Finding pits at a camp

[JTkentucky12th]

Hello all. I've recently got permission to metal detect a confederate camp that was used for a few months. Large piece of property. Creek runs along the back of it. Nobody has ever found the trash pits of the soldiers camped there. Any thoughts or suggestions on how to find them, or is it likely they just threw it all into the creek? Thanks!!!!

Located in middle Tennessee of that helps.

 

[UCVRelics]

CS soldiers didn't have much trash and what they had would more than likely have gone in the privies or burned in their fire pits. I have dug many CS privies and you find a lot of bottles. It would not have gone in the creek as that was their water supply. If there were trash pits and I know there were privies they would be located behind the camps and a ways off. They would not be between the water supply and the camp.

 

[JTkentucky12th]

CS soldiers didn't have much trash and what they had would more than likely have gone in the privies or burned in their fire pits. I have dug many CS privies and you find a lot of bottles. It would not have gone in the creek as that was their water supply. If there were trash pits and I know there were privies they would be located behind the camps and a ways off. They would not be between the water supply and the camp.

Thank you for that!!! Any general idea on distance from the camp to the privies? Also, any clue on searching for the fire pits? None of these have been found out there. Several regiments were there so they've got to be there somehwere.

 

[JTkentucky12th]

CS soldiers didn't have much trash and what they had would more than likely have gone in the privies or burned in their fire pits. I have dug many CS privies and you find a lot of bottles. It would not have gone in the creek as that was their water supply. If there were trash pits and I know there were privies they would be located behind the camps and a ways off. They would not be between the water supply and the camp.

If this helps, here's an aerial view. You can see the creek winding from the left to above the land. Big yellow circle is the main spot where they camped and relics have come from. Smaller yellow circle yields relics every now and then. Land is pretty much as it was at the time as far as dirt goes. Likely forested back then tho but not sure.

 

[UCVRelics]

Thank you for that!!! Any general idea on distance from the camp to the privies? Also, any clue on searching for the fire pits? None of these have been found out there. Several regiments were there so they've got to be there somehwere.

Depending on how many troops there will be multiple privies. There was no set distance but they would have been away from the camp. As far as fire pits, if its all ready been hunted and no one laid out a map of what relics came from where then it will be harder as that info would have shown how the camp was laid out. I always map the relics and it will tell you a lot. Where they there in the winter or summer?

 

[JTkentucky12th]

Depending on how many troops there will be multiple privies. There was no set distance but they would have been away from the camp. As far as fire pits, if its all ready been hunted and no one laid out a map of what relics came from where then it will be harder as that info would have shown how the camp was laid out. I always map the relics and it will tell you a lot. Where they there in the winter or summer?

I'm not 100%. I believe it was fall and they were driven off by the Yankees before winter. That big yellow circle in the aerial view, that's where the vast majority of relics came from over the years..

 

[VaFredneck]

Yep you'll be looking for their privies. A detector with a true all metal mode, a true threshold, and a big coil, will help for more productive results.. Like UCV said, sometimes not much in those Confederate holes. Got into one over the winter on a new permission that's been hunted pretty hard. 2 of the Gardners were hard earned surface finds before locating the privy, so as you can see, not much found, but glad to find some relics.

 

[JTkentucky12th]

O

Yep you'll be looking for their privies. A detector with a true all metal mode, a true threshold, and a big coil, will help for more productive results.. Like UCV said, sometimes not much in those Confederate holes. Got into one over the winter on a new permission that's been hunted pretty hard. 2 of the Gardners were hard earned surface finds before locating the privy, so as you can see, not much found, but glad to find some relics.

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nice finds! Appreciate the input. Never hunted for the privies or pits or anything like that. South of Nashville, most folks usually hit construction sites bc they're developing every piece of land they can around here. Makes for easy relic hunting sometimes tho!!!

 

[UCVRelics]

O

nice finds! Appreciate the input. Never hunted for the privies or pits or anything like that. South of Nashville, most folks usually hit construction sites bc they're developing every piece of land they can around here. Makes for easy relic hunting sometimes tho!!!

The privies can be a gold mine. The camp I'm in now they are deep. I'm sitting on the original ground and my feet just touch bottom but they have a lot of items. CS were here for 7 months.

The fire pits have a lot to.

 

[JTkentucky12th]

The privies can be a gold mine. The camp I'm in now they are deep. I'm sitting on the original ground and my feet just touch bottom but they have a lot of items. CS were here for 7 months.
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The fire pits have a lot to.
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That's awesome! Dream digging for me right there!