Civil War Battle Ring

I will soon be posting pics of a gold ring that a relative of mine owns.  It is a gold ring with 16 battle names etched in it.  The ring was featured in the North South Trader Civil War magazine in the mid 80's and then was voted Find of the Century by the subscribers around the year 2000.  It has only been displayed at 2 or 3 relic shows.  The last one was the Northern Virginia Relics Hunters show in Chantilly, VA in 2002.  There were some great reactions by the public.

Anyway, I was excited for the chance to have photos taken of this and I will share them as soon as possible.

Brilliant! Can't wait to see a photo.
What is the appraised value?

Well, it's hard to appraise a one of a kind relic like this.  From what I understand the sky is the limit.  This ring belonged to a soldier who participated in many battles.  I will have a complete list and pics very soon.

Thats sounds like one nice ring,look forward to the pics.HH

That kinda relic I would consider priceless! That is a true piece of American hoistory and I cannot wait to see those pics! hurry up and post them 

Steeler Fan

Well, here are the pics of the ring...please let me know what you think.  This ring was dug in 1984 after being in the ground for around 115-120 years.  It is in great shape considering the elements.  It is gold plating on copper.

These pictures were taken by a local photographer Nate Rhodes.  If you are interested in having great quality photos taken of your finds or if you'd like to let him know what you think of these pics just email him.  His email address is somanyrhodes@hotmail.com.

...and the last one.

That ring is awseome Rocky!!!

That is so unique and interesting. Thanks for the photos!

 

Only one word describes it - AWESOME!!!!  Thanks for the pics!!

Simply incredible! Take that thing and lock it up in Fort Knox. You have some VERY special and unique. I would get it appraised by a reputable Civil War historian and get it insured. I am serious about that!

Thanks for sharing your story and pics with us! 

Steeler Fan

Awesome ring!  HH, Mike

Must have taken quite a while to produce this ring,great craftsmanship...Congrats ARCOM

Very cool ring!!!, & story...
Do you know what any of the historians had to say about it?
Wheather it was made by the person himself, or did he have it made? Also, I know you said it was one of a kind, but I was wondering if any of the other men of that era did anything similar, as far as having something to show what battles they were in...
Again, cool post,,, Thanks for sharing!

There is nothing known of the person who owned this ring.  It was recovered outside of Winchester at one of Sheridan's camps.

Other men may have made items similar to this, I haven't seen any of them.  What makes this ring unique is the battles that this person was involved, Cold Harbor, Antietam, and Gettysburg....these were great battles with huge losses.  A lot of men didn't make it through even one of these battles.

It would be amazing to find any information of the person this ring belonged to.  Maybe in time that will happen.

One word for that ring "WoW" kewl find,is it a yanki or reb ring? tammahawk

I believe this was dug in a Union Camp.  Based on the name structure it is Union.  The South had different names for these battles.

I would encourage your relative to go to a taping of "Antiques Roadshow".  The Civil War buffs there would wet themselves over that ring.  It's amazing the info they can collect in a short amount of time when they huddle and put their heads together.  That's one of the most awesome CW finds I've ever seen.  Thanks for sharing!

Kent

I could be mistaken but it appears that FREDERICKSBURG appears twice on the ring.

I wonder what that implies, any thoughts?

unbelievable find! ........and your right........just to survive antietum was a major accomplishment but gettysburgh as well!! this man absolutly saw the worst the war had to offer. this ring is a national treasure! thanks for sharing it with us.

This is a great ring!!  The man who wore it must have been very good at what he did.  could it have been from a high ranking officer maybe?

Yes, FREDERICKSBURG does appear twice.  I can only assume he was in two major fights around that area.  You have to assume a lot looking at this ring.  That is part of what makes this ring so amazing, just trying to imagine what this guy, a many like him, went through.

The Antiques Roadshow has been brought up....we will have to wait and see.

I may have to fill out the form for the W&ET on this website but I'd have to have permission from the ring's owner first.

Thanks for the great feedback!!!

Very, Very cool ring! It's got to be one of the most significant finds here so far! Congratulations!

Happy Hunting,

Moon

Man, that's one nice ring.

WoW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The most fantastic time to be alive is right now]

What an awesome ring. It looks like it could be "the one"

GL & HH,

DugHoles

That is amazing!!

