# recent civil war finds



## Jeff Raines (Jul 8, 2006)

Got my first confederate belt buckle a couple weeks ago.This plate was most likely issued to a cadet at the Georgia Military Institute that used to be where the Marietta Convention Center is now located.

Found the 11 bullets on the 4th,if you look closely at the "mangled" bullet you can see the soldiers teeth impressions.soldiers would often chew on bullets while they were bored


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## marknga (Jul 8, 2006)

Very cool! 

Congrats on a nice find.

Mark


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## dutchman (Jul 8, 2006)

All 11 bullets on the 4th? Man, you hit the mother lode for sure! That's awesome! And that belt plate is in remarkable condition to have been in the ground for so long.


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 8, 2006)

We thought we had found a camp,but instead I think we stumbled on a sentry post.

The plate was found at an old house site,where a new cobb county high school is going on hiway 92 in acworth


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## Al33 (Jul 8, 2006)

Good for you Jeff! Nice day of hunting for sure. Keep sharing your finds here, I love seeing them.


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## Nicodemus (Jul 8, 2006)

Those are some really nice finds!!


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## Woody's Janitor (Jul 8, 2006)

Way to go Jeffry!!!!


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## salmon_egg (Jul 8, 2006)

What makes you think it's a GMI plate?



Member SCV Camp 1397  Dallas, Ga  [><]


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 9, 2006)

same as these


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## lab (Jul 18, 2006)

How do you find them?


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## Handgunner (Jul 20, 2006)

Metal Detector.


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## lab (Jul 21, 2006)

I just bought one of those things for my daughter, I might try it out.


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 26, 2006)

lab

I don't recall reading about any civil war activity in columbia county.
But since it was settled in the 1700's,you should be able to find some old money.
Locate the original roads,find the old house sites,secure permission and start diggin.

If a confederate soldier lived at the house site,you should be able to find uniform buttons.Once the war was over it was illegal to wear the confederate uniform


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## huntnnut (Jul 27, 2006)

Jeff,

There is an article in today's Gwinnett Daily Post provided by The Associated Press that you might find interesting.  

It's about a Civil War relic collector in Dalton "Lawrence Christopher who was injured while trying to diffuse an old artillery shell at his home.  He was apparently trying to remove the gun powder from a Civil War - era Parrott shell when it exploded.  An ordinance team from Fort Benning was called in and they destroyed dozens of other shells found at the home.  Gordon Jones the chief historian at the Atlanta History Center stated that this was the first time he had heard of an historical collection being blown up as the stuff is rare and valuable.


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 27, 2006)

Wow

I've heard rumors of shells exploding,but this is the first documented that I've seen.I'm sure there is more that doesn't get repoted.
Unfortunately  I haven't found any complete shell,just fragments.

But if anyone finds a parrot shell or cannon ball that has a fuse,it is a live shell,just because it's been laying in the ground for over 130 years doesn't mean it's any less deadly.



Thanks for the heads up Milton


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 27, 2006)

Just checked  www.thetreasuredepot.com    in the relic forum,several people know Lawrence.The shell exploded in his face,monday I think.He is still in a coma,and if he lives may not regain his vision


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## huntnnut (Jul 27, 2006)

Jeff Raines said:
			
		

> Just checked  www.thetreasuredepot.com    in the relic forum,several people know Lawrence.The shell exploded in his face,monday I think.He is still in a coma,and if he lives may not regain his vision



Sorry to hear that he's that bad off.  They stated he had serious injuries to his head, chest and eyes, though that was the extent of it.  His Grandson was also reportedly injured and taken to the hospital, though he was treated and released.


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## dixie (Jul 27, 2006)

huntnnut said:
			
		

> Jeff,
> 
> There is an article in today's Gwinnett Daily Post provided by The Associated Press that you might find interesting.
> 
> It's about a Civil War relic collector in Dalton "Lawrence Christopher who was injured while trying to diffuse an old artillery shell at his home.  He was apparently trying to remove the gun powder from a Civil War - era Parrott shell when it exploded.  An ordinance team from Fort Benning was called in and they destroyed dozens of other shells found at the home.  Gordon Jones the chief historian at the Atlanta History Center stated that this was the first time he had heard of an historical collection being blown up as the stuff is rare and valuable.


Milt that happened once before that I know of, but not a collector, it was in the late 40's or early 50's, a group of solders on maneuvers close to Savanna made a fire in the fireplace of a old abandoned house, a shell was stuck in the fireplace when it went off when it got too hot, it injured 2-3 of them. Jeff, do you know where mulberry mountain is?


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## huntnnut (Jul 27, 2006)

dixie said:
			
		

> Milt that happened once before that I know of, but not a collector, it was in the late 40's or early 50's, a group of solders on maneuvers close to Savanna made a fire in the fireplace of a old abandoned house, a shell was stuck in the fireplace when it went off when it got too hot, it injured 2-3 of them. Jeff, do you know where mulberry mountain is?



Dang, that would be rough, just trying to stay warm and getting blown up in the process.....


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 27, 2006)

dixie said:
			
		

> Jeff, do you know where mulberry mountain is?




Sounds familiar,but I can't place it


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## dixie (Jul 27, 2006)

It's just outside of Dallas, going toward New Hope, it's at mulberry creek it's the first creek you cross after leaving Dallas. There was a large skirmish fought there, when I was a pup we used to find ALL KINDS of stuff on the mountain side there, its not far off the road, just follow the creek, easy walking distance.


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 27, 2006)

That's why it's familiar,it's mulberry creek but the mountain is ellsbury.
We have found stuff all over that mountain and creek,but nothing like it was when you were a kid.
The land about halfway to new hope has been cleared and a subdivision is going in.
I did find a  1 cent token from the dept. of revenue along that creek


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## dixie (Jul 27, 2006)

your right Jeff, my Dad taught me how to swim in that creek, gawd, that was years ago, more than I care to remember. I haven't been over there in years, I had no idea it was building up there like that. We found belt buckles, harness buckles, rusted out canteens, shrapnel, mini balls by the pockets full there, even a saber handle, the blade had rusted away, my buddy found that. His Granddad found a musket inside the hollow of a tree over at Pickett's mill when they saw milled that years ago, it was still fireable! The spooky thing about that was, the owner had carved his initials on the stock, they were the same as my friends!


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 27, 2006)

You're killin me,foots griffith and jabo carter also talked of the days when you could find the relics laying everywhere.

With all the building the've done around new hope and water being rerouted by pavement,you'd be hard pressed to find a placwith water over your ankle in that creek now


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## dixie (Jul 27, 2006)

I had NO idea foots was even still alive!!!!!!!!!!! glad to hear it tho


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## Jeff Raines (Jul 27, 2006)

Last time I heard he was bed ridden,his knees have gone bad.

Now I have never met foots,just know the same folks he does.I don't know if it's true,but I heard from several people that,years ago,he pulled a gun on someone that was relicin the same area he was and made the person give up a csa buckle


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## dixie (Jul 27, 2006)

I haven't heard that story, but it sounds about right, foots is among the last of the old crowd of Paulding, most all the stories you'll hear about how Paulding used to be are true, different times in those days.  I do really hate to hear that he's down.


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