They yard I never wanted to end !!!!

November 25th, 1863. Missionary Ridge
 Braxton Braggs center defenses were over run and the battle and long siege of Chattanooga was ended. The confederate retreat seemed to be in shambles. Sheridan now stands on top of Missionary Ridge and could see the jammed wagon trails full of ambulances men and artillery of the Confederacy. He could not resist and sent the Ohio and Indiana boys to go recover what they could. They captured boxes of stores and around 200 prisoners. Inspired by this quick success they decided to pursue the Confederates just a half a mile away.
Bates set up a rear guard for the retreating confederates on a small ridge and from here he blasted the 97th Ohio and the 40th  in the valley below. Musket balls and canister shot rained down with one soldier saying “it sounded like flocks of winged geese going by”. The bloody skirmish killed more here than the taking of the center of Braggs front on Missionary ridge. 149 officers and men of 434 present died and 40 of the 40th were killed for a total of 118 from Indiana. 45% engaged were now casulties of war. Sheridan ordered another attack and Bates leaving two guns retreated into the night.
 In 1927 my great uncle built his home on this hill that still remains in the family. These are some of the finds from my yard. I have hesitated posting not wanting the hunt to ever end but it was time to post after that last bullet I dug today. I feel I will always find another item hopefully. I have been working and have almost completed the digging in the valley at the base of the hill in the neighborhood where so many had died in such a short time. Much has been destroyed by construction but if you know where to look the old wagon road still remains and is visible as it winds through my back yard. I often sit on the deck and imagine the soldiers bloody and defeated winding across the back yard that cold clear night many years ago.
 Here are my finds from that battle and later items lost from my family through a couple of generations. All from my yard.
Thank you for taking the time to look and read. I felt it was important to know in this post at least why some things are where they are. Have been digging this for a while just hated to see it slow down. But the hits were slowing down today so here I am???
HH
TnMountains
 Couple bullets shotgun base live shell and a merry widows can and a not so old token ?

Some of the bullets still have the wood plug in them.

Total so far including a few old wheat backs, some silver coins, tokens, grommets, grape shot and bullets. A few what is its also.

Brass Lords Prayer. We find these a lot on battle areas?

Rural Free Delivery lock


War World I  Toy lead soldier

Alabama luxury tax token(wonder if its still good?)


Nasville coach lines school fare. Hit it with my bayonet  : (

Great Great Merc(did I say great?)

tired 1914 silver

coins 1926 and1918 mercs 1947 and 1960 dimes
1944 nickle and a 1949
Lots of wheats not shown
Lots of current clad spent at store
HH
TnMountains

Awesome post TN. I wish I had a back yard like that. I really don't think you've dug it all. There's more there waiting for you to find. Tesoro rocks but there are other detectors out there that are much deeper. A site is never hunted out. 

Good Luck
Randy

Awesome post TN. I wish I had a back yard like that. I really don't think you've dug it all. There's more there waiting for you to find. Tesoro rocks but there are other detectors out there that are much deeper. A site is never hunted out. 

Good Luck
Randy

Thanks Randy I appreciate it. Once in a blue moon you get lucky. I was lucky to have this. It was years though before I really understood what had happened.The journey for me was the fun part.
TnMtns

Alabama Tax Tokens were issued so that people could get change for uneven sales tax. There were valued at 1/10 of a cent. So if you bought something for $1.89 and sales tax was 3% the total would be 5.7 cents. So you would pay $1.95 and get three tokens back that you could use at other places to pay the point-something sales tax. Now the tenths of a cent are just rounded.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_Alabama_tax_token

Fantastic CW history post !!  Horrible loss of life!  Amazing ,all  that history is  in your family 's yard   awesome ,Great finds and story TN ..There is more to be found ,keep searching,Good luck !

Alabama Tax Tokens were issued so that people could get change for uneven sales tax. There were valued at 1/10 of a cent. So if you bought something for $1.89 and sales tax was 3% the total would be 5.7 cents. So you would pay $1.95 and get three tokens back that you could use at other places to pay the point-something sales tax. Now the tenths of a cent are just rounded.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_Alabama_tax_token

We find tax tokens everywhere we hunt. Most have a hole in the center. The one TN posted is the only other one I have seen dug in a long time of its kind. And in great shape too I might add. I found my first of this type this year and it's in much worse shape.

Fantastic CW history post !!  Horrible loss of life!  Amazing ,all  that history is  in your family 's yard   awesome ,Great finds and story TN ..There is more to be found ,keep searching,Good luck !

