I hope this answers some questions about why I find so many dropped bullets. If you can think of any other reasons that might happen, please let me know in the video comments. Thanks for watching! Get Chigg’s Army discounts at the Official Garrett Metal Detectors Store if you use my promotional code at checkout. Garrett will, in turn, make a small donation to my Aquachigger Video Fund. Here is the code to use: CHIGG Thanks for your support! Link to Garrett Store: garrett.com/store/sport/ Follow the Chigg! My Patreon: www.patreon.com/aquachigger Instagram: instagram.com/aquachigger/ Facebook: facebook.com/chiggsarmy/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@aquachigger
I think you like the melted lead cuz it is an indication that there may have been a camp there, or a fire or a trash pit. I would like to see any civil war glass that you have found. Bottles, etc. I have never heard or seen you talk much about that. And your favorite finds.
I think a video about carved bullets, trench art, hammered bullets for fishing sinkers etc would be very cool - and I'd love to see you showcase some of those types of finds! The other thing i'd be very curious about is the post civil war years - were there a lot of civil war bullets, rifles/muskets, equipment etc use for civilian purposes after the war? Was the stuff sold off or repurposed? Is there any way you can whether what you've found was during or post civil war?
@ The reason so much civil war stuff was destroyed and disposed of was because do you understand how many dead bodies and other horrors of war that were everywhere??? More Americans died in the CW than every other war combined!!!! By a lot. From the Revolutionary war and WW1 and WW2, Nam, right to this very day. Farmers pitched guns and unexploded ordinance in every waterway. America was so littered with the remnants of war people couldn't stand it. They wrapped guns around trees so they could no longer do harm. Plus all the weaponry the dead left all over the place. But, I agree with your post. I too would like to see him do the things you said. Some of the battles were so large 50,000 people would die in a field in a couple days. Can you imagine the stench?? And armaments?
I love the informational videos. This is what sets the Chigg apart from others. Always passing along information to others and by doing so he shares his passion.
My grandpa and my uncles farmed the Eastside of Missionary Ridge near Ringgold Road on the CSA retreat path from Chattanooga. My great uncle told me they would pickup 5 quart buckets full of mini balls all the time. 50,000 troops can drop a lot of bullets.
I’ve been watching you since before your hair turned grey, I think you’re the best. I love how you give a history on everything you hunt and wherever you hunt, so knowledgeable.
I forgot to mention melted lead. Please make a video about that too. I found some melted lead and a couple dropped balls on a battlefield in New Market, Virginia when I was around 12 years old in the 1970’s and I still have it! Looking forward to the next video!
He's done a few videos in the past where he's shown off parts of his collection. Just look through the videos and you'll find them. Edit: in his playlist section he's got a playlist called "collection talks," where he shows in talks about his collection.
Way more insightful and informative than I would have expected from the title. I should have known better than that by now. Thanks for yet another educational presentation.
Also of note is that metal detectors have trouble differentiating between lead and precious metals like gold. A detectorist will dig up everything with a good signal, and will inevitably end up with a lot of lead in some places.
Well done once again, Mr Aquachigger. People often ask about the little round sticker on the rear window of my truck that has this wild looking soldier of Chigg’s Army. Hopefully it leads them to watch a video. They are always good and you learn something in everyone.
5:48 They still do this. A friend of mine was stationed in Alaska with the Army. He recounted how they were issued ammunition for winter maneuvers. They would often hike through snow often over knee deep during these maneuvers. After being out all day he said it wasn't unusual to see magazines of ammunition or a MG ammunition belt get "lost" (dropped) in a snow drift. This was the early 1980s, hopefully they have better control over this nowadays.
@@aquachigger is fun fun to watch black powder go poof. Could make it a re enactment of Blazing Saddles campfire scene. You still have to have dry kindling, as you know, so its not like magic fire starting dust, it just starts easy with a spark to ignite the pre-kindling stage of firestarter fluff. A dry kitchen match is far superior if you have one. In Boy Scouts we used white gas and old railroad flares from nuclear bomb shelter and shot from afar with real flaming arrow. The red phosphorous-tipped, fire-arrow hung up up half way on the 'secret' guide wire and dangled, burning ominously in the sky at the late night initiation ceremony. An Indian Brave had to run up and light the gas soaked bonfire with a torch and burned off his eyebrows and singed his headfeathers when the fuel/air cloud detonated in a resounding boom..and the war drums beat on...
