old union campsite question

[Reader]

I went to a church homecoming this weekend, passed an old homesite that's since gone, and happen to see the landowner near this place I want to hunt, figured there might be some old coins there.
Well, he told me who owned the land and said it used to be the campsite for about 1000 union troops.
I'm in SC so how would I go about finding that information?
And could it be a campsite that was not documented?
Thanks Lewis.

 

[Digger]

I'd simply contact the owner and ask permission to hunt it. He will likely ask WHY, and you tell him that you suspect there was an encampment nearby. As the owner, he may be able to fill in some details. At this point he will either give you permission or he won't. If he don't, then you haven't spent a lot of time researching it. If he does give permission, I suggest you go to a local history society / museum and read all you can find about military activity in that area. There is more than likely a couple obscure books or pamphlets written by someone with an interest in such encampments. It is indeed possible that it was an encampment that was not "officially" recorded. In that case the best way to find out is to hunt it. If it were me, I would study the topo to see what was available for the troops. Is there a creek nearby. Is it flat or hilly. Where might they have camped to be secluded, yet have access to post nearby lookouts? Depending on the size of the site you are talking about, you might want to grid it out so you will be able to methodically hunt it over a period of time. And, if you are like many of us, the more research you do on a site, the more appreciation you will have for the items you recover. Enjoy this one. It might turn out to be the one you've been searching for! HH Randy