 Thank you. Its hard to beleive as you drive thru a neighborhood and look at the terrain and imagine what it must have been like. Not everything is a National battlefield. Thanks

Alabama Tax Tokens were issued so that people could get change for uneven sales tax. There were valued at 1/10 of a cent. So if you bought something for $1.89 and sales tax was 3% the total would be 5.7 cents. So you would pay $1.95 and get three tokens back that you could use at other places to pay the point-something sales tax. Now the tenths of a cent are just rounded.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_Alabama_tax_token

We find tax tokens everywhere we hunt. Most have a hole in the center. The one TN posted is the only other one I have seen dug in a long time of its kind. And in great shape too I might add. I found my first of this type this year and it's in much worse shape.

My yard is terraced in mountain stone and flower beds. I swear the flower beds were the best. It was crazy hunting and no way could i have dug someone elses yard like I did this. i dug up flower bulbs in almost every plug. I think what is good is that the soil drains quick on the side of a hill also 

man I really enjoyed the story and pics...thanks

Alabama Tax Tokens were issued so that people could get change for uneven sales tax. There were valued at 1/10 of a cent. So if you bought something for $1.89 and sales tax was 3% the total would be 5.7 cents. So you would pay $1.95 and get three tokens back that you could use at other places to pay the point-something sales tax. Now the tenths of a cent are just rounded.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_Alabama_tax_token

We find tax tokens everywhere we hunt. Most have a hole in the center. The one TN posted is the only other one I have seen dug in a long time of its kind. And in great shape too I might add. I found my first of this type this year and it's in much worse shape.

My yard is terraced in mountain stone and flower beds. I swear the flower beds were the best. It was crazy hunting and no way could i have dug someone elses yard like I did this. i dug up flower bulbs in almost every plug. I think what is good is that the soil drains quick on the side of a hill also 

How about a pic of the yard and the terrain. I bet it's beautiful this time of year. 

Great story and some really great finds

Its pouring down rain here and all the leafs are down but here is a pic from this last spring of one side.The whole yard is landscaped similiar to this though. So it was like hunting steps rocks and flower beds. Here is another of the front in 1928.
TnMtns

Great post and some awesome finds. 

nice haul ---love the old car

 Thank you. I look forward to posting what I am finding from the base of the hill and valley below. Hopefully I will have time to finish those digs by spring.
HH
TnMountains

[John 3:16]

Wow, that is a great post and a great story.  Well, actually it's a tragic story, but you know what I mean.  Great to have such important history in your own back yard.

You never know, that spot could produce a few more goodies, even if slowly.

Great to see everything pictured together like that.  

Tesoro rocks but there are other detectors out there that are much deeper

The Nautilus, maybe.  For most terrain, based on my experience, Tesoro is right up there with any other brand.

Thanks for posting this. It's cool you have a place like that with so much history.
have you been digging the big iron? Could be a deep shell or two in there. On the Enfield bullets with the boxwood plugs.Did you know some Enfields have letters, numbers or designs in the bases and some are quite rare. I always leave the plugs in the bullet as they will eventually dry out enough where they  will come out of the base. Then you can check the base without damaging the plug. It may not be a big deal to some people but I just like to keep the plug with the bullet.

Wow, that is a great post and a great story.  Well, actually it's a tragic story, but you know what I mean.  Great to have such important history in your own back yard.

You never know, that spot could produce a few more goodies, even if slowly.

Great to see everything pictured together like that.  

Tesoro rocks but there are other detectors out there that are much deeper

The Nautilus, maybe.  For most terrain, based on my experience, Tesoro is right up there with any other brand.

 Here is was fast and they never dug in or entrenched. The area below is better due to the confusion and battering. Tesoro finds this stuff deep its a good machine and I have confidence in it. I could not imagine changing now as I have hunted beside a nautilus.
 Thanks for the reply.

Thanks for posting this. It's cool you have a place like that with so much history.
have you been digging the big iron? Could be a deep shell or two in there. On the Enfield bullets with the boxwood plugs.Did you know some Enfields have letters, numbers or designs in the bases and some are quite rare. I always leave the plugs in the bullet as they will eventually dry out enough where they  will come out of the base. Then you can check the base without damaging the plug. It may not be a big deal to some people but I just like to keep the plug with the bullet.

Vayank
 I have been digging some clusters of grape shot that were dropped. I always dig the iron if the hit has any strength to it. I feel I will dig more below the house. All the wood plugged enfields here are blank so far. Some have the wood trapped in them though. I wish they had the star or other markings. The triangle based bullet was nice as are the williams cleaners. Have only posted and kept seperate this yard. I have dug a few others already but want to finish the bottom and keep that battle stuff seperate if that makes any sense??

Wow! Just wow!

Nice story. GREAT finds and that is some pretty landscape too.

