Relic hunting

I’m trying to see how many of you are awake because I’m fixing to tell you where a Confederate magazine is. For those familiar with Vicksburg, go stand in the south entrance of what used to be Mercy Hospital, it should be just a few feet below you.
Did you dig shells in that magazine? That old hospital site is now abandoned, I believe.
 
My first detector was a Radio Shack model that didn't work very well. Decided to spluge, in the 1980s, and bought a Fisher 1265-X, which I used for many years and still have. First finds were minie balls, first find of any significance was a well preserved "US" bridle rosette. I have most of my finds in Riker display cases by location found, marked also with the dates of when I found them.
 
No I didn’t…my high school girlfriend’s father did earthwork on that site and it was covered up before I knew about it. I was told it was a large quantity of shells.
Maybe one day that site will be developed and earth moving equipment will either unearth it or make it possible to hunt that area. Thanks for the insight on this. Very interesting. There is no telling what is still buried over there in Vicksburg.
 
There is no telling what is still buried over there in Vicksburg.

I think it's been a few years, but the US Army's bomb disposal units have been called into Jackson construction sites more than a few times when big shells have been uncovered. ( And Jackson is about 35 miles from Vicksburg).

I think 1/4 were determined to be dangerous and thus purposely exploded.
Yeah, I know that's a very controversial topic with relic enthusiasts

But my point is I agree with your post about what has yet to be discovered.

Lord knows what's still buried in Vicksburg.

Actually I have a buddy that lives in Vicksburg and he had to halt construction on expanding his backyard patio.

Within the first hour, the construction crew unearthed all kinds of unexploded shells in his backyard.
 
I think it's been a few years, but the US Army's bomb disposal units have been called into Jackson construction sites more than a few times when big shells have been uncovered. ( And Jackson is about 35 miles from Vicksburg).

I think 1/4 were determined to be dangerous and thus purposely exploded.
Yeah, I know that's a very controversial topic with relic enthusiasts

But my point is I agree with your post about what has yet to be discovered.

Lord knows what's still buried in Vicksburg.

Actually I have a buddy that lives in Vicksburg and he had to halt construction on expanding his backyard patio.

Within the first hour, the construction crew unearthed all kinds of unexploded shells in his backyard.
I work in downtown Jackson. I'm always keeping my eye on construction areas. Before they worked on the dredging of the Pearl River under the Silas Brown bridge, I used to find all sorts of stuff in the river. My buddy found a 20 pound Parrott one day. Also, lots of old bottles, etc.
 
I work in downtown Jackson. I'm always keeping my eye on construction areas. Before they worked on the dredging of the Pearl River under the Silas Brown bridge, I used to find all sorts of stuff in the river. My buddy found a 20 pound Parrott one day. Also, lots of old bottles, etc.
I think the last time the Army "bomb squad" was called-in ... were when shells were found at a construction site around the Terry Road,
Gallatin Street and Hwy 80 area.
 
Last edited:
I think the last time the Army "bomb squad" was called-in ... was when shells were found at a construction site around the Terry Road,
Gallatin Street and Hwy 80 area.
That was a "hot" area during the civil war. There was a battery on top of the hill behind the Carmelite Monastery off Terry Road. I remember when they cleared those woods and nobody could get permission to hunt it......
 
That was a "hot" area during the civil war. There was a battery on top of the hill behind the Carmelite Monastery off Terry Road. I remember when they cleared those woods and nobody could get permission to hunt it......
Yeah, that's where the Union Arty "set up" during their first assault on Jackson during May of 1863.

BTW, I also worked in downtown JXN during the late 70's (on Congress Street ... one block off Capitol Street).
Since everything had been long paved over, I never thought about relics until the old Lamar Theater was demolished to
make room for "One Jackson Place". They would not let anyone close to the site, but I'm sure they found many relics.

During the early/mid 80's I worked at the old Employment Security Commission HQ on West Capitol Street ... close to the Zoo.
There were all kind of bullets & shell casings out there.

But all modern.

:laugh:
 
Last edited:
Yeah, that's where the Union Arty "set up" during their first assault on Jackson during May of 1863.

BTW, I also worked in downtown JXN during the late 70's (on Congress Street ... one block off Capitol Street).
Since everything had been long paved over, I never thought about relics until the old Lamar Theater was demolished to
make room for "One Jackson Place". They would not let anyone close to the the site, but I'm sure they found many relics.

During the early/mid 80's I worked at the old Employment Security Commission HQ on West Capitol Street ... close to the Zoo.
There were all kind of bullets & shell casings out there.

But all modern.

:laugh:
We found lots of stuff when they built the Jackson Convention Center about 10 or so years ago. We just followed the dump trucks full of dirt and searched the piles....The really good stuff came when they built the University Parkway. It went from Jackson State past Poindexter Park (just up from IronHorse Grill). It was a dicey area to be looking but that was a good area. They bulldozed right through the Confederate earthworks. We put on vests and hard hats and everyone thought we were doing some construction type work out there.
 
