How we find Civil War Relics

Knoxville, Tennessee was the scene of much military activity during the Civil War. In 1861, Camp Cummings was established in the vicinity of the current fairgrounds and zoo. This was the main Confederate training camp in East Tennessee. Edmund Kirby Smith launched his Kentucky campaign from Knoxville via Cumberland Gap. The Confederate army of General Braxton Bragg retreated to Knoxville after the battle of Perryville Ky. The East Tenn. and Virginia Railroad was a major conduit for Troops, supplies, munitions and food stuffs for the Conferderate government in Virginia. Ambrose Burnside's Army of the Ohio wrested Knoxville from Confederate control in Sept. of 1863. These troops consisted of the 23rd and 9th U.S. Army corps formerly of the Army of the Potomac. They immediately occupied and fortified Loudon. Not long thereafter, General James Longstreet's Division drove the Yankees from Loudon, and pursued them into the fortifications of Knoxville, fighting a running battle along the Kingston Pike.The siege of Knoxville began in earnest, culminating in the attack on Fort Sanders. This resulted in a bloody repulse for the Confederates who retreated to the vicinity of Bean's Station in the face of Union reinforcements under Sherman. These are some of my recent finds from Knoxville.
February 2006

Here are some of my recent Knoxville finds. I was particularly happy to dig 5 silver coins in one outing. You really have to work it like a dancer to find relics here in the concrete jungle.
   October, 2OO8 

U.S. Cartridge box plate struck by a 12 lb. shell or fragment thereof. Note the associated finds. Dug near Chickamauga Battlefield. October, 2008

Pile of relics dug in one weekend along Lee's retreat route from Petersburg, Virginia. Courtesy of Paul Shipe.
September, 2008

Dwayne Davis, Lynn Redford and myself had a great couple of days digging near Wartrace, TN. Dec. 29-30. We found the winter 1863 camp of the 37th Georgia Infantry who were in William B. Bate's Brigade CSA. On the first day I dug 7 Georgia State Seal buttons and 2 Confederate Staff buttons ( I put the shovel through one of them). Raedford dug the CS Haiman style saber the next day. Dwayne will dig the CSA belt plate when we go back.

Ray Treece of Mascot, TN. was kind enough to carry us out to a Federal Picket post so that we could dig a few relics. Tom Hays and Phil Ley are working as a team. We really enjoyed them coming to East Tennessee for a couple of days.
April 2011