Thats one beautiful ring, Congrats, hh Art...

I see the name "Fair Oaks" on the ring. Four oaks is mentioned in the battle of Bentonville, one of the major battles towards the end of the Civil War, and some of it fought in Four Oaks NC.

It was where Sherman's army defeated Johnston's army and led to the end of the Civil War.

I was wondering if Fair Oaks is not really Four Oaks.

On another note; A very good friend of mine lives on a family farm in Four Oaks, NC and has a Civil War cemetery on his property.

He tells me his father used to kick bayonets out of his way when plowing the fields with a mule when he was a young man. He also tells me his father found a button near a pond on the property that has been authenticated by NC state archaeologists as having come from Gen Shermans field coat, it's been locked in a safe deposit box for 30 yrs now.

I'm not a Civil War history buff, I just found out about the history of his place in the past few days. I've been invited to go there and help thin out the deer herd and specifically asked to bring my metal detector. I won't be digging in the cemetery, out of respect for the fallen soldiers there. I may attempt to define the graves though, because the markers are mostly deteriorated.

After my visit, I hope to post my own thread on great finds.

Mighty fine ring you showed us, RockyDig

My curiosity got the best of me, so I did more research. Fair Oaks is a battle site in Va.

Thanks to a link I found on this site, I'm even more excited to get to Four Oaks and do some hunting.

Thanks for the info, BobG.

That button sounds like an awesome find!!  It would be nice to have a pic of that posted on here.  I hope they check it occassionally for it's condition.  Some buttons can get hurt certain environments.

You are very lucky to get into a nice spot like the one you are talking about.  Please post all your findings and let everyone know how you made out at that spot.

Good luck hunting!!

Great find! A question for the group, did any of these battles happen close enough together in time and far enough apart in geography that it would not have been possible for one person to have been at each one. It could just be a great ring that shows all the battles, but does not mean that person was in all the battles. Just a thought.

Research has been done on the battle dates.  It is part of the display made for the ring.  None of the dates overlap.  The first set of battles are part of the Peninsula Campaign of Virginia.  Then the battles go through the top of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. 

It is possible but very unlikely that a person would make a ring with random battle names.  The dates and geographic locations of the battles makes is completely possible for a soldier to have participated in them.  I would NOT want to be that particular soldier!!

Rocky,
From the bottom of my heart , thank you for that beautiful picture. As has been said earlier, that ring is a serious part of our history.

grizzly bare

l'esprit d'escallier(okay I can't spell for beans)
Have you (or anyone) checked to see which companies/batallions were involved in these battles?  That might be a significant clue as to who owned it.

grizzly

I know you may never want to sell, but are you curious of the value on the market? I am. Would be interested to know if you've ever had that estimated or could guess ballpark.

Very nice find, that is one cool ring.
Rob

Thanks, Grizzly, for those heartfelt words.  Some people look at this ring and don't think twice.  Then there are the people that look at this one of a kind piece of Civil War history and can appreciate what took place to produce such a thing.  This ring tells a great story of what just one man out of hundreds of thousands went through to help forge this great nation of ours.  To see these high quality pictures is one thing, to actually hold it in your own hands is another experience all together.

Yes, you are also right about the research that is needed to be done.  That will take some time but it hasn't been done yet.  It has been discussed and will be done one day.

Bergie, there is no price placed on this ring.  The only talk of the price has been, in fact, priceless.

Also, just to clarify, this ring belongs to a relative of mine.  I am just posting the pics and information for him.  I thought all you history buffs would want to see something like this.  I can't take any credit of ownership for this ring, just the posting of it.     Thanks all for looking and the wonderful feedback!!

I can appreciate the ring as much as everyone else for its historical significance and still have an interest in the potential monitary value. In fact, there would be a price for it on the open market and it would be high but not limitless. Hard to tell, but like anything else the market would set the price.

I wasn't saying you didn't appreciate it's historical importance.  I was replying to Grizzly's post on my first comments.  I do agree there is a high set price for this ring.  I've always been under the assumption that priceless = very high price, not that it couldn't be bought.  I am just not at liberty to discuss what has been offered for this ring since it is not mine.  I just hope you didn't take the last comment I made as being directed at you.

