My best finds from Ft. Steilacoom (1849-68)

[rickydbasser1]

. Because I own another brand detector and a Whites XLT E Series, thought I'd post my best finds from Ft. Steilacoom up here in Western Washington on both sites. I was the first to discover and detect where the fort's firing range was located. Found dozens of 3 ringers in different stages of damage, along with a dozen or so "drops." Also found a half dozen musket balls. Because we have all seen 3 ringers, decided to post my best finds. One is showing both sides of a very beautifully ordinated sword saber drag, with much of its original gold gilt intact. The other is a brass placard of some kind with, what looks like, a hand holding a chisel. I have seen many sword saber drags which were all smooth brass. This one, I was told by an history buff, was probably part of a sword and scabbard used only for ceremonial wearing. Don't know but sure was an exciting find. Both objects pictured are from 1849, when the fort was first constructed, to 1868 when the military gave the area over to the Washington Territory, which became what is now Western State Hospital for the mentally ill.

 

[crazyman]

Nice finds! I live in Western Washington also and Military relics from that time period are hard to come by up here. I have a couple of scabbard tips identical to yours that were also found at a fort site here in Western Washington. They were found in the parade grounds area of the fort. This was also a virgin site and I hunted the fort for a few years before they built a housing project on top of it.

 

[rickydbasser1]

Thats amazing to find two that look exactly like mine. Wow. I know what you mean about finding old relics in our part of the country. Our history is not very long in comparison to the eastern states. And I salivate at the finds detectorists find back there. Oh well, we deal with what we have. Thats why I keep going back to Fort Steilacoom. I have a few more odds and ends that I've found there, eating ware, a 1st lieutenant's bar, a couple percussion caps for carbines....Not worth much, but for us....its our history. Wouldn't trade it for all the change laying in a school yard.

 

[trixncap]

Great finds. The military finds are always rewarding. I once found 2 lead balls on a 1846 battlefield in Calif. I also researched the old locations and they conflict with modern day maps and locations. This sparks my interest in hunting with the old maps. This was the period of the Mexican American war.