Today’s blog is about actual Civil War finds and possible Civil War finds. Some items I’ve mentioned in other blogs, and I’ll include links where appropriate for more detailed accounts.
First up, is this bit boss, which would have attached to a horse’s bridle on the side of the bit, and which would have been used by mounted Union officers. I did find a mate for this one near the same place, but I gave it to the land owner for allowing me to detect on his property (link here).
Next is this Confederate infantry button (link here), as indicated by the block I on the button. It was manufactured in Richmond, VA, and would have been a beautiful gold gilt color. This is a fairly rare find for this area, and would rank in the top ten of my best finds. It was found on public land, where Confederates were heading to Gettysburg.


I also found a few Gardner bullets, which were used primarily by Confederate forces. They were named for their inventor, Frederick Gardner, of North Carolina, and most were produced in Richmond. Gardner bullets have two outer rings and can be identified by the distinctive base.


Most of the Civil War bullets I’ve found are the common three-ring “Minie ball” which were used by both sides in the War, and were invented in 1849. They are named after their inventor, a Frenchman, Claude-Etienne Minie (pronounced Min-ay), who developed a bullet with a hollow base designed to expand upon firing, and grip the rifling inside the barrel. It significantly increased accuracy and range compared to the smooth bore musket. I found a handful of Minie balls that weren’t near any known Civil War site. I’m guessing they were surplus post-war bullets, used for hunting deer or game after the war.
I found a spur (link here) near where I found the Confederate bullets and button. There is really no way to tell if it’s definitely Civil War, but it very well could be. It looks very similar to Civil War era spurs that I see online. In the photo below, the top and bottom spurs were found near the Confederate site; the middle spur was found a creek, and could be surplus Civil War equipment. The bottom spur is obviously broken and it closely resembles Confederate spurs that I’ve researched.
Another possible Civil War artifact is this brass wreath hat insignia. These hat insignias had a long diverse era of usage (military, veteran’s groups, fraternal orders, police departments, etc.) The direct attachment of letters or numbers was a common habit that popularly came in around the Indian War era (1870’s). Typically, this particular style is of post-war vintage. I was recently watching a rerun of the Andy Griffith Show and noticed that the Mayberry bank guard (Asa) had a badge like this on his cap.
Really interesting and informative! Great finds!