“This past week I had been researching the exact location of the two artillery units that were at a camp I had been hunting. Last year in one area, I had found a small Ordnance Department button, 69 Cal Minie Balls, the scabbard tip to an Artillery Sword, and a fair amount of what I will call “big iron” as in it was pieces that looked like they had come off rolling stock of some kind.
So at 9am, armed with knowledge in my mind and with my Colt .45 because I was hunting on my own this time, and after saying hello to the property owners I set off to see what I could find. This was a day where I was going to dig everything and I was really wondering what I would find. I had to pass through some other unit camps to get there and I almost got side tracked when I pulled a 1857 Seated Liberty Dime out of the ground.
The strange thing about this coin was that it sounded like a pewter button on my metal detector. Anyway, I was very pleased with this find. I found a few small eagle buttons in the same area and then decided to move on.
I also found what appears to be a small (and I mean small) pewter ring. I see no other reason that it would have a design on it.
Now I must add that it would be three hours into this hunt before I actually reached the area I wanted to actually look at.
I found some big pieces of melted lead on the way to the area I wanted to hunt but when I got into the area I wanted to hunt I found this. I think it is a ramrod guide but I am not sure. It does not belong on any of the firearms that the soldiers at this time should have had.
The area I was searching was a tenth of a mile in length interspersed with cottonwoods and willows. There are also a lot of log falls in area. The finds in the photo above are arraigned, from left to right, north to south.
There are a couple of 69 cal Minie Balls that were fired plus I found my first 69 cal round ball from that area. This one was also fired and it had the three indentations from the three buckshot that wouls have comprised of a buck and ball load. This load was used in the Model 1847 Musketoon that was supposedly used by the artillery units prior to the Civil War.
Satisfied that I had at least confirmed one of the two artillery units, I started heading back…….It took me another 4 hours to get back to my truck.
I found buttons.
I found bullets
I found a brass butt plate at the south end of the Dragoon camp.
And my final finds were a cufflink and a saddle shield in the Dragoon area. How this was missed in the past beats me because this area has been hit hard. I guess with the majority of the lead removed all the cool small items are now revealing themselves. It was a great way to end a hunt. If fact, although I had filled up four complete spice containers with stuff, I had no idea how much I had found until I got home.
I took this photo that night after coming home, cleaning up, eating, and cleaning the finds. The beer can is for size reference only. It was already empty by the time the photo was taken.”~ PB
Peanut Gallery