I am very lucky to be surrounded on all sides by land which has witnessed incredible and historic events. However, luck has its most definite limits, and for a metal detectorist, some luck is best reserved for the field.
It was the end of a bloody year, and the men on the field of battle in 1863 were tired from the rigorous demands of warfare. Gettysburg had taken its toll on both armies. They had fought countless engagements against each other and lost tens of thousands of men that year alone. Tens of thousands more were tired, sick, and on the verge of physical and mental breakdown. There’s nothing pretty about war.
Old man winter began to show his face in late November, 1863. The armies had maneuvered one final time for the final engagement of the year. The miles of battle lines formed, and preparations for the Battle of Mine Run were underway. The Union forces had their backs towards Washington DC, and the Confederates formed a distant blocking position less than two days ride from Richmond. This ground was almost directly in-between the two major cities. Artillery bombardments were planned, as well as frontal and flanking assaults.
After darkness set in, General Lee had his forces fall back to defensive positions that they had prepared earlier. At sunup, Union Commanders realized that it would be suicide to attack a well entrenched Confederate force, even though they had a two to one advantage in men. Artillery volleys did ring out, and a few skirmishes occurred, but the Battle of Mine Run was not to be. The bloody year of 1863 ended there at Mine Run, and both armies moved into winter quarters. I’m pretty sure the men on the field that day were grateful to get some well deserved rest.
The team from the Civil War Uncovered recently had the privilege of metal detecting on a massive plot of land which was in the middle of the battle which never happened. The land owner was gracious enough to let us explore his entire property. Not many land owners can say that they had both Union and Confederate battle lines on their property. This land owner can say that he had both armies on his land, at the same time. Rare indeed!
This was a massive piece of land, one that encompassed both battle lines and the supporting forces behind them. We were excited about what we might be able to uncover on this not-so-historic battle formation. Sometimes the best relics are found where battles didn’t take place, especially in camps or positions that were occupied for longer periods of time.
We made a total of three trips out to this land between August and December and took our Minelab metal detectors into some of the hottest soil on the East Coast. Relic Bob and I spent our first visit detecting behind the Union lines in a field that had been plowed and used for farming for decades. It was eerie to stand up on that knoll and look across the field to where the Confederates were dug in. Our second trip was spent working behind the Confederate lines, and the third and final visit was spent exploring an area where the local farmer had uncovered some pretty incredible war relics with his farm machinery.
It was a rare opportunity to be able to actually walk and detect positions made by both armies during the same engagement. We found some great relics and, as always, had a blast with our Minelab metal detectors. As always, the items we found were placed in a display case and given to the land owner. Please take a look at The Civil War Uncovered, Episode 4, to see what we were able to recover from the last battle lines of 1863.
David Shackleton
 


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