note of houses and farms with an eye towards getting permission, certainly a necessity later on. I'll have a couple of detectors with me just in case, but I'm NOT thinking that I'll just see a "likely area" and get out and start swinging.

By the way NONE of this is Federal, State or municipal property. It's all farmland except for one relatively small town that sits in the southern middle of the whole area. In fact, a park in that town is where I found the minnie ball I mentioned.

Any tips anyone can share with me would be greatly appreciated. And one last question, is relic-hunting as addictive as my gut tells me it would be??

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Canewrap]

Well, for openers you're going to need to talk to whoever owns the land and get permission. That isn't really as daunting as it sounds. People are pretty good about it when you explain you've been researching this area and you want to locate some relics to confirm what the research is telling you. Then be willing to chit chat a little while and listen to the stories about how somebody they knew walked through a field nearby and found a mess of "arraheads" and how they thought it would be really cool if they could do some relic hunting sometime themselves. And, they'll say hey, show me anything you find. Best thing is to be patient and smile a lot and promise them you'll be sure to fill the small holes you make when you find something and that you'd be pleased to share what you find with them. Remember, patience and goodwill have won over more people than pushiness and a business-like attitude. And, if they start talking about treasure, be sure to change the subject and say something like, "I don't know about that", but my research told me... And, if they're talking about family or family stories, be sure to ask questions about their family that shows you care.

Bottom line, yes relic hunting is extremely addictive. Think about it, you're the first person in almost 150 years to pick up that bullet, or button, or buckle, after a young soldier dropped it, perhaps in the heat of battle. As you walk those fields, allow yourself to stop a minute and imagine what it would have been like with the sounds of exploding shells, angry whine of bullets, men shouting, screaming, horses galloping past, clash of steel, smell of gunpowder as stings their eyes. Waves of grey and blue surging across the field, barely visible through great clouds of smoke. Its easy to get caught up in the moment,when you bend down and retieve a bullet that was witness to such momentous events.

I envy you the opportunity to explore a battle area that probably hasn't been so pounded as to be devoid of artifacts. Do yourself a favor and find a way to document where on the field you're finding your different relics. If you can get a modern map and blow it up so you can record with some accuracy where you find stuff and work out your own code to attach or mark on what you find. This will help future researchers with information on troop movements that would otherwise be lost. This is just advice. Advice I wish more of us would follow, because once artifacts are seperated from their context, valuable information is lost. I'm not advising that it has to be pinpoint accuracy, but if you find a way that you're comfortable with, it will really help someday. Good Luck and I wish you well in your relic hunting.

Bill W.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

hello parkit, canewrap has given you top shelf excellent advice...took the words right outta my mouth. a big advantage from the get go is that the battlefield is such a narrow corridor and involves a lot of farmland. farmers are usually cool about letting you hunt their land, especially in the off plant season. it sounds like it hasnt been hunted to death either, which is good. an added bonus is that somewhere around there not far away are the campsites of both sides. youll know it when you find them. start at one point of the field and dont forget where youve been. ive never seen a hunted out battlefield or campsite in my 25+ yrs of detecting, as you might already know that the earth is constantly and continually moving the ground and churning up relics and coins. its a cycle. i really agree with canewrap in that you should document your finds [ i do it on grid paper] and preserve the results for future generations. the historical markers are just that - markers. they are seldom in the right places and are in generic locations so tourists can see them, the state you live in has no interest in directing us to the right spots,theyre really for tourists. thats why research is so important, that way you know for sure where to go.theres also relic hunters out there who will try to tell you its hunted out,farmer so and so wont let anyone hunt his land, theres a lot of snakes there, etc. just so they can keep you outta there.ive heard it all! you sound well equipped and ready to go. ask around you might be surprised what else you find out. keep us posted and good luck. hh,

 

[Parkit]

Thanks guys, the encouragement is appreciated as is the advice.
Like I said this first trip is going to be a scouting mission, I may stop at a local house if it seems a good time to do it but mainly I just want to see the area first-hand.
I grew up in the South, I know how to "work the locals" because I'm one of them. I also have family connections in the area from my in-laws, that might help. A couple of weeks ago I was told of an old Confederate tannery in the area (not the same area as the battlefield, another town over) by name-dropping with a game warden.
I'm not under the illusion that this is even close to a virgin site, but I'm quite sure it hasn't been cleaned out, either. It's just going to take some time, comparing old maps to new, running through the written accounts some more, and a better idea of what I'm going to be looking at.
It may take a little while but I'll post my results whether they're good, bad or indifferent. I'll be using GPS to mark some areas this first trip so I can compare the readings to modern maps, and I intend to use the same techniques later on if I find any relics. I also have to do some research to try and make sure I recognize a relic if I find one.
Thanks again, I'll keep in touch.

Steve

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

I am glad you made this post. I have about the same situation. I needed that info also. I want to use my GPS and label every good find. Than down load it onto a map. It will be interesting to see what kind of pattern that come out of it.

 

[fieldboy]

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/civil_war_maps/index.html

good luck fieldboy se va

and yes it is addictive lolololololo