Wilderness Finds...1970-1971

[relichound]

I found these in the Wilderness, west of Fredericksburg, and bullets were the easiest thing
to find then as now in most places! I also found 5-6 plates, all Union, and a complete, but
bent ram rod, and a canteen. Maybe a couple more things. I had to sell the plates when
we were very in need of money in the eighties.

The canteen I found one day in the middle of a brier patch. Why had no one else
found it? Because those briers could hurt! Not only that, but my detector's wires
got all tangled up in the vines. I would not recommend that!

One day I got a nice loud signal on my detector, but then I looked and it was because
there was barbed wire wound around a stump. I moved the wire away and tried again, and
there was a beautiful US CBOX plate with both hooks buried about 4" down.

 

[redbob]

Ah, those were the days.

 

[thomas aagaard]

I still find it crazy that it is legal to dig up cultural heritage like that...
(but I guess debating that, would be modern politics)

 

[Canadian_Cavalry]

I guess I'm from the thought of digging it and preserving it rather than let it fade away as eventually it will..most people these days are so tech and self(ie) driven they might otherwise not even know there was a Civil War, especially of that magnitude.

 

[relichound]

To me, the main thing is pass along to the next owner where the items were found
whether dug at a battle or camp or if found in an estate sale at least where that
was located. Just to have an artifact from the Civil War does not really say much
but one found say in northern Georgia, or central Virginia is much better than
nothing. And yes to be even more specific is even better. I have a nice item found long ago
in the Gettysburg area, that came with not only the battle found but the part of
the battlefield where found. I will pass the receipt of that item with the info. on
to the next owner. It is important for relics to be located and saved before another
parking lot is built over them or they rust to nothing.

 

[redbob]

I still find it crazy that it is legal to dig up cultural heritage like that...
(but I guess debating that, would be modern politics)

You are extremely limited as to where you can dig, public land is off limits (big fines and confiscation of vehicles and property) and private land without permission will often get you a confrontation with an angry shotgun wielding farmer.

 

[thomas aagaard]

Good that public lands is no go.
But you can still dig up items from privately owned land right?

But in the end it is the question of the idea of ownership of land.
In most European countries you don't own what is in the ground on your land, you just have the right to use the surface.
(Build a house, plant crops and so on, but not mining, drilling for oil... or digging up cultural heritage)

Here in Denmark you can do metal detecting in most places. Only places not allowed are known gave mounts and other known sits. (there is a website where they are all shown) On private land you just need permission from the owner. Something not hard to get, since the owner don't own any find in the ground.

But all finds have to be properly registered, (gps location and similar) and handed in to the local museum.
If you find valuables you are paid the metal value and a bonus if it is a rare find. Think makes sure that there is no reason for melting it down for the metal. (if the expense for the danish state is changed to match US population size then we are talking something like 12 million USD pr year)

 

[redbob]

Good that public lands is no go.
But you can still dig up items from privately owned land right?

But in the end it is the question of the idea of ownership of land.
In most European countries you don't own what is in the ground on your land, you just have the right to use the surface.
(Build a house, plant crops and so on, but not mining, drilling for oil... or digging up cultural heritage)

Here in Denmark you can do metal detecting in most places. Only places not allowed are known gave mounts and other known sits. (there is a website where they are all shown) On private land you just need permission from the owner. Something not hard to get, since the owner don't own any find in the ground.

But all finds have to be properly registered, (gps location and similar) and handed in to the local museum.
If you find valuables you are paid the metal value and a bonus if it is a rare find. Think makes sure that there is no reason for melting it down for the metal. (if the expense for the danish state is changed to match US population size then we are talking something like 12 million USD pr year)

Here in the United States, very few people own the mineral rights or the air rights to their property (you don't own what's under you or over you) and if you were to dig up something that the government wanted, they would just take it, claiming that all military equipment lost, stolen or abandoned still belongs to the US government and concerning the Confederacy, to the victor goes the spoils.

 

[thomas aagaard]

Here in the United States, very few people own the mineral rights or the air rights to their property (you don't own what's under you or over you)

So if you find oil in you garden you can't sell it? Guess I learned something new.

 

[redbob]

So if you find oil in you garden you can't sell it? Guess I learned something new.

In the area that I live in, United States Steel owns the majority of the mineral rights and this allows them to mine for coal, iron or whatever below your home.