I just like posting to bring this up sometimes.

Outstanding Ring! Really cool to see something that's a one of a kind piece of history! I would love to hear what some of the Civil war experts would say about it.

I am not a civil war expert by any means, but I have been hunting relics for about 30 years. I started hunting with my Grandfather when he was using an old Green Box Garret. All I can say about the ring is WOW.
Relicreb

  I feel for the boys who died in the CW ...it really makes
you think about the families and mothers and fathers that
lost their sons...then the husbands and bothers uncles ect.

I would so much like to get a group together to look in these
areas out of respect for these men. Like you said you start
to think about that person and wonder what was he like ..
so to speak it makes them a person again.

From what I read on here you all feel the same compassion for these
men.

cwe (patti)

Needless to say this ring is a priceless piece of American History.

My 6-times great-grandfather lived in Southern Arkansas. He had 3 boys and some girls (not sure how many) I believe. 2 of his sons were killed outright during the Civil War....fighting for the South. The other son fought for the Union, was wounded seriously, and died 5 to 6 years later for reasons supposedly related to the wound.

Fortunately, my 5-times Great Grandfather (one of the two killed fighting for the South) had some children before he died, which eventually allowed me to be born.

I saw the movie Cold Mountain last year, and it messed with my head, as there were some relatives in my family back then who were killed by rogue soldiers who accused the men of collaberation with the Union, and hung them in the front yard of their house, leaving the wife and daughters to suffer. Good movie, but I never want to see it again, as it was too depressing.

Too much suffering happened during that war. My family unfortunately had to bear some of it as well.

Find of the Century is right.  I have been a Civil War Buff for many years, this is the most amazing piece of that time I have every seen. 

BobG, Fair Oaks was also called Seven Pines and that is where my G-father was killed. I live near Four Oaks and have contacts and wife's family that own land on or near Bentonville battleground. My G-father was from Ala. and his unit was the 6th Ala. Inf. Reg. a very famous unit. I just got into detecting though I always wanted to. I am going to do some serious hunting there this fall and winter. BTW... the battlefield for Seven Pines is now mostly covered by the Richmond airport. Bah!
Mike

Just reading all these post's get's my blood going,awesome ring RD.Still got your number,I would love to see that in person.If you don't mind,pm me or call and hopefully we can set something up...One of a kind ,no doubt.Thank's for sharing....Joe

I agree with Grizzly, you should try to find out which batallions were in those battles. You probably would only end up with a few that were in all of them (maybe even just one!). Then, if you got hold of a list of survivors from the first and last battles, you could narrow down the possible original owner to a very small number of men. I know it would take quite a while, but what a fascinating research it would be!  Good luck to you whatever you decide.

Gary

That will be a fun chase.  I just found the notes from the first guy who started the research.  I'll try to keep you guys posted on my findings.

Keep Digging and HH!!!

words don't do justice,its awesome

Any further research been done?

I just started the research, so far I have it down to the II or V Corps.  I still have a long way to go but it's a start.

what a great ring, tnks for show it

First I would like to say that it is a beautiful ring
I have only one question..what size is the ring.. that may help in finding the man who wore it..
Just a thought

M

I must agree, even having seen it, I still study the pictures of the ring.  It is amazing to hold this ring in your hands.  This piece of American history could do well in a museum in Washington DC.  This is not just a ring, it is a monument to one man's sacrifices for his country.  He may not have died but it also represents all the other men who paid the ultimate price to bring their country back together.  It was not a glorious time for a relatively new nation but it laid the foundation for what we were to become.  It put an end to the injustice that was slavery for human beings who were merely a different shade.  I would love to see this ring displayed for all to see to remind them of their history.  I could go on and on but I'll get off my soapbox now.  Thanks for all the great comments!!!

P.S.  The ring is size 11.   

Rocky,
Do you think the ring size will help in finding out who the owner was?
based on ring size, maybe you can find out the size of the man...

