I just returned from Culpeper, Virginia, after a weekend organized group hunt. This was held on a farm spanning about 300 acres. I had attended one hunt here 4 years ago, and found a few bullets and couple of Eagle buttons. But the feature on this farm that brought me back for this hunt, was a creek, or "run" as they call them in that part of Virginia. It transverses the farm, cutting it in half, with a ford that goes through the creek. The road that goes across across the farm and across the "run", is a period Colonial road. After my last hunt there, I had regretted not being equiped to search the water. I had often felt there had to be some good things in there. Well this hunt was announced, and I couldn't sign up fast enough! This time in addition to my Minelab Gpx and land digging gear, I took along my Minelab Equinox 800, long handled scoop, and chest waders. We were notified 2 days before the hunt that about 50 acres would be off limits due to soybeans unharvested. Which was a downer because that included the highest ground on the site, and best spot for a camp. Saturday morning, I started off in a cut bean field that was adjacent to the high ground, as did many others. A few bullets were found, and an eagle button. I found a Williams cleaner and couple other things, but by lunch the "run" was calling me. So I ate a quick snack and changed out my land harness and Gpx for the waders and water gear.
When I got to the ford, there was 1 person making his way across, swinging but not digging and he soon moved on. I had been in the ford all of 5 minutes, when my Equinox hit a solid "18", now this is a civil war bullet number on this detector. 17 is usually 3 ringers, 18 is usually Sharpes Carbines or Gardners. I scooped where the signal was and pulled up a nice grey Gardner! I was excited, but had no idea what I had just stumbled upon. There were more and more "18" signals, and I was scooping up gardners 3 and 5 in a scoop!! I was there for probably 30 minutes digging Gardners, and as we all know, you cant keep it a secret when you are in one place for a long time on a group hunt 😉 so here came others, some with bare feet, others wearing work boots, it was a sight to behold! Folks were asking me to help them id a bullet with their machine, so I would swing the signal and tell them if it was a bullet, some were able to recover their targets with lesche diggers and bare hands, some I lent my scoop so they could recover their bullet. This went on for HOURS. I didnt have a pouch or anything, so I would reach down inside my waders and put my bullets in my right front pocket. Well my pants were litterally falling off inside my waders, I had to come out and drop the bullets in my ride. At that time, I had 82 Gardrner bullets in my right front pocket! Who knew camo pants front pockets would hold that many bullets??? So I went back in, and conitnued to dig my own and help others, one older lady was on the edge of the ford on the road, and she called me over, she hadnt found anything all day, and asked if I would help her find a bullet. Well it pays to be nice, and while I was looking for her a bullet in the shallow water near the edge, I found 2 tokens, and then got a "28" on my machine, which is definetely NOT a bullet signal. I scooped up a canteen spout, that appears to have "Co D" stamped on it, and the soldier has scratched his name on it!
Then I located a bullet and the lady got her Gardner!! Others were in on the fun, and it was contagious, and ones I had helped find a bullet, then helped others who hadnt been able to find one. It was a nice site to see, and the smiles that I saw were worth more than bullets. Mixed in with the Gardners were the fairly rare Georgia Teat bullets, and these were the first of these I had ever found. Also found in the ford by others were an 1864 Indian head cent, a Carbine Sling Buckle, a flat button, and an Eagle button. Then 5 oclock came, and we had to cut it off for the day. Saturday had been a beautiful fall day, with sunny skies and warm temps in the mid 70's, but overnight, it rained, and rained hard! And the temps dropped. Sunday morning was cold, 48 and a steady rain. I returned to the ford, in my leaky waders, and the water level had risen by 18 inches with a swifter current. I got in anyway, I needed 8 bullets to have 100, that was my goal. 1 older fellow braved it with me, he hadnt gotten in on the day before and he wanted a Gardner bad. Well it was much much harder to recover targets in these conditions, even with a long handled scoop. After an hour I had recovered a dozen more, and he was about to give up, I called him over and gave him one and told him " you earned it for sure" he thanked me and said I was his hero today, and told me he was a retied Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officer. Im from Tennessee as well!
I stayed in and found another 6, but the rain got heavier and heavier, and the water was rising. My leaky waders had me soaking wet, and almost hypothermic as my teeth were beginning to chatter. I reluctantly left one of the most memorable discoveries of my detecting "career". I went back to my room, took a nice hot shower, warmed up and began my 7 hour trip home. Who knows what else is left in that ford. The property owners came by on Saturday and the wife asked if she could have a bullet, so I dug one and gave it to her, I ended up digging 110 Confederate bullets out of there, gave 2 of them away, and probably helped 25 people find them. I would estimate 250 Confederate bullets were recovered from this ford!
