It was getting on into the afternoon when we drove to a town to meet Mountain Man, who had offered to let us hunt one of his sites, I will post more later about this fine southern gentleman and relic hunter. We got to the store where we were to meet him and had 45 minutes to kill before he lead us to the hunt area. Vernon pointed out a sea food store and we went in to browse around for a while. The store had all kinds of fresh seafood in display cases filled with ice. Even though we had just eaten some sammiches (Sandwiches to you Yankees
) we got a hankering for some shrimp. The lady running the store was a very nice black gal who addressed us as Darlin', Hunney, Sweety, and Sugar. She cooked us up a big plate of fresh shrimp with some seasoning on them that was best described as fantastic. Vernon was concerned that we would not be able to eat them all, but when the plate was empty I am sure we could have made twice the amount dissapear. We talked about those shrimp the rest of the week with great affection. 
The town was on the old railroad tracks that Sheridan and Custer's cavalry was riding along to head Lee off and prevent his escape to the south. They had camped all along the tracks. We were to hunt some fields along that route.
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[attachment 84423 town.jpg]
In back of these houses were the railroad tracks the Union troops were following. If you look at the houses you can see three houses and a motel. Ya, right. Anyway, we were hunting fields where the troops camped on the way to head off Lee.
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[attachment 84431 church.jpg]
This is the chruch where the Cavalry tied up the horses for the night. It was so strange for me to be where those troops were 150 years earlier. If you have not been there it is hard to explain, but I could almost hear the sounds and smell the smells of those long gone horses and men that fought so long ago. I wanted to find something from that group so the hunt was on!
This site had been hit hard by a lot of good relic hunters for quite a while, but no one gets it all. Mountain Man found a bullet signal and called me over to swing my detector over the spot to hear what a bullet sounded like. I had not found a bullet yet and he was doing all he could to make that happen. I swung over it and thanked him. The bullet came out and he told me to start a circle pattern around his find to see if there were more there. In about three trips around the hole I got a sweet deep signal. He came over to see me dig my first bullet.
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[attachment 84427 cav.jpg]
I was almost dissapointed when there was no bullet but something else. He looked in the hole and told me not to rub the thing but hand it to him. Here it is in the hole it laid in for a century and a half, not a bullet but a union button with a C on it. It was my first button, and a link to the past. Quite the feeling for this Idaho dude. I wondered what the situation was that caused that trooper to loose his button so long ago. We were all happy about it, and handshakes were exchanged while I smiled like a fox eatin' hornets. Now I had two of my dream targets, a gun part and a button. Man it just kept getting better. If I could get number three on my wish lists, a bullet! Well, it was not long after that when I got a bullet signal.
<center>
[attachment 84428 walker.jpg]
I opened a plug and low and behold, me first civil war bullet....ever! What a rush. Mountain Man came over to see what all the break dancing and hollerin' was about. He looked it over and said it was a pistol bullet for a Colt Walker, the gun preferred by the Cavalry troops. Wow, two things in a row that linked me with those troops. I was a little giddy and started swing again. Before too long another deep sweet tone told me bullet.
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[attachment 84429 sharps.jpg]
Here it is in my trembling hand, a .52 Shaarps Carbine bullet from the carbines that the horse soldiers carried. Man oh man, is this cool or what? I know that to a seasoned relic hunter these finds are an every day occurence, but I have been detecting since 1962 and had never found anything like this. It was like a dream, and Vernon and Mountain Man had made it all possible. Thanks Buddies!!!
It was getting late so Vernon asked us how long we wanted to hunt. Mountain Man said he hunted till dark and I yelled "What he said!" So we kept at it for a short time till the sun was gone and it was hard to see. We all found good stuff there and I just did not want to leave.
<center>
[attachment 84433 sset.jpg]
Like the old movies say, "As the sun sinks slowly in the west, we bid goodbye to the first day in Virginia." I had relics that were just dreams to me my whole life, safely in my pouch. My first day was over, but I would have gone all this way just for what I had found already. There will be more days and more finds and memories. Stay tuned!