M

I'm not sure the ring size would help unless it could be used to narrow it down if I could get a list of a couple guys.  I'm getting some good info.  The Battle of Hanover Court House is only battle that doesn't fit yet.  I need to research the hell out of that one.   This guy may have been in the brigade or company that assisted with Hanover but it not documented very well.  So far it seems he was a part of the III Corps which merged into the V Corps.  One good lead is that he was in Brig. Gen. Kearny's division - who was killed during the Battle of Chantilly.  That would narrow it down to 15 regiments.  I need to make my way to the library and get some good books on these battles.  It's fun though!

Absolutely excellent find.  One to be proud of indeed.

Congratulations,

Postalrevnant

I just started the research, so far I have it down to the II or V Corps.  I still have a long way to go but it's a start.

I don't mean to throw a wrench into your research but...lot's of the volunteer soldiers in the CW went on two tours throughout the war.  They may have jumped regiments.  My gg grandfather was in both the 120th NY Volunteers and the 73rd NY Volunteers, and we suspect that he was also in the 102nd Volunteers.  Sorry.  Now if it was one that belonged to a regular soldier I think it less likely the jumped regiments.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...now that I have my speech back, I can;t come up with the proper adjective to do that ring justice!!!!!!!!!   Truly the find of a lifetime and totally unique, that ring is magazine cover material...WTG!!!!!!!!!!!
Bill

You know I personally would like to see things like this in a national museum,lets face it
its a national treasure,just my opinion,as for a price,you could not put a price on something like that
its part of your heritage and history.absolutely fabulous find.

I still think that a regular soldier could not have afforded this ring.

Doc

In that case...finding the owner of this ring is going to take a family story, journal, diary, news article about a missing battle ring.  In other words...fat chance finding the owner.  Or at least one with a true legal claim to it...
There is only one way I think that a reasonable list of names can be researched.  The NARA soldiers and sailors database.  If and when it ever inluces the information that you know about each soldier can a list of names be generated.  Here is the info you need.

1. Survived the war (this is kind of a question...this could be a ring that was made for a son, or a brother but I doubt it, to get around it you could include those that died after the last battle listed on the ring)
2. All battles fought...the more battles listed the less soldiers there will be
3. Finally, where it was found.  If it was found at an encampment...jackpot.  What regiments were at this encampment, along a troop movement trail, or at a battle site.  This will narrow down your list greatly.  Also, if it wasn't found at an encampent, the town/property it was found on might lend a little info...what soldiers lived in that town?  Or, a little bit harder to track, what soldiers had family in that town?

All that being said...I would start with the highest ranking officers that were at those battles.  Especially the Generals.  They tended to fight a lot of battles and stay alive.  I don't know if this is because the highest ranking officers tended to avoid the fray, or if they were respected enough that boys never targeted them.  I would think they avoided the fray for the most part.  Now the big thing is you can't do this all on your own...it's going to take a big team of historians to do all that work.  Good luck.

Thanks for the comments and the input.  I haven't been on in a while, just wanted to comment on this.  I haven't had time for much research but would like to get down to the local library soon.  I will keep you posted on this one.

That is a very nice ring........Thats like a once in a lifetime thing........congrats to whoever found that...thnaks for posting it

My g-g-g-grandfather was killed at Fair Oaks. Really fantastic find!
Mike

My g-g-g-grandfather was killed at Fair Oaks. Really fantastic find!
Mike

You mean one of your 16 "g-g-g-grandfathers"

Can't wait until the weather gets better to dig some more!!!

That ring is nice, Would  love to hear the stories behind that one.

Man, what a great find. Thanks for sharing.
-MM-

Needless to say this ring is a priceless piece of American History.

My 6-times great-grandfather lived in Southern Arkansas. He had 3 boys and some girls (not sure how many) I believe. 2 of his sons were killed outright during the Civil War....fighting for the South. The other son fought for the Union, was wounded seriously, and died 5 to 6 years later for reasons supposedly related to the wound.

Fortunately, my 5-times Great Grandfather (one of the two killed fighting for the South) had some children before he died, which eventually allowed me to be born.

I saw the movie Cold Mountain last year, and it messed with my head, as there were some relatives in my family back then who were killed by rogue soldiers who accused the men of collaberation with the Union, and hung them in the front yard of their house, leaving the wife and daughters to suffer. Good movie, but I never want to see it again, as it was too depressing.

Too much suffering happened during that war. My family unfortunately had to bear some of it as well.