Cool info Chigg. I dug 103 36 caliber Colt bullets out of a hole once. Round and conical bullets. I figured a soldier was sitting by a fire molding them and forgot to pick them up. I also have a fellow detectorist find 1000 Minnie balls in one hole in Germantown, TN. Maybe you could discuss altered CW belt buckles in a future video. Thanks for sharing.
These are great. Would love a series of these telling the various stories of how things came to be where they are found. When you share a quick version from time to time while detecting it’s so interesting.
As a reenactor I know exactly why. When you reach back to get a cartridge, you pull one and two more fall out. You can see where the line formed by the paper cartridges on the ground.
Aloha Chigg, Mahalo for the stories. Following modern day firefights there's usually a lot of stuff laying around as there's no time to be neat about things.
Makes alot of sense as to why one would find a lead spill somewhere. If I had not seen your prior video regarding this topic, it would never have dawned on me as to how they may have looked when they were initially left in place... centuries before folks like you find them. Very kewl.
I do think that the mere perception of finding a lot of dropped bullets also plays a role. Dropped bullets might just be easier to find, so it seems as tho there are more of them out there. Fired bullets aren't necessarily grouped together, they might be stuck in trees, buried deeper if they hit the ground or the might have shattered into pieces after hitting a rock.
This was very enlightening. I had never even thought about any of this. I just assumed a dropped bullet was just accidentally dropped. Fascinating. Thanks for this!
In the Rev war part of military service, you had to have opposing teeth to bite the cartridge. Some men would go to the doctor or tooth turner and have their teeth pulled to keep from service. They had to put out a decree that a doctor caught doing so would be hung. The bayonet was very important. A musket was not considered arm until it had the bayonet fixed. some troops used belly blocks worn in front that only held 8 rounds. firing the musket was just to get you across the field so you could use the bayonet. I reenacted the Civil war and Rev war for a long time. the tins in the civil war cartridge box will cause you to lose rounds. when the top gets used and you have to pull it up to get the bottom ones you drop rounds.
My Dad arrived at a significant point with his platoon of African troops, called the radio guy forwards to contact Command, only to find out that the radioman had dumped the battery at some point on the march from the previous lay up. ‘Too heavy, Boss’! 🤦🏻♂️
Very interesting, I got one right and one sort of right. It never occurred to me that they weren't standing when reloading. Melted lead, they used the cartridge to light the fire, or they were casting lead. Love to see a video on your thoughts, but if it was a fire, soldiers were sitting around it keeping warm and eating.
Thank you very much for the video. This is something I knew about but didn’t think much about it. But very interesting and gives me a whole new perspective on the civil war. You are appreciated!!🎉
Great information Chig. I've always wondered about all those dropped bullets. Now we know. Thanks for all your efforts in bringing us your quality videos. Cheers Chig!
Great video! I have several black powder firearms including some of the muzzle-loading variety. One of my favorites is a reproduction 1862 CS Richmond musket. I cast my own Minie balls for it along with regular round balls. I also have a Pedersoli Brown Bess musket that I haven't fired yet but am looking forward to doing it this year. To be honest, casting the musket balls is most of the fun when it comes to black powder guns.
Packs of 10, with one extra paper tube containg 12 caps. Late war, 6 bullets were Burton pattern and 4 Williams cleaner bullets, iirc. On campaign you may get issued 6 packs, 2 were kept in pockets or the haversack. ❤🙂
This is something I have often wondered about. Many years ago I found several unfired minie balls in a group along the river in Benton, Arkansas where I live. The rain had washed out a small gully and there they were. There were no battles in that area, but the Union solders did occupy the town at some point. Still wonder how they came to be there.
Thanks for the great video sir. I’m really enjoying these little teaching videos and hope you do more. I have a replica 1861 Springfield that I like shooting but have never made paper cartridges. I just measure my 2F (60 grains) and ram a lubed bullet. It’s definitely fun.