DC
) we got a hankering for some shrimp. The lady running the store was a very nice black gal who addressed us as Darlin', Hunney, Sweety, and Sugar. She cooked us up a big plate of fresh shrimp with some seasoning on them that was best described as fantastic. Vernon was concerned that we would not be able to eat them all, but when the plate was empty I am sure we could have made twice the amount dissapear. We talked about those shrimp the rest of the week with great affection. The town was on the old railroad tracks that Sheridan and Custer's cavalry was riding along to head Lee off and prevent his escape to the south. They had camped all along the tracks. We were to hunt some fields along that route.
<center>
[attachment 84423 town.jpg]
In back of these houses were the railroad tracks the Union troops were following. If you look at the houses you can see three houses and a motel
. Ya, right. Anyway, we were hunting fields where the troops camped on the way to head off Lee. <center>
[attachment 84431 church.jpg]
This is the chruch where the Cavalry tied up the horses for the night. It was so strange for me to be where those troops were 150 years earlier. If you have not been there it is hard to explain, but I could almost hear the sounds and smell the smells of those long gone horses and men that fought so long ago. I wanted to find something from that group so the hunt was on!
This site had been hit hard by a lot of good relic hunters for quite a while, but no one gets it all. Mountain Man found a bullet signal and called me over to swing my detector over the spot to hear what a bullet sounded like. I had not found a bullet yet and he was doing all he could to make that happen. I swung over it and thanked him. The bullet came out and he told me to start a circle pattern around his find to see if there were more there. In about three trips around the hole I got a sweet deep signal. He came over to see me dig my first bullet.
<center>
[attachment 84427 cav.jpg]
I was almost dissapointed when there was no bullet but something else. He looked in the hole and told me not to rub the thing but hand it to him. Here it is in the hole it laid in for a century and a half, not a bullet but a union button with a C on it. It was my first button, and a link to the past. Quite the feeling for this Idaho dude. I wondered what the situation was that caused that trooper to loose his button so long ago. We were all happy about it, and handshakes were exchanged while I smiled like a fox eatin' hornets. Now I had two of my dream targets, a gun part and a button. Man it just kept getting better. If I could get number three on my wish lists, a bullet! Well, it was not long after that when I got a bullet signal.
<center>
[attachment 84428 walker.jpg]
I opened a plug and low and behold, me first civil war bullet....ever! What a rush. Mountain Man came over to see what all the break dancing and hollerin' was about. He looked it over and said it was a pistol bullet for a Colt Walker, the gun preferred by the Cavalry troops. Wow, two things in a row that linked me with those troops. I was a little giddy and started swing again. Before too long another deep sweet tone told me bullet.
<center>
[attachment 84429 sharps.jpg]
Here it is in my trembling hand, a .52 Shaarps Carbine bullet from the carbines that the horse soldiers carried. Man oh man, is this cool or what? I know that to a seasoned relic hunter these finds are an every day occurence, but I have been detecting since 1962 and had never found anything like this. It was like a dream, and Vernon and Mountain Man had made it all possible. Thanks Buddies!!!
It was getting late so Vernon asked us how long we wanted to hunt. Mountain Man said he hunted till dark and I yelled "What he said!" So we kept at it for a short time till the sun was gone and it was hard to see. We all found good stuff there and I just did not want to leave.
<center>
[attachment 84433 sset.jpg]
Like the old movies say, "As the sun sinks slowly in the west, we bid goodbye to the first day in Virginia." I had relics that were just dreams to me my whole life, safely in my pouch. My first day was over, but I would have gone all this way just for what I had found already. There will be more days and more finds and memories. Stay tuned!
DC
what a great hobby we have to grasp such a piece of history.
super stories from you and the vern master flash of the hunt.so now that the kids are grown are ya moving out here/