I think I read a stat that said that more americans died in the civil war than all other wars combined.

Yeah welcome to the club.  My family and all their estate and belongings were totally wiped out by Sherman and his hellish legions.  My family had quite an estate before the war with about 100 acres....ALL BURNED AND DESTROYED by marauding rogue invaders.  I have a picture of my family at the turn of the 20th century (1901) and they are in shambles living in a shack!  This was the legacy that Sherman and his "scorched earth" policy left my family!

Yeah welcome to the club.  My family and all their estate and belongings were totally wiped out by Sherman and his hellish legions.  My family had quite an estate before the war with about 100 acres....ALL BURNED AND DESTROYED by marauding rogue invaders.  I have a picture of my family at the turn of the 20th century (1901) and they are in shambles living in a shack!  This was the legacy that Sherman and his "scorched earth" policy left my family!

I had an uncle in the 178th.  They were in the south although I do not know if they were ever under Sherman.  If it makes you feel any better, my family lived in shacks and subsistence farmed before the war and lived in shacks and subsistence farmed after the war too.  Including the uncle.  This is true with most of the soldiers.  It was aweful.  That war should never have happened.  The CS should have just given up the slaves in favor of servants.  There would have been no loss of life and nobody would have come out of the 19th century with a bloody nose and axe to grind.

The CS should have just given up the slaves in favor of servants.  There would have been no loss of life and nobody would have come out of the 19th century with a bloody nose and axe to grind.

Back to the history books with ya, Skrimpy. The war wasn't about slavery.

To help ya out with this touchy subject, research when the North freed their slaves, and when Gen. Grant freed his, too   ;)

Of course it wasn't!  There is always more than one reason a nation goes to war.  Most people did not own slaves.  Most people lived on family farms and grew their crops the old fashioned way...using their kids as cheap labor.  Most people didn't care.  I bet some people didn't even know it was going on!  They just wanted to survive!  Slaves for the most part were property of the wealthy landowners who needed cheap labor to continue to profit as they did.  If they had to pay for labor they would lose profit.  The Missouri Compromise of 1820 shows that abolitionist politicians were trying to get rid of slavery quickly and the Kansas-Nabraska Act of 1854 set forth by Stephen Douglas (a wealthy northern landowner with a motivation to keep slavery) and the ensuing acts of violence in Kansas (and on the Senate floor by Robert Brooks) showed that the South wa snot so ready to give it up.  It wasn't about slavery, but MONEY, ECONOMICS and the rich wanting to stay rich!  It's just that the wealthy weren't going to continuing living in the other half if the influential abolitionist politicians got their way by turning slavery into a moral issue rather than an economic one.  If the Southern economy and wealthy politicians profits (both Northern and Southern) were not based on slavery, the war would not have happened.  So, in fact you are right that the war was not about slavery, but the fighting would never have happened if it weren't for slavery...and you are also right that Northern slaveowners didn't give up their slaves until they had to.  Most of the Rebels fought because they felt the Yanks were an invading army of marauders (which there is a good argument that Sherman's men were).  A very noble cause if you ask me.  Not because they wanted to keep their slaves.  If the wealthy had sucked it up and got their own hands dirty so many Americans would not have died.  Like so many times throughout history many of the poor died horrible deaths while the rich that sent them off to the war to protect their own interests sat and spectated while sipping on the best wine and smoking the best cigars.  In the end the worst part of the whole thing is that the North and South to this day are still a little divided just because resentment carrys generations.  A friend told me that, being a "Yank" it would be very, very bad for my own well being if I mentioned "The War" in public during my visit to him in Charlston.  To me all this says that most Northerns need to educate themselves to why individual soldiers fought and those Southerners that still harbor resentment need to pick a tissue up and dab the blood off their nose.  Their ancestors thought they were fighting for their freedom convinced so by the wealthy who knew better.  As far as Grant owning slaves...I'm sure he didn't want to see them go.  The only reason he fought for the North was because he feared a divided nation.

It's strange that if my neighbor and I disagree over something and I punch him in the face I'd go to jail.  When nations or parts of nations disagree they kill as many as the other guys as possible and whomever wins is 'right'.  War is something that has been going on since the beginning of humans.  It has been over food, land, and anything else that a more dominate force wanted.  It will eventually be the end of us as well.  Just putting in my 2 cents.

