Champion Hill Hunt Day 3

[Tom Hughes]

I went out to the Champion Hill site again this afternoon (Yes, I said I wouldn't go back until the fall and yes, it was 107 degrees with heat index). With that said, I dug this musket barrel. I believe it's a .58 calibre Springfield. I also got a variety of other items, but this was by far the best of the trip. As you can tell from the photo, it is bent. Probably intentionally bent for some reason. I also believe this went with the hammer, butt plate and trigger guard and ramrod I found last week. Yes, I've almost dug the complete musket. I'm looking for the lock plate now....lol.....Thanks for looking.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

For us metal detecting noobs what kind of single did that register?

 

[Woods-walker]

Tha

For us metal detecting noobs what kind of single did that register?

That would depend on your brand of metal detector and the discrimination setting you are using. My White's MXT would give an iron reading.

 

[Tom Hughes]

For us metal detecting noobs what kind of single did that register?

At this particular site, I was hunting low discrimination all metal mode. I was picking up nails, horseshoes, etc....In other words, I did a lot of digging. I use an analog machine. When I got this signal, I knew it was a solid iron signal that was long. Since there is no structures nearby I figured it probably wouldn't be a pipe but it wasn't until I fully dug it that I realized I had found the barrel to the musket.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Tha

That would depend on your brand of metal detector and the discrimination setting you are using. My White's MXT would give an iron reading.

I'm believing now that this musket was intentionally bent to keep it from being re-used (???)...I have read where Yanks would heat up the gun barrels from confiscated Confederate arms and bend the barrels around trees to render them useless......and this is a Yankee camp I found.

 

[DixieRifles]

I'm believing now that this musket was intentionally bent to keep it from being re-used (???)

It wasn't found in a cotton field? Not sure if a John Deere could have done that damage.

 

[Tom Hughes]

It wasn't found in a cotton field? Not sure if a John Deere could have done that damage.

No, this site has never seen a plow...at least not that I know of.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Tom, you are a wonderful and crazy boy digging in that heat!

 

[Tom Hughes]

Tom, you are a wonderful and crazy boy digging in that heat!

You're right. I'm crazy...I can't tell you how hot I got. Several times I got so hot and exhausted I just hiked back to my truck and turned on the AC and sat there for 30 minutes...lol

 

[UCVRelics]

Nice Find.

 

[CWdiaryPA]

Wow, what a dream to find anything from the war! How cool. I'd love to learn how to use a detector.

Can I ask a newbie Q? How did it get below the ground surface? Was it deliberately buried during wartime? Are bodies nearby maybe? How deep did you have to dig? Thanks so much. BTW, my 2x grandfather got shot then captured there.

 

[Woods-walker]

I'm believing now that this musket was intentionally bent to keep it from being re-used (???)...I have read where Yanks would heat up the gun barrels from confiscated Confederate arms and bend the barrels around trees to render them useless......and this is a Yankee camp I found.

It was my first thought too, Tom. I think you are on to something. Try cleaning it a little to see if you can get any sort of ID (near the breech?)

 

[Tom Hughes]

It was my first thought too, Tom. I think you are on to something. Try cleaning it a little to see if you can get any sort of ID (near the breech?)

Will do...I'm working on cleaning it up now. I'll keep you posted if I see any kind of I.D.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Wow, what a dream to find anything from the war! How cool. I'd love to learn how to use a detector.

Can I ask a newbie Q? How did it get below the ground surface? Was it deliberately buried during wartime? Are bodies nearby maybe? How deep did you have to dig? Thanks so much. BTW, my 2x grandfather got shot then captured there.

Those are great questions. Relics I find in the civil war camps were generally lost or discarded on the surface of the ground and through time, leaf/soil deposits, etc. they get buried....This particular musket barrel is no different. The end of the barrel was only a few inches under the soil and the back end (breech) of the barrel was about 6 inches down. As time passes, metal objects move. The heavier the object, the deeper it tends to get. I don't think this gun was intentionally "buried". It was probably thrown out into the outskirts of the camp area as trash. Over time, it got buried......I don't believe there are any burials here. Of course, I have found one bone so far, but I guess I need to get it checked out to make sure it isn't human. Burials wouldn't generally be in the camp area, of course.
Great questions....Last week I found a musket hammer, ramrod and butt plate. I'm guessing it came off the same musket since I found them all in the same general area. All I need now is the trigger guard and lock plate to complete the musket assembly. Metal detecting is a fantastic and interesting hobby. Just be careful and make sure you get permission on any ground you search. I try to get a letter of permission from the land owner as well as a liability waiver. This is actually the most important thing. Landowners don't want to get sued because of a mishap on their land.....Good luck......

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

Great info here!

 

[CWdiaryPA]

Those are great questions. Relics I find in the civil war camps were generally lost or discarded on the surface of the ground and through time, leaf/soil deposits, etc. they get buried....This particular musket barrel is no different. The end of the barrel was only a few inches under the soil and the back end (breech) of the barrel was about 6 inches down. As time passes, metal objects move. The heavier the object, the deeper it tends to get. I don't think this gun was intentionally "buried". It was probably thrown out into the outskirts of the camp area as trash. Over time, it got buried......I don't believe there are any burials here. Of course, I have found one bone so far, but I guess I need to get it checked out to make sure it isn't human. Burials wouldn't generally be in the camp area, of course.
Great questions....Last week I found a musket hammer, ramrod and butt plate. I'm guessing it came off the same musket since I found them all in the same general area. All I need now is the trigger guard and lock plate to complete the musket assembly. Metal detecting is a fantastic and interesting hobby. Just be careful and make sure you get permission on any ground you search. I try to get a letter of permission from the land owner as well as a liability waiver. This is actually the most important thing. Landowners don't want to get sued because of a mishap on their land.....Good luck......

Good grief! So you found it basically where it was dropped by whoever was holding it last. Probably, anyway. Wow! Yes, I guess with rains that come over all those decades heavy metal would start slowly but surely sinking in the soil. That's fascinating. I had to Google if Vicksburg even gets snow, but it does.

I hope you find the right of it, & great to know about permission in writing & not trespassing. Sure wish I lived near any civil war site.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Good grief! So you found it basically where it was dropped by whoever was holding it last. Probably, anyway. Wow! Yes, I guess with rains that come over all those decades heavy metal would start slowly but surely sinking in the soil. That's fascinating. I had to Google if Vicksburg even gets snow, but it does.

I hope you find the right of it, & great to know about permission in writing & not trespassing. Sure wish I lived near any civil war site.

What state do you live in?

 

[Tom Hughes]

Starting the process of cleaning the musket. I laid out all the parts so far and here it is. I'll keep updating as the cleaning process continues.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

I live to far north to dig any CW relics.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

View attachment 448636
Starting the process of cleaning the musket. I laid out all the parts so far and here it is. I'll keep updating as the cleaning process continues.

The state of NJ would require a trigger lock on that.
"But officer it does not even have a trigger"
Sigh…
Looks great Tom!