We found lots of stuff when they built the Jackson Convention Center about 10 or so years ago. We just followed the dump trucks full of dirt and searched the piles....The really good stuff came when they built the University Parkway. It went from Jackson State past Poindexter Park (just up from IronHorse Grill). It was a dicey area to be looking but that was a good area. They bulldozed right through the Confederate earthworks. We put on vests and hard hats and everyone thought we were doing some construction type work out there.
Wow !

I think I've mentioned that I'm a native Jacksonian.
Born, raised and lived there during the 60's 70's & 80's.

I left in the early 90's but returned to Madison County, working in Canton around 2008.

Anyway, we were West of Canton "proper".

Long story short, after looking at old maps as compared to current maps I realized my new office was
probably on the same land where General Joe Johnston's " Army of Relief" spent most of the Vicksburg Campaign.

For some reason, no one was allowed to use metal detectors on the property.
But I doubt that policy had anything to do with the Civil War.

The Mississippi Film Commission had just built two sound stages across the street, and they were very secretive .
Personally I think Nissan had buried some shady stuff on the grounds.

My Canton friends always grinned, and remarked " ya'll are in the middle of Johnston's camp".

For years, their Grandfathers had been searching our location.

A few artillery shells had been found, but the majority of relics were buttons, dropped bullets, and much more mundane camp finds.
 
Wow !

I think I've mentioned that I'm a native Jacksonian.
Born, raised and lived there during the 60's 70's & 80's.

I left in the early 90's but returned to Madison County working in Canton around 2008.

Anyway, we were West of Canton "proper".

Long story short, after looking at old maps as compared to current maps I realized my new office was
probably on the same land where General Joe Johnston's " Army of Relief" spent most of the Vicksburg Campaign.

For some reason, no one was allowed to use metal detectors on the property.
But I doubt that policy had anything to do with the Civil War.

The Mississippi film commission had just built two sound stages across the street, and they were very secretive .
Personally I think Nissan had buried some shady stuff on the grounds.

My Canton friends always grinned, and remarked " ya'll are in the middle of Johnston's camp".

For years, their Grandfathers had been searching our location.

A few artillery shells had been found, but the majority of relics were buttons, dropped bullets, and much more mundane camp finds.
I heard also that when the Nissan plant was constructed, Confederate camps were exposed.
 
Where can a person buy one little display box for a bullet and description of where it was found?
 
I think it's been a few years, but the US Army's bomb disposal units have been called into Jackson construction sites more than a few times when big shells have been uncovered. ( And Jackson is about 35 miles from Vicksburg).

I think 1/4 were determined to be dangerous and thus purposely exploded.
Yeah, I know that's a very controversial topic with relic enthusiasts

But my point is I agree with your post about what has yet to be discovered.

Lord knows what's still buried in Vicksburg.

Actually I have a buddy that lives in Vicksburg and he had to halt construction on expanding his backyard patio.

Within the first hour, the construction crew unearthed all kinds of unexploded shells in his backyard.
A lot of the unexploded shells in Jackson we’re from the Spanish American war era. Most found in the vicinity of the baseball field which at one time was a swamp. The artillery positions practiced from the high field where the catholic hospital is and were fired from that area. The camp was in the area next to where the university medical center is today.
 
The artillery positions practiced from the high field where the catholic hospital is and were fired from that area. The camp was in the area next to where the university medical center is today.
Yeah, those positions around St. Dominic Hospital and the adjacent University of Mississippi Medical Center were Union positions during the second battle ( actually siege ) of Jackson ... immediately following Grant's victory at Vicksburg.

I don't think any relic hunting is permitted on those grounds.

During the War, the UMMC land was the site the old Mississippi State Insane Asylum.
It's interesting to read letters from Union troops about their encounters with some of the patients.
Actually, a few years ago a large forgotten burial plot for those patients was discovered when UMMC was expanding.
The State Archives & History Department immediately shut down any disturbance of the unused land between the two hospitals.

There are probably thousands of undiscovered relics between there and the Belhaven neighborhood.

A lot of the unexploded shells in Jackson we’re from the Spanish American war era. Most found in the vicinity of the baseball field which at one time was a swamp.
That's interesting !

I'm not familiar with Spanish American War ordnance being uncovered in Jackson.
But the location would make sense.

The current state fairgrounds (behind the Old Capitol) ... was the site of a large Spanish-American War Training Camp.

Plus that was also the location of the baseball field ... and on the edge of the Pearl River swamp.


 
My first was a radio shack as a kid that mostly found junk or new coins.........

Think I was in my 30's when I got a Garrett 350 and started finding silver. Still find mostly coins, but at CW era house sites occasionally find balls, minies, and buttons.
 
Where can a person buy one little display box for a bullet and description of where it was found?
There are plenty of suppliers out there of various quality display formats.

It comes down to how much money one want's to spend.

( The popular Riker cases are inexpensive, but "real" wood displays with felt lining will cost much more.
I collect relics, but don't relic hunt.

From my experience, a small description plate is usually obtained from a different supplier.
Companies that specialize in trophies have been a good source for the descriptive additions.
 
Back
Top