Also discarded during retreat. Minie Ball Hill near Mountain Lake resort (where Dirty Dancing was filmed) has thousands of them. You can occasionally find them simply walking down the path for hikers
I metal detect in The Yukon and most of my finds have been bullets and casings, then fishing lures, then coins. Once found a gold/mercury amalgam crown on a molar with parts of the tooth still intact.
Please Keep up with these types of info videos and any other metal detecting ones as well I check about every day for new ones Thank you Carl Zatsick Farmington Michigan
Found one today! My theory is the flaps on the pouch left plenty of space for things to bounce out. J hooks probably weren't to secure. Bad shoes in rough terrain lots of falling. I would expect they would keep wet to reload or melt down for another purpose rather than toss? Just my 2 cents! Love the channel! I've lost them out of my Garrett pouch!
And another big reason. I taught for decades at ECU's Maritime Program. In the 90s we're were working on a sunken Union transport in the St. John's River in Florida. The Maple Leaf. I'm working from memory here. We found in the hold multiple unopened boxes of ball from the Frankford Arsenal in Philly. When we mic-ed them, we found that they were by no means uniform. Very poor quality control! A significant percentage, double digits of I recall, were wider than the barrels of the standard musket. They wouldn't have fit! We hypothesized that the soldier would grab the round from the box and proceed to load, only to find that the actual mini ball was too wide, so he'd tossi it aside and grab the next one.
I am so jealous of that heap of bullets! I hope to one day find enough to make a handful or two and give some to my brother-in-law who is a Civil War buff. I think he'd be really happy to get them. Now if I can only find where in Georgia I can go to best detect some.
Just from being a deer hunter who camped quite a bit, I'd say that those paper cartridges made for very convenient fire starters. Melted rounds likely indicate a camping spot where soldiers stopped. Detecting in the general vicinity might find other stuff like plates and buckles, etc.
Great video thanks…UK detector user here..we found a practice area in a wood near us years ago and found loads of these…some unused and it trees etc..took to our local museum to find out more about them…the first thing the curator said was..to make sure when you handled these..to wash your hands, apparently in the process of making these they used cyanide and it’s still present in these..he also said if a soldier was shot and grazed by one..he’s toast anyway…don’t know how true all of that was..but just repeating he’s words…keep up the good work
Just passing by and don't really know why I clicked, but this was interesting. I never for one moment thought about Civil War era soldiers tossing out their unfired ammunition before.
Would definitely be interested to hear about the melted lead! I may have missed this in another video, but where are you able to search battlefields? I am near Gettysburg and Antietam, and I'm pretty sure no metal detecting is permitted at these sites. Thanks in advance!
@@aquachigger Thank you for your reply! I suspected that was the case. Do you just approach private residences near the battlefields to request permission to search? Are there any other tips to gaining access to sites?
melted lead = campfire. I found 2 melted-together musket balls at my father's place. He lived near Bedford/Lexington MA, but never had the chance to dig there again. I know there's more to find.
Thank you for answering my question. I go out to my muzzle loading Club Gun Range and never find a black powder bullet on the on the range. 22LR all over the place. When working in Mississippi shops would sell them for a quarter. Yep I blow a buck or two on them.
Wow my collection needs a lot more to catch up with chigger! Awesome displays ! Living up north I never find civil war bullets! :( I want to move to South Carolina someday soon !😊
NO one that has been in combat is asking that question. When a bullet snaps past your ear it tends to change your focus. Plus the fact that in combat things get lost.
The bullets were also greased so I imagine in battle after loading many rounds, your hands could get slippery. Dropping a few this way could easily happen.
Hey mate,that explains a lot, and please do make another video on molten lead, I find a lot of it around Old gold mine sites in Gympie Queensland Australia. You have got an awesome collection, would be good to see it in a video. Thanks mate, well done 👍
I would think shaky hands from being shot at could contribute to a lot of dropped mini balls...but I agree water is the larger cause... Enjoy your videos Chig...
Interesting topic. My first visit to Gettysburg, in 1970, I saw quantities of minie balls for sale, and one of the employees pointed out that some them had a raised five pointed star molded into the middle of the hollow part, which was believed to indicate it was of Confederate origin.
My uncle was in the civil war. He said they would put them paper cartridges in a ziplock bag to keep them dry. They also put their M&Ms in the same bag.
