Civil War Relic Treasures – Bullets and Cannon Balls

Living in the Southwest we don’t get to many opportunities to search for Civil War relics.

While visiting relatives in the East, I took my metal detector with us.

This article will again highlight how important research is in treasure hunting.

I knew the home my relatives were living in was quite old. It was located in Eastern Pennsylvania . The main structure was built around 1840′s. The main house was three stories and it had 15 Bedrooms. Each bedroom had a Fireplace. I didn’t measure the house but I would estimate it at 8,000 square feet. The current structure and land included a tennis court, large pool, and very large 3-story barn. All of this was setting on approximately 20 acres. The original land and structures included 25 coke ovens, and a lead casting foundry.

One of my relatives said he thought the whole operation made cannon balls and musket bullets for the North during the Civil War. After that comment I started looking for ways to research the area.

Fortunately the house had some very old pictures mounted on the walls, which depicted how the structures looked many years ago. It helped pinpoint where original buildings were located.

I continued to research the location. I was able to acquired additional information on the history of the old house at the local grocery store. Working at the check out counter was a gentleman in his mid 70′s. Vern had lived in the area all his life. His Father, Mother and Grand parents lived in the area all their lives. Vern validated the property I was researching was a Canon Ball and Bullet foundry during the Civil War.

It was time to break out my metal detector.

Prior to searching around the house, barn and foundry, I wanted to test my detector on soil conditions. I was passing the detector over the gravel drive when it sounded off. The target appeared large. I dug down about 6 inches. It turned out to be a melted piece of lead. The item weight about 2 lbs.

I proceeded to search the area for two days. I found many pieces of Lead, including a couple of pieces that could have been Cannon Balls. We found a few older coins, but nothing in 1800′s. By the barn we uncovered some old tools, parts of older Automobiles. Also found were horseshoes, and nails. The old foundry was gated and locked up so we could not search it.

This outing was a fun time. Knowing what era the buildings were and confirmation on the Civil War factory made the research fun.

Remember your treasure hunting outings will be more fun and profitable if you do the research.

Please visit our site for more stories and tips. AZMuletreasure

About the Author

Author has over 30 years in the electronic industry. Business owner, Sales and Marketing Consultant, Ebay Senior Member, Internet Advanced User. Treasure Hunting, Metal Detector Buff.

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