I got out for about an hour yesterday afternoon and hunted around a Pond that had a old "homestead" near by that the dozer operator incorporated within the structure of the body of said Pond. The area where the structure once stood is now a group of scrub trees (Osage Orange and the like) that makes getting around kinda difficult. My last and most memorable dig was a faint signal and the depth indicator didn't show any bars, none. That in my experience indicates a very small object or a very deep object; this was both. So with my Predator Shovel I sunk it to the hilt and lifted out a big plug. Not in the plug, still in the hole. I sent the blade into the hole and got another 4" out; eureka, it was contained within the Plug. Finally got the object out and it appeared to be a button with the shank intact on the back.
Got home and with running water I was able to see a Eagle with a shield on it's chest, wings stretched out and the Talons contained Arrows on one side and Olive branch on the other. Approx. 1/2" in diameter and still had some of the gold guild intact. I know NOTHING about Military buttons but I was able to find an example of the button with a web search. What was intriguing about the description of the button and it's location within the Smithsonian Museum is that it is listed in the African American grouping of buttons. And if this is correct (and my assumption is correct) this is a Civil War era Black Soldier coat button; possibly even a Buffalo Soldier coat button. This button was manufactured between 1861~1865.
It's amazing what a little button can reveal about history. Right after the Civil War, "Freed Men" were granted a certain amount of acreage and livestock and a known settlement was established in my community.
Here's a pic of the find and a pic of the button in the Smithsonian.
Got home and with running water I was able to see a Eagle with a shield on it's chest, wings stretched out and the Talons contained Arrows on one side and Olive branch on the other. Approx. 1/2" in diameter and still had some of the gold guild intact. I know NOTHING about Military buttons but I was able to find an example of the button with a web search. What was intriguing about the description of the button and it's location within the Smithsonian Museum is that it is listed in the African American grouping of buttons. And if this is correct (and my assumption is correct) this is a Civil War era Black Soldier coat button; possibly even a Buffalo Soldier coat button. This button was manufactured between 1861~1865.
It's amazing what a little button can reveal about history. Right after the Civil War, "Freed Men" were granted a certain amount of acreage and livestock and a known settlement was established in my community.
Here's a pic of the find and a pic of the button in the Smithsonian.