It's strange that if my neighbor and I disagree over something and I punch him in the face I'd go to jail.  When nations or parts of nations disagree they kill as many as the other guys as possible and whomever wins is 'right'.  War is something that has been going on since the beginning of humans.  It has been over food, land, and anything else that a more dominate force wanted.  It will eventually be the end of us as well.  Just putting in my 2 cents.

There are "just" wars and "unjust" wars regardless of who wins.  Were the Allies "right" for going into Europe?  Absolutely.  Would they have been right if they had lost?  Absolutely.  All wars are started because one side has, wants, or wants to increase its money and power.  Were we right in the wars we waged on the Native Americans?  Absolutely not.  We "won" those wars.  State sanctioned killing is killing anyway you slice it, but killing is only just when it is used to stop a sociopath whos main goals are to commit genocide and take over the world.

FWR has got it right. It was not about slavery. That is what you heard in school. History is changed by Yankee schools. Hillbilly Bread<><

By the way realy nice ring. HB<><

Amazing ring!!!!

Names I see

FAIR OAKS
CHANTILLY
ANTIETAM
FREDRICKSBURG
WILLIAMSBURG
THE WILDERNESS
PETERSBURG
YORKTOWN
NORTH ANNA RIVER
PITTSBURG LANDING?
HANOVER CH= COURT HOUSE
C HA ROUR---- might be a name    C. HA ROURKE? or charles rourke?

I found a charles rourke but don't know if thats the name

101st Penn volunteers
ROURKE, Charles - Corporal, Co. E. Enlisted 1 Sept `61 at age 22, a Farmer from Allegheny Co., PA. Mustered in 5 Nov `61. Re-enlisted. Captured 20 April `64 at Plymouth, NC. Held captive at Andersonville, GA. Paroled. Mustered out 25 June `65. Died 2 Oct 1922 at Crafton, Allegheny Co., PA.

WOW, never thought of that, we've always assumed the C HA ROUR was Cold Harbor but that a very interesting theory.  It almost has to be Cold Harbor though because of where it's placed on the ring.

N A RIVER   May 22-27 1864
C HA ROUR  June 1-3 1864
PETERSBG    June 9+ 1864

It fits chronologically and looking at some papers I have of participating regiments the 101 Pennsylvania Volunteers are not listed in these battles.  Hopefully those initials fit another soldier's name from a regiment that participated in these battles.  Thanks for looking that up and for thinking outside the box!!

[MONEY]

FWR has got it right. It was not about slavery. That is what you heard in school. History is changed by Yankee schools. Hillbilly Bread<><

I agree 100%.  It wasn't about slavery.  It also at the same time wasn't about "Southern Independence" or "Northern Agression".  These are just the Southern counter parts for the Northern terms "slavery/states rights", and "preserving the union".  It was about MONEY plain and simple.  The Missouri Compromise, Kansas Nebraska Act, slavery, and secession were all underlying factors, and political tools used to get the poor to fight.  Preston Brooks beat down of Charles Sumner was just a microcosm of what was happening in Kansas, and a foreshadowing of the fighting to come.  The wealthy in the South wanted to secede because of the ECONOMIC problems that would result if they had to start paying people for labor...not because they "wanted to keep theirs slaves", or "to gain independence".  Most of the common men did not own slaves, and most probably didn't care one way or the other.  The North fought because of the ECONOMIC problems that would occur if it lost half of the country.  It's all about the bottom line.  Nothing more nothing less.  The history books talk of the noble causes of "Southern freedom", "stopping Northern agression", "ending slavery", and "preserving the union".  All false pretenses for Northern and Southern politicians to further their economic cause and convince the common man to fight for them.  If you believe anything else, the Johnny Reb Schools have you as duped as the Yankee schools have duped everyone else.  All wars are about money, power, or both.  Not about human rights, or indepencence.

Yes the north was taxing the south two or three times as much as they where there own north. That is where a lot of the money was coming in, from the cotton. I think this would be a good topic under politics. Hillbilly Bread<><

Yes the north was taxing the south two or three times as much as they where there own north. That is where a lot of the money was coming in, from the cotton. I think this would be a good topic under politics. Hillbilly Bread<><

Yes, it is off topic, and my fault.  I apologize.