Thanx for sharing and HH

TT

Great post, enjoyed it thoroughly! 

Thanks NG and T.T and thirty7. I enjoyed every bit of it 
TnMtns

Very interesting.

What a historic place you have to hunt there.Nice!

     That is an incredible site! 

nice stuff! 

Richard!
Man, I loved that story. Very nice.
And those finds are very cool.
I'm looking forward to digging with you this year. 
Did you make any Venison Jerky? 
And what's going on with TN?  ole Kiffin got his T###*! in ringer didn't he?
Mike and Maggie

Awesome finds, Very nice Variety.
I Really like the Lords Prayer and the 69 caliber French triangle base bullets .

                                             Nova Treasure

Very nice finds.

Just curious, why would there be wood in the bullet???...from a ramrod type of device???

Very Well Done!

Maybe this should go to the "Best Of" or something!

Very Lucky to own such a part of history! 
Thank you for sharing it with everyone!!

Congrats on the great finds.

Bigger congrats on owning a historic site of which you are well aware of the history there.  All too often these sites are lost to some sort of cluster housing.   

Great story, and some beautiful finds.   

Thanks everbody.
I am glad you enjoyed it. For me it was exciting and kinda bittersweet. I would go dig or hunt artifacts other places before I hunted the yard. Always saving it for another time. The wood plugs in the bullets I think were for seating the round but I forget? Mike I had some Salami made but will do some deer jerky as the season unwinds. We will have a good hunt.
 Heading to a site right now the bull dozers are after in Ga. Still raining and 38 degrees we will see.
Thanks.
TnMountains

awesome hunt!

 

I wouldn't have wanted that to end either great finds bet the backs sore

SS

I wouldn't have wanted that to end either great finds bet the backs sore

SS

After the hills and digging iron at another spot I am whipped. Thanks silver searcher I appreciate it.

Great assortment there TNM

very nice Tnmountains! nice assortment from a few centuries 

 Thanks Guys and Gals. You all inspire me to get out and hunt. Yep a lot of history for the next generation to ponder 
HH
TnMountains

Man that sounds like a good time.  You can always go back Awesome finds!

Whoa...Holy Smokes!! A Treasure trove of Goodies, wish I had a back yard like that...Congrats on your Finds 

I have to admit. I see a lot of  nice jewelry, coins, etc., but this is phenomenal story and the digs truly amazing. Were I you, I would definitely post this to the "Best finds" section.
Thanks for sharing with us.
~Nash~

surprized no yankee butttons there --with that many lost you'ld think there would be buttons around there

surprized no yankee butttons there --with that many lost you'ld think there would be buttons around there

 Ivan have found some I buttons down below still digging that area.This was just from my yard not a button one Mostly drops to be honest. They defended and scooted sir.

I have to admit. I see a lot of  nice jewelry, coins, etc., but this is phenomenal story and the digs truly amazing. Were I you, I would definitely post this to the "Best finds" section.
Thanks for sharing with us.
~Nash~

Relic hunters are funny about their spots. They know the history themselves but never share it because human nature will sneak in on ya.I can share this history cause I doubt anyone would be crazy enough to try to dig in me yard ,lol. I have had better hunts and better items but none as special and fun as this one. May move it there until I dig out that whole cannon !!
 Thanks all

wow !!!    lots of great things,  nice work.

Wow! Awesome story and fantastic finds. You got what many of us dream about. Great job and recovery of history.

Randy

with the numbers of union soldiers lost at the hill bottom the union troops were clearly taken by surprize by the confederate batterys  upon on the ridge (most likely thought the enemy was in full retreat and they rushed in with out checking properly --big mistake on their part)-- there should be a good amount of union buttons down at the area at the hill bottom --being the confederates hit them hard with the cannons then split before the union forces could reform and counter attack --with this type of attack there would be few if any confederate losses so not much in the way of confederate goods lost most likely -- (the rebel troops were prepared --- laying in wait for the union troops --- hit em and run--- so not much left behind to speak of by the confederates)

there is no telling what else you
will find in that yard before you
are through with it !
WTG on all of those awesome finds
youve already dug up also !

As enjoyable as it is to see the fruits of your labor, it is made even better when I can read the history behind the artifacts you have displayed. In essence, it personalizes the items and allows me to view them with greater awe.
Thank you.

Thanks everyone. Ivan you are right. I have got about 6 large estate lots below me and  have permission to hunt them. One of the guys say he dug out a fish pond years ago and found so many bullets they lined the concrete pond with them. Neices, nephews and  grand children have all plucked them out.  Am looking forward to taking my time and see whats there. I never tire even if just pulling out nothing but bullets. 
TnMountains

Well done! Great research! Great finds!