The biggest reason is you're under heavy fire, canon, and rifles. You are reloading over and over. Dropping the bullet or mini ball because you flinched or one got to close. If a canon ball gets too close, you tend to duck for cover. Spilling ammo if your bag is opened. Then, unfortunately, the fact that between both sides something like 600,000 were killed and left on the battlefield. Cleaning up some of the major Civil War battlefields, particularly after the war's conclusion, took several months to a few years depending on the size of the battlefield and the number of casualties, with the immediate aftermath focusing on recovering and burying the dead, followed by later efforts to preserve the sites for historical remembrance. Key points to consider: Immediate aftermath: Following a battle, soldiers from both sides would often attempt to recover and bury their dead as quickly as possible, sometimes with the help of local civilians. Contractors and government involvement: After the war, the US government hired contractors to systematically search battlefields, recover remains, and bury them in newly established national cemeteries. Notable example: Gettysburg: Considered the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, the cleanup process at Gettysburg took several months, with the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery occurring in November 1863, just a few months after the battle.
My dad and I along with a friend hunted The Olustee Battlefield in Florida and we found a lot chunks of lead that looked like they had teeth marks in them like chewed chewing gum, we thought it could have been from nervous soldiers chewing chunks of lead to help comm their nerves!
I used to study this stuff years ago and recently realized there's a Mandela effect where the calibers have actually changed from what we were used to being taught
I hope this answers some questions about why I find so many dropped bullets. If you can think of any other reasons that might happen, please let me know in the video comments. Thanks for watching!
Get Chigg’s Army discounts at the Official Garrett Metal Detectors Store if you use my promotional code at checkout.
Garrett will, in turn, make a small donation to my Aquachigger Video Fund.
Here is the code to use: CHIGG
Thanks for your support!
Link to Garrett Store: garrett.com/store/sport/
Follow the Chigg!
My Patreon: www.patreon.com/aquachigger
Instagram: instagram.com/aquachigger/
Facebook: facebook.com/chiggsarmy/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@aquachigger
I think you like the melted lead cuz it is an indication that there may have been a camp there, or a fire or a trash pit. I would like to see any civil war glass that you have found. Bottles, etc. I have never heard or seen you talk much about that. And your favorite finds.
You're an awesome History teacher!
Mr. Chiggles Diggles!
I think a video about carved bullets, trench art, hammered bullets for fishing sinkers etc would be very cool - and I'd love to see you showcase some of those types of finds!
The other thing i'd be very curious about is the post civil war years - were there a lot of civil war bullets, rifles/muskets, equipment etc use for civilian purposes after the war? Was the stuff sold off or repurposed? Is there any way you can whether what you've found was during or post civil war?
@ The reason so much civil war stuff was destroyed and disposed of was because do you understand how many dead bodies and other horrors of war that were everywhere??? More Americans died in the CW than every other war combined!!!! By a lot. From the Revolutionary war and WW1 and WW2, Nam, right to this very day. Farmers pitched guns and unexploded ordinance in every waterway. America was so littered with the remnants of war people couldn't stand it. They wrapped guns around trees so they could no longer do harm. Plus all the weaponry the dead left all over the place. But, I agree with your post. I too would like to see him do the things you said. Some of the battles were so large 50,000 people would die in a field in a couple days. Can you imagine the stench?? And armaments?
I love the informational videos. This is what sets the Chigg apart from others. Always passing along information to others and by doing so he shares his passion.
My grandpa and my uncles farmed the Eastside of Missionary Ridge near Ringgold Road on the CSA retreat path from Chattanooga. My great uncle told me they would pickup 5 quart buckets full of mini balls all the time. 50,000 troops can drop a lot of bullets.
I live very close by, on John Ross Rd. And I found a dropped miniball on Missionary Ridge while excavating a plumbing ditch, after a hard rain.
I’ve been watching you since before your hair turned grey, I think you’re the best. I love how you give a history on everything you hunt and wherever you hunt, so knowledgeable.
Thank you for the kind words. I try my best.
The dude has aged a lot. Hope he's taking B17.
I forgot to mention melted lead. Please make a video about that too. I found some melted lead and a couple dropped balls on a battlefield in New Market, Virginia when I was around 12 years old in the 1970’s and I still have it!
Looking forward to the next video!