If these ring pics don't get you out detecting...nothing will.

That is what dreams are made of.

Wow what a great find. I remember seeing that in an old North South trader.

That's the coolest ring I've ever seen!

Yeah welcome to the club.  My family and all their estate and belongings were totally wiped out by Sherman and his hellish legions.  My family had quite an estate before the war with about 100 acres....ALL BURNED AND DESTROYED by marauding rogue invaders.  I have a picture of my family at the turn of the 20th century (1901) and they are in shambles living in a shack!  This was the legacy that Sherman and his "scorched earth" policy left my family!

I had an uncle in the 178th.  They were in the south although I do not know if they were ever under Sherman.  If it makes you feel any better, my family lived in shacks and subsistence farmed before the war and lived in shacks and subsistence farmed after the war too.  Including the uncle.  This is true with most of the soldiers.  It was aweful.  That war should never have happened.  The CS should have just given up the slaves in favor of servants.  There would have been no loss of life and nobody would have come out of the 19th century with a bloody nose and axe to grind.

jfyi The war was not about slaves. It was about States rights. And save your Confederatemoney the South will rise again And yes I and my family still fly the stars and bares every day. And will continue to do so. Until we and our decedents are dust.
God save Texas and God save the South

What do you think States Rights was about?  The right to determine if they were a slave state or not.  Read the articles of secession again.  SLAVERY is sited as a major reason for secesion in every single one.  That being said, it was alone not about slavery.  Read the rest of my posts.  Anyone who thinks that it was "about slavery", or slavery alone is a fool, and anyone that thinks that "States Rights", didn't include the right to determine whether or not they were a slave state is a fool.  It was about economics, as every war is.  The rich in the south couldn't stay rich without slaves, and the rich in the north couldnt stay rich without taxing the rich in the south...
In addition, slavery was an issue from the inception of the constitution.  The word was altogether avoided in the constitution for fear that states that wanted slavery wouldn't join.  The missouri compromise, the kansas nebraska act, the border wars were all about what?  New states joining the union having "the right" to determine if they were a SLAVE state or not.  No the war wasn't about slavery.  I agree 100%, but if it weren't for the institution, the fighting wouldn't have happened, and it was certainly an issue that the rich few politicians in the south argued was the reason for secesion.

Sometimes when you see how our government has been since the 1800's and look at it today. Does anyone ever think "what if" the South would have won. Does anyone think that the Southern Government would screw the United States people like the Union has been doing for the past 100+ years?

Just a thought.

Of course they would have!  The federal govt was doing to everyone, and had the South won they would have continued to do it.  Doesn't matter, North, South.  Only two things in life are certain, death and taxes.

I like to bump this once in a while so new members get a chance to see it.

WOW that would be an awesome find there.

amazing ring !!

I like to bump this once in a while so new members get a chance to see it.

Thanks for giving it a bump, that is surely a one of a kind ring.  I can imagine the stories it could tell if it had a voice, covering several major engagements during the Civil War.

This is truely a very nice find....AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Great job, the pics are awesome!          

That it an amazing piece of CW history. Great find Ricky

That is just amazing!!! I would love to find something like that!!!

In a much earlier post, it was asked why "Fredericksburg" appears twice.

In some instances, although rarely, the Battle of Chancellorsville was also referred to as Second Fredericksburg - just like First Manassas and Second Manassas. The "first" Fredericksburg Campaign was in mid-December 1862. Following the battle, the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia established winter quarters only a few miles apart on opposite sides of the Rappahannock River. The first major engagement in the spring, during the first week of May 1863, was that usually called Chancellorsville, located just a few miles west of Fredericksburg.

The use of "2d Fredericksburg" appears painted/stenciled on one or more surviving Confederate battle flags.


Sincerely,

Bob McDonald

That is the kind of find we can only dream of. Being new to the world of relic hunting has its advantages, finding bullets in the dirt is like Christmas day everytime! Thanks Rock.

"If the wealthy had sucked it up and got their own hands dirty so many Americans would not have died."

Same thing today My Friend. If George Bush had to send his own kin to Iraq, the war would have never Happened. MONEY!