Diggin in Virginia XXIII, an Analysis



     I thank the organizers, John and Rose Kendrick, for yet another successful Diggin in Virginia. DIV XXIII was held on March 22-24 on two sites in Culpeper County, VA. The main site consisted of roughly 500 acres along the eastern flank of Fleetwood Hill at Brandy Station, scene of the largest cavalry engagement of the war. Site #2 was a smaller property associated with the Battle of Rappahannock Station, fought on November 7, 1863 during the Bristoe Campaign.



The historic Spillman Farm, scene of the fight for Fleetwood Hill during the Battle of Brandy Station. This field later served as part of the Army of the Potomac's vast encampment during the winter of 1863-64.



Company K, 1st US Cavalry at Spillman Farm. Many fantastic relics from this camp were recovered at DIV, including two silver plated ID badges from members of Co. K.  Several men in this photo can be seen wearing these same badges.





My finds from Spillman Farm were not as numerous as some, but each artifact holds an important story from 150 years ago. Most were found with the Whites TDI, which performs well in the highly mineralized soil of Brandy Station. 

One of my favorite finds of the hunt, a New York Staff Officer's coat button. The bullet to the right is a .36 caliber Colt pistol.



Brass hook from a cavalry saber belt sling. Above is the remnant of an iron musket tool. To the right are

dropped Burnside and Sharps bullets from the area of Company K's camp.  







                   

                   These two fired Sharps bullets were fired during the heat of the battle for Fleetwood Hill.

 





Two lead canister shot, likely fired by Beckham's horse artillery from the crest of Fleetwood Hill towards attacking Union cavalry.

 



This odd looking bullet is a .52 caliber ringtail Sharps fired from a .50 caliber carbine.

 

Sketch of the Battle of Rappahannock Station, near the location of site #2 at DIV XXIII. This area was later part of the Union winter encampment.





I hunted site #2 briefly at the end of the second day with my Whites Blue and Grey . This area proved to be very productive for many diggers, and numerous excellent relics were recovered there. I found one hotchkiss shell fragment, shown here next to a hotchkiss from my collection. The battery that fired this exploded shell was likely Battery E, Massachusetts Light Artillery or battery C, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery.



Gettysburg Artillery Shell Fragments from the Geiselman Collection

Shenkl Shell fragments from the Black Horse Tavern Road

Hotchkiss Shell base from the Wheatfield

Hotchkiss Case Shot fragment from the Codori Farm (Pickett's Charge)

These fragments were originally from the John Plank Geiselman collection, which was sold through the Horse Soldier in 2005. Geiselman was a local Gettysburg resident that began collecting in the early 1920s, and had access to the collections of many local properties that were prominent during the battle (Trostle, Rose, Weikert, etc.) He was also able to acquire relics from early Gettysburg attractions like the Danner, Ziegler, and Oak Ridge Museums. Geiselman's collection was truly the last large group of Gettysburg relics assembled by a local resident.   

U.S. Artillery Lanyard and Friction Primer

Standard issue US artillery lanyard with 12 foot hemp chord and turned wood handle.
The "number 4 man" of the gun crew hooked the friction primer wire to the iron
 lanyard hook, and inserted the primer into the vent of the gun.

Gun Drill on a 12 lb. Napoleon from the old Gettysburg National Military Park visitor center.

US artillery crew with a 20 lb. Parrott Rifle. 

Eagle Plate Recovered from Marye's Heights, Fredericksburg, VA

US Eagle Cartridge Box Sling Plate recovered
years ago from Marye's Heights, Fredericksburg VA

Lead filled back with iron attachment loops still present.





Wartime view of Marye's Heights. On December 13, 1862,
Ambrose Burnside hurled 35,000 federals against the
stone wall at the foot of the heights. After 15 seperate assaults
over a 6 hour period, nearly 8,000 Union soldiers fell before
the Confederate guns. Marye's Heights was finally seized
by the VI Corps on May 3, 1863 during the
Battle of Chancellorsville





"Gallant Charge of Humphrey's Division at the Battle of Fredericksburg"
Sketch by Alfred R. Waud









Battle of Fredericksburg letter of Benjamin E Sumner, 141st Pennsylvania, Killed at Chancellorsville

Bennie Sumner's letter, written on the pages of an old account book.

Camp Pitcher

Near Falmouth VA Dec 24th '62

Dear Uncle

     If my memory serves me right, I am owing you a letter, though I have to use an old account book for paper. Have received no money & can get no paper. So further excuses are useless. The weather has been most bitter cold, but is quite comfortable today. We have log huts built up some two or three feet & plastered or mudded up & then put our tents on the logs, a number have fireplaces in them.

