Seven
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Sometimes you just get lucky!
Most people who metal detect will not be impressed with this post, but if you pursue detecting from a historical perspective this should be of interest. On Civil War site #1 that Kingdom and I have been working since December 12, 2013, most of the finds we have posted have come from hay fields. In fact, the majority of the site is just open fields. We have hunted the surrounding woods, but have had little luck. Last week we hit a very small section of the woods that was absolutely loaded with Colt .44 pistol bullets and a few Swaged .58 caliber Minnie balls. In the process of digging these signals, a few of them turned out to be pieces of pottery with drops of lead fused to them. We concluded that the soldiers were pouring bullets in the camp and were using a plate to catch the overflow lead. On the second day of hunting this section, Kingdom found a piece with fused lead on it that had a makers mark on the back. The mark wasn’t complete, but there was enough of it remaining that allowed us to ID the plate and its maker. It was an Ironstone plate made by John Meir & Son. John Meir produced quality pottery under his own name from 1812-1836 in England and then began producing under the name John Meir & Son from 1837-1897. This information allowed us to conclude that the plate was indeed consistent with the Civil War period and was probably used by the soldiers who occupied this camp (the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry). But it also led us to conclude another possibility. Such fine china was probably not standard army issue and probably belonged to an officer. The fact that the soldiers were using such a quality piece of china to catch excess lead while pouring bullets also suggests that the troops were probably short on supplies and had to make do with whatever they had. Commander Thomas Jefferson Jordan indicated in his official reports that during the 9th Pennsylvania’s stay in Tompkinsville, Kentucky that they were indeed short on supplies, including guns, horses, and other basic supplies.
Like I said, most will not be impressed with these finds. However, Kingdom and I are collecting and documenting the site and turning all the artifacts over to be displayed to the public in the local museum. Therefore, a find like this only serves to add a personal touch to the collection of relics and adds another page into the history of the site. From a historical perspective, these may be the most significant finds of the entire site.
Plate pieces with fused lead droppings
John Meir & Son makers mark
Various pieces of the plate recovered
Information on John Meir & Son
Section of the site where the plate pieces and Colt .44 bullets were found
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Most people who metal detect will not be impressed with this post, but if you pursue detecting from a historical perspective this should be of interest. On Civil War site #1 that Kingdom and I have been working since December 12, 2013, most of the finds we have posted have come from hay fields. In fact, the majority of the site is just open fields. We have hunted the surrounding woods, but have had little luck. Last week we hit a very small section of the woods that was absolutely loaded with Colt .44 pistol bullets and a few Swaged .58 caliber Minnie balls. In the process of digging these signals, a few of them turned out to be pieces of pottery with drops of lead fused to them. We concluded that the soldiers were pouring bullets in the camp and were using a plate to catch the overflow lead. On the second day of hunting this section, Kingdom found a piece with fused lead on it that had a makers mark on the back. The mark wasn’t complete, but there was enough of it remaining that allowed us to ID the plate and its maker. It was an Ironstone plate made by John Meir & Son. John Meir produced quality pottery under his own name from 1812-1836 in England and then began producing under the name John Meir & Son from 1837-1897. This information allowed us to conclude that the plate was indeed consistent with the Civil War period and was probably used by the soldiers who occupied this camp (the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry). But it also led us to conclude another possibility. Such fine china was probably not standard army issue and probably belonged to an officer. The fact that the soldiers were using such a quality piece of china to catch excess lead while pouring bullets also suggests that the troops were probably short on supplies and had to make do with whatever they had. Commander Thomas Jefferson Jordan indicated in his official reports that during the 9th Pennsylvania’s stay in Tompkinsville, Kentucky that they were indeed short on supplies, including guns, horses, and other basic supplies.
Like I said, most will not be impressed with these finds. However, Kingdom and I are collecting and documenting the site and turning all the artifacts over to be displayed to the public in the local museum. Therefore, a find like this only serves to add a personal touch to the collection of relics and adds another page into the history of the site. From a historical perspective, these may be the most significant finds of the entire site.
Plate pieces with fused lead droppings
John Meir & Son makers mark
Various pieces of the plate recovered
Information on John Meir & Son
Section of the site where the plate pieces and Colt .44 bullets were found
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
