The battlefield I've been hunting for over thirty years is in a small town fought over in the Fall of 1862. There was another significant battle (by Missouri standards) just West of town in the Fall of 1964 involving Price's retreat after his Missouri invasion was defeated. For years I've driven by a field just West of where I've had sucess, but just East of the 1864 battle. It's located between the two battles and I've always wondered if there were any relics there. A month ago I met the land owner for the first time and obtained permission to hunt the field. He said it had been hunted before, but I was welcome to hunt there, as well. It's a forty acre field, wide open, except for about three acres in it where a house once stood. It's been bulldozed and is a pile of stumps and trees. I thouroughly gridded off the remainder of the field and completely covered it. Frankly, it was underwhelming. Evidently, it wasn't close enough to either battle to be a "hot spot". Cannons were used in both battles, so I had hoped to collect a shell fragment or two, but didn't find any. It wasn't for lack of trying. Dug a lot of deep iron, but no luck. I don't think previous hunters "got it all" either. I dug quite a number of deep aluminum pop cans, so I know they were only skimming the surface. Plus, I know of few hunters who devote the time and energy to completely and patiently hunt a whole field, like I did. Here is what I found from my last excursion to finish hunting the field.
Top center are two Starr carbine bullets. Below them is a Sharps and Smith carbine bullet. To the left is a Sharps variant bullet, and to the right are two flat base carbine bullets. Below them are four pistol bullets. Below that are three mystery items. I found a couple of other pieces like them during my last hunt. Thin tin metal, overlayed with lead. The Southern forces shot some cannister in this direction during the 1862 battle, but I'm not sure their six pound cannons shot any cannister with a tin/lead outer layer. Plus, I didn't find any cannister. Just the lead pieces. Has me stumped. Below them is a brass key and a brass fixture over the key hole. And a Wheat penny with an unreadable date. Not a load of lead, but a nice assortment of carbine bullets.
Thanks for looking and keep on diggin'
jimmyk in M(ssouri
Top center are two Starr carbine bullets. Below them is a Sharps and Smith carbine bullet. To the left is a Sharps variant bullet, and to the right are two flat base carbine bullets. Below them are four pistol bullets. Below that are three mystery items. I found a couple of other pieces like them during my last hunt. Thin tin metal, overlayed with lead. The Southern forces shot some cannister in this direction during the 1862 battle, but I'm not sure their six pound cannons shot any cannister with a tin/lead outer layer. Plus, I didn't find any cannister. Just the lead pieces. Has me stumped. Below them is a brass key and a brass fixture over the key hole. And a Wheat penny with an unreadable date. Not a load of lead, but a nice assortment of carbine bullets.
Thanks for looking and keep on diggin'
jimmyk in M(ssouri
