Hayes Lowe,
Your description of the Ga. soldier with
a mixture of uniform buttons makes perfect
sense. I have relic hunted for years and it
is no surprise to find Union buttons in CS
campsites. It is, however, surprising to find
a CS button on a Union campsite, however, I
picked up a nice Miss. button once on a camp
of New England troopers camped down on the James
River. This could have come from the coat of a
POW or could have been a battlefield souvenir
lost by one of the Union boys this time in his
own camp. By the way, mixed in with all these
MVC & Staff Officer's buttons was a perfect little
New York cuff, some flatbuttons, & one solid-cast
brass button that relic hunters call a "flower
button." I have found them for years, always on
CS sites.
Alan Pitts,
Thanks for info on Davis' uniform. Very interesting.
John C. Carter,
Thanks for info on where the 11th was located. A few
years ago I befriended the farmer who plowed the
fields on the land where the Confederate left charged.
I relic hunted the place quite often with some degree
of luck. Lots of shot union bullets, some dropped
CS ones. Got a nice Ga. cuff button, large NY coat, &
an unusual field-cast solid pewter "block I" button.
No Ala buttons unfortuneately. These were all in the
field just up from Park Service property (but well
away from the line!)and on the south side of Botswain's
Creek. This is actually close to the area where
(supposedly) Texas troops crossed the creek & broke the
line. One day I saw 3 gentlemen drive up in a car,
get out & approach me. They were from Ala. & wanted to
see where exactly their relatives had charged, etc.
They were on a tour of battlefields in Va. At that time
I did not know where troops were located, but thanks to
you guys I'm learning a lot.
In another field to the left & right in front of Bot.
Creek, some relic hunters found (many years ago) the
skeletal remains of three boys from N.C. They were
quickly told to put back any bones they dug out! Today,
they would get in more trouble for doing this. In this
field I have found several dropped "Georgia teat" bullets
but good buttons have eluded me. The owner of this field
let me hunt because he said I am the only person in 30
years who has actually asked his permission before hunt-
ing!
Some time if any of you guys come to Va. & want a good
tour of battlefield & campsites in the Hanover Co. & esp.
Mechanicsville area, give me a call or e-mail. I've
lately gotten more sites to search since joining the local
chapter of the Sons of Conf.Veterans. Now I just need to
find the time ...
Tom Hobbs