    

     Dec 25th   Wish you all a merry Christmas. Nothing very special going off today as I know of. Our regiment went on picket duty yesterday morning, to be gone three days. There are some thirty six in this company that are on the sick list. We were over the river at Fredericksburg 14th instant, had to double quick it some two or three miles through the mud shoe deep nearly, then had to lay flat on the ground so long we nearly all took cold. I have had a pain in my left side since and considerable of a cold. So that I have not done anything since I came back. We went over the river Saturday & came back Tuesday before day light. We were on picket the last twenty four hours within fifteen rods of the rebels, had to hide behind a bank not more than a foot and a half high, but we agreed with them (the rebels) that neither side should fire, went half way and shook hands with them & had a chat with them. Said if it were not for their officers they could soon settle this war. We exchanged the dead with them & they did not leave a pair of shoes or pants, cap, or socks, or coat, if they were not wore too bad, on to our dead men. Our men did not bury all the dead that we exchanged, were in such a hurry to retreat.  The pickets that were put around the pontoon bridges fired two or three times when we came up, but no harm done. I have not heard from home since 4th instant, guess they have run away or expect me to soon. Our Capt & 2nd Lieut has resigned I believe the captain had our muster roll & we could not draw our bounty, all the other companies in the regiment got theirs. I wrote to Cousin Annie Bannatyne this week. Hear Cousin C. H. Bunnel was home, wish I could see him. I had an apple this morning, never had one taste better, wish I could get in your apple bin, I would do a smashing business.

    Dec 27th   Moderate sort of weather today. I received a letter from home yesterday dated Dec 7th, got a vest, mittens & night cap from home. I got a letter from Bro J.B & Alma today, were well. Write soon as convenient and ever remember your Soldier nephew.

                                                                                                       Bennie E. Sumner

Sumner enlisted on August 18, 1862 in Co. A of the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry. He was killed at Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863, where the regiment lost 37 killed, 101 wounded, 17 captured, and 4 missing out of 419 engaged. 

The 141st PA served in III Corps, Army of the Potomac from Fredericksburg to Appomattox. Their losses were as follows. 

Officers Killed in Action:    6

Officers Died of Disease:    3

Enlisted Killed in Action:    161

Enlisted Died of Disease:    76

Pontoon Bridge over the Rappahannock, Fredericksburg VA

Soldiers of III Corps in their winter huts.     Camp Pitcher, Falmouth VA

Cartridge Box Carried by Charles Grebel, 74th PA Infantry, Possibly at Gettysburg

    This .58 cal cartridge box was carried by Charles Grebel of the 74th PAInfantry. Grebel enlisted on September5th, 1862 at age 23, and was mustered out with the regiment on June 22, 1865 at Clarksburg, WV.

The 74th PA was one of many all German regiments in the army. Commanded by Col.Alexander Schimmelfennig, the regiment saw
its first significant action at Cross Keys in the Shennandoah Valley, and was heavily engaged at Second Manassas. Attached to the largely German XI Corps, Army of the Potomac, the regiment was roughly handled at Chancellorsville, where the XI Corps bore the brunt of Stonewall Jackson's crushing flank attack.

The XI Corps Germans, denigrated by their rout at Chancellorsville, were again flanked and routed on the first day at Gettysburg. After the battle, their brigade was permanently transfered from the Army of the Potomac to South Carolina, where the 74th participated in the campaign to seize Charleston. 

The 74th Pennsylvania's losses during the war were as follows:

Officers Killed or Mortally Wounded: 2

Officers Died of Disease, Accidents, etc.: 1

Enlisted Men Killed or Mortally Wounded: 54

Enlisted Men Died of Disease, Accidents, etc: 85

74th PA Monument at Gettysburg.
The regiment lost 10 killed, 40
wounded, and 60 captured or missing
in the battle. 

Grebel's name on the Pennsylvania State Memorial at
Gettysburg, one of 34,530

"C.S. Storms, NY Maker" mark. Christian S. Storms
received a contract for 15,000 .58 cartridge boxes
in 1862

The removable tins held 40 .58 cal paper cartridges

A copy of Charles Grebel's discharge. He is listed as 5' 8 1/2" 
tall, with fair complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. His
occupation is listed as Laborer. 

Legal document regarding an unpaid $100 bounty to Grebel

Identified Tintype to 62nd NY Infantry, Anderson's Zouaves

This 9th plate tintype is identified to Charles Decker of the 62nd NY Infantry, known as Anderson's Zouaves. Decker enlisted in Company "A" on May 29, 1861 in New York City at age 21. The 62nd NY was attached to VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, and saw heavy action on the Peninsula, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Petersburg, and numerous other battles and skirmishes. This tintype was likely made after the regiment abandoned the colorful zouave uniform in favor of the more standard infantry jacket and kepi. I have encountered other tintypes of VI Corps soldiers with the same background scene and matting. I suspect that these were made in the VI Corps winter camp at Brandy Station, which I have had the pleasure of relic hunting on several occasions. 

The casualties of the 62nd NY are as follows,

Officers Killed in Action or Mortally Wounded:         3

Officers Died of Disease, Accidents etc:                     2

Enlisted Men Killed in Action or Mortally Wounded: 85

Enlisted Men Died of Disease, Accidents etc:             82