Tales From A Confederate Fire Pit

[UCVRelics]

I've been meaning share this with y'all and finally got around to get all the different photos (worth a 1000 words) together.
These are photos of one of the many fire pits Ive excavated in the CS camp I'm currently in. This is one from this past winter. As you can see there are many items that come from one of these. They tell many stories.
1, There was a lot of drinking. 2, They played marbles. 3, They had pork and beef. 4, My trusty digging partner can still guard a site.
But the main reason I wanted to share this story is the breakable plates. CS soldiers didn't carry breakable plates. Every single pit Ive dug had these plates in them. According to all 5 soldiers diary's I have "The ladies would bring wagon loads of food and other items out to the soldiers". When the soldiers got here they had nothing, when the left they discarded all these plates and the bottles which I believe they used for canteens
(yea right) as they weren't practical for the march to Georgia. Hope you enjoy!

 

[Patrick H]

I can't comment either way on your broken plate theory (meaning I can't argue with it) but your finds are pretty interesting.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Neat !
Thanks for sharing your finds.

 

[Tin cup]

I'm betting that marbles was played a lot at camps.

Kevin Dally

 

[Podad]

Thx for sharing

 

[Package4]

I've been meaning share this with y'all and finally got around to get all the different photos (worth a 1000 words) together.
These are photos of one of the many fire pits Ive excavated in the CS camp I'm currently in. This is one from this past winter. As you can see there are many items that come from one of these. They tell many stories.
1, There was a lot of drinking. 2, They played marbles. 3, They had pork and beef. 4, My trusty digging partner can still guard a site.
But the main reason I wanted to share this story is the breakable plates. CS soldiers didn't carry breakable plates. Every single pit Ive dug had these plates in them. According to all 5 soldiers diary's I have "The ladies would bring wagon loads of food and other items out to the soldiers". When the soldiers got here they had nothing, when the left they discarded all these plates and the bottles which I believe they used for canteens
(yea right) as they weren't practical for the march to Georgia. Hope you enjoy!

Wow! Please keep 'em coming........both my detectors lie dormant in the basement, at least I can live vicariously through your posts

 

[CheathamHill]

Great finds as always. And jealous as I always am. If you ever want to come dirt fishing north of Atlanta let me know!
Is that camp in Alabama?

 

[UCVRelics]

Great finds as always. And jealous as I always am. If you ever want to come dirt fishing north of Atlanta let me know!
Is that camp in Alabama?

Maybe I haven't been that way in years. I used to hunt a lot up in Dalton, Tunnel Hill, and my favorite Buzzard Roost back in the 80's. I found my 2nd CS oval at BR.

 

[gary]

Who fed that dog while the Confederates were gone?

 

[UCVRelics]

Who do you think? That's where the term HUSH PUPPIES came from during the war.

Who fed that dog while the Confederates were gone?

 

[gary]

Thanks ucvrelics.com. My understanding of the Confederate camp life far exceeds what Irving Bell Wiley wrote in The Life of Johnny Reb.