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Any guesses ?

dcinffxva
Here are some more items I've recently dug up from around the Fredericksburg, Va. battlefield area. The one piece is a sledgehammer head, and the other a spike if some sort. Anyone have an idea as to what the other items are ? The screwdriver is to give an idea of the size of the first item, which looks like it was from a wagon.

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Comments

13 comments

Date Votes
  • Wagion
    First one looks like part of a harness like for when pairs of hosres pulled wagons and things
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  • dcinffxva
    No guesses on the objects on either side of the sledge hammer head ? I thought this would be right up Bobski's alley !
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  • sarge_3ad
    First picture looks like a link for a horse drawn planter that connects to a handle to raise and lower the planter at the end of the field so you can turn around. The spike looking pieces are probably from a spike tooth harrow that is dragged through the field to bust up dirt clods. The bottom photo is a clevis and what appears to be part of a bushing. Don't have any idea what they would go to.

    I have to edit my reply, because I'm also thinking that the first photo is a link to hold a horse drawn sickle mower board in the upright position for travel. I'll see if I can find a picture to add.
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  • sarge_3ad
    Not the picture I wanted, but will give you an idea of what kind of mower I'm talking about.

    298-43r.jpg
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  • matwor
    Metal detector?
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  • dcinffxva
    Cool pics Sarge

    The area I was digging is not really conducive to an area that would have been farmed, but there was a structure there that I'm guessing may have been a foundry, or blacksmith shop. It's very possible that they were making farming equipment.

    This is towards the north end of the Fredericksburg battlefield, and the structure that was there was burned down. There are charred timbers still present underground. Unknown if it was burned during the battle, or before, or after, but likely during.

    Yes, using a metal detector, and have plucked several bullets from the surrounding area, and my buddy has pulled up a dozen or so bullets, a piece of grape shot, and a Union breastplate. Here are some of the bullets taken from the same area.

    IMG_0951.jpg

    IMG_0956.jpg
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  • mrseatle
    Can you give any details about your detector? and what other equip you use?

    Here's a link to my buddy's detector website...

    www.DirtJournal.com
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  • LesWVa
    Sarge
    That was my first thought also. Horse drawn sickle mower. Don't know what it is called. But have saw similar bar that was used to hold the sickle up when transporting the mower.

    Photo #2.
    Longer pieces. Wedges for a horse drawn cultivator type plow. Used to hold the plow points in place. Saw them on one of my Grandfathers plows.
    Spike in the center can be anything.

    Photo #3. No guess at that one.
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  • big mango
    Have these items been recovered inside the battlefield boundaries itself or in an area just outside the boundaries, on lets say, private property???
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  • Queen of Swords
    That one thingy is a flat-head screwdriver.[;)]

    Looks like rail road hardware.
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  • dcinffxva
    quote:Originally posted by mrseatle
    Can you give any details about your detector? and what other equip you use?

    Here's a link to my buddy's detector website...

    www.DirtJournal.com


    I've got a Garrett GTI 1500 for doing the main work, and then when trying to find really small items in the dirt, I use a Whites Pinpointer II. The Garrett has multiple settings on it, so you can filter out a lot of the trash items, like foil, and pieces of wire.

    Big Mango,

    Everything was recovered from private land, with the owners permission. I won't even drive into a National Park with my metal detector in my truck. One nice thing about being in Virginia, is that the entire state was occupied by troops for 4 straight years, and there is a lot of history here from before the Civil War as well.

    My parents live in Page County Virginia, which saw a lot of action as well. Their farm had an iron furnace on it from about 1740 until it was destroyed by Sheridans troops when they decimated the Shenandoah Valley. I've dug up saw blades, flat irons, skillets and a lot of other items from there also.
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  • LaidbackDan
    Wow, a lot of better guess than mine.


    I was thinking they were pieces of equipment left behind by previous treasure hunters looking for civil war artifacts before the invention of metal detectors.
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  • oldgunner
    A bit of useless info for you sarge..I've not only seen equipment like you pic, I've ridden them behind a team of mules..Disc and harrow, the late 19th and early 20th century dream...
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