3 hour hunt after work

[skb8721]

> Is it frowned upon in some areas now or discouraged?

I think it is OK as long as the metal detecting is done on private property with permission of the land owner. Most battle/skirmish/camp sites are not on the level of importance of, say, Gettysburg, and it seems doubtful professional archaeologists would even have the time or inclination to excavate these lesser known locations on private property. One thing I do, however, is to record the GPS coordinates of my finds (easy to do with any number of free cellphone apps) and promise myself that one day I will deposit the list of coordinates in a local archives (such as at a regional university). Also, note the direction in which the projectile was pointing (even though it may have been disturbed over the years -- it still might be of interest to scholars.)

 

[Larryh86GT]

I'm curious. Are found fired bullets deformed from striking something generally? I see that a lot of
your bullets found are in nice original shape.

 

[skb8721]

I've found a number of deformed musketballs, but I'm told by other metal detector enthusiasts in this area that that's because the musketballs were not fired from rifles, but packed in artillery shells, and hit each other or the concave inside of the shell at the moment of explosion. (The place I detect was the site of what was largely, but not exclusively, an artillery duel, and I do find shell fragments all over, including about 75% of an exploded Parrott shell a couple of months ago. I posted photos of it elsewhere on this site at the time.)

 

[Larryh86GT]

I've found a number of deformed musketballs, but I'm told by other metal detector enthusiasts in this area that that's because the musketballs were not fired from rifles, but packed in artillery shells, and hit each other or the concave inside of the shell at the moment of explosion. (The place I detect was the site of what was largely, but not exclusively, an artillery duel, and I do find shell fragments all over, including about 75% of an exploded Parrott shell a couple of months ago. I posted photos of it elsewhere on this site at the time.)

OK. Thanks. I'll find your Parrott shell post soon. There's a lot of area here for me to cover yet and I am learning a lot
more than I ever expected.

 

[Duane Pringle]

This took a year of research and and going on a huntch. The maps of this battle and location of camps were not acurate I am in Missouri and have only been metal detecting 2 years. I have sights like this now on 2 diffrent battle fields. I feel that I am saving history and when I pass on I will donate all my finds to locale civil war museum. I am hoping to live long enough to retire and volunteer at this museum. I have been a civil war buff since I found my first cannon ball in a creek on the edge of a battle field when I was in grade school.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

Way back in the early 1970's I went metal detecting with a friend in the North Anna River area. He ran the detector, I did the digging. We spent three days with trenches everywhere, got lost in the thick pine forest once, and found ONE knapsack hook!
J.

 

[civilken]

what's there to say. Except I'm extremely jealous congratulations good work.

 

[19Wyoming]

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing.