09/05/2026
This is the conglomeration of finds I made at an incredible American Civil War site I stumbled upon in 2018, nearby where a fort was constructed for the Defenses of Washington D.C. in 1861-1862.
I got permission to metal detect at an older house in an area of modern development, rich in Civil War history, but largely built over after WWII. This was on one of the larger lots in the area that I knew was undisturbed, and knew it had potential after doing some research.
After several days of searching, I managed to stumble upon some incredible finds. This included a partially melted U.S. box plate, which was affixed to a soldier’s cartridge box holding their ammo. This is one of the few box plates that I have ever found, and it’s a really cool example that has clearly seen some manipulation by a soldier.
The next really good find, perhaps my favorite, is the Powder Flask top. This one is extremely special because it still has paper wedged into it, which would’ve been a home made method to prevent any leaks from rain water intrusion, otherwise rendering the powder inert. The paper was actually the remnants from a children’s lullaby book, which dates to at least the mid-1800s. Pretty insane find that shows the soldier’s ingenuity at a tumultuous time.
Then, an interesting gold pin which was
from the early 1900s surfaced, a New York Herald Juvenile League pin. This apparently was an organization in the early 1900s partnered with the New York Herald newspaper publication to promote good morals and being an upstanding citizen. If anyone has any other information on this, please let me know!
Next, I found this epaulette plate, also known as shoulder scales, originally designed to protect saber blows to the neck or shoulders, but ended up being too heavy and cumbersome, and were often discarded. It’s my nicest and most complete example I’ve ever discovered.
The piece of lead on the left was once a bullet, but used as a poker chip, and two coins were impressed into it. One being a Seated Liberty Quarter with arrows, meaning it was from 1853-1855, and another being an Indian Head cent with the date of 1861. This was most certainly used as a gaming piece, as many soldiers guarding these defenses often became bored, and had nothing else to do.
This was also the site where I unearthed my first Michigan State Seal button, the small cuff button featuring two deer and an eagle over top a shield. This was one of the buttons I’ve always wanted to find, and this site has history of at least two Michigan regiments being present.
Other finds include an 1800s skeleton key, a tag that says “A. Co.” that probably dates to the Civil War, an Eagle I coat button, several General Service coat buttons, and a few rounds of am******on, including .58 cal Minié Balls and a .69 musket ball. This tells me that this site was likely more active during the early part of the war, when Confederate troops were creeping up very close to Washington.
These finds illustrate a time when Confederate troops were seen to have made long encampments just south of the Capital for the winter of 1861-1862. Union troops were on high alert and constructed defenses around the capital and stayed guard in case of a Confederate attack. These troops from Michigan and other northern states were well-outfitted, and clearly lost a lot of buttons and other brass items. Surprisingly, this is one of the few sites where I’ve dug more brass items than lead am******on. This was truly an unforgettable site that produced some of the most interesting Civil War items I’ve ever found!