I wish you would do a video of this awesome collection. I bet you've basically got a museum in this room😂
He has some things museums don't even have.
@stubstoo6331 don't doubt it
Museum? he looks like he is in an armory! ; )
He does have a museum
He's done a few videos in the past where he's shown off parts of his collection. Just look through the videos and you'll find them.
Edit: in his playlist section he's got a playlist called "collection talks," where he shows in talks about his collection.
Love these occasional Professor Chigg segments! 👍👍
So glad to see you again.
Way more insightful and informative than I would have expected from the title. I should have known better than that by now. Thanks for yet another educational presentation.
Also of note is that metal detectors have trouble differentiating between lead and precious metals like gold. A detectorist will dig up everything with a good signal, and will inevitably end up with a lot of lead in some places.
Well done once again, Mr Aquachigger. People often ask about the little round sticker on the rear window of my truck that has this wild looking soldier of Chigg’s Army. Hopefully it leads them to watch a video. They are always good and you learn something in everyone.
5:48 They still do this. A friend of mine was stationed in Alaska with the Army. He recounted how they were issued ammunition for winter maneuvers. They would often hike through snow often over knee deep during these maneuvers. After being out all day he said it wasn't unusual to see magazines of ammunition or a MG ammunition belt get "lost" (dropped) in a snow drift. This was the early 1980s, hopefully they have better control over this nowadays.
Soldiers often used the gunpowder in paper cartridges for fire starting.
Might make for a good test video.
@@aquachigger Nothing much better to do when it's cold out haha
@@aquachigger is fun fun to watch black powder go poof. Could make it a re enactment of Blazing Saddles campfire scene. You still have to have dry kindling, as you know, so its not like magic fire starting dust, it just starts easy with a spark to ignite the pre-kindling stage of firestarter fluff. A dry kitchen match is far superior if you have one. In Boy Scouts we used white gas and old railroad flares from nuclear bomb shelter and shot from afar with real flaming arrow. The red phosphorous-tipped, fire-arrow hung up up half way on the 'secret' guide wire and dangled, burning ominously in the sky at the late night initiation ceremony. An Indian Brave had to run up and light the gas soaked bonfire with a torch and burned off his eyebrows and singed his headfeathers when the fuel/air cloud detonated in a resounding boom..and the war drums beat on...
Good point!!!
I read in WW2 grenades were disassembled and used to start a fire in Europe.
Cool info Chigg. I dug 103 36 caliber Colt bullets out of a hole once. Round and conical bullets. I figured a soldier was sitting by a fire molding them and forgot to pick them up. I also have a fellow detectorist find 1000 Minnie balls in one hole in Germantown, TN. Maybe you could discuss altered CW belt buckles in a future video. Thanks for sharing.
Steve Lehto has a second channel which such a story.
He found a Confederate buckle in Michigan!
These are great. Would love a series of these telling the various stories of how things came to be where they are found. When you share a quick version from time to time while detecting it’s so interesting.
Thanks for the history lesson Chigg. Very interesting. Take care 👍
As a reenactor I know exactly why. When you reach back to get a cartridge, you pull one and two more fall out. You can see where the line formed by the paper cartridges on the ground.
Aloha Chigg, Mahalo for the stories. Following modern day firefights there's usually a lot of stuff laying around as there's no time to be neat about things.
Thanks! I've learned so much from you over the years. You could open a museum with all the stuff you've found!
Love your videos still Chig. Good explanation ‼️😃
Thanks for explanation of dropped bullets. Any other explanations you may have are always appreciated. Thanks.
Our area of the panhandle WV, Maryland bullets are a common find, BUT I'm always excited to find them, It never gets old.
Makes alot of sense as to why one would find a lead spill somewhere. If I had not seen your prior video regarding this topic, it would never have dawned on me as to how they may have looked when they were initially left in place... centuries before folks like you find them. Very kewl.
What a great museum of Civil War items you have found over the years ! Love to see a video of your Greatest Finds !!!!
Wow, I'd not thought of some of those scenarios before, good insight, please share your experience with the melted lead!
I do think that the mere perception of finding a lot of dropped bullets also plays a role. Dropped bullets might just be easier to find, so it seems as tho there are more of them out there. Fired bullets aren't necessarily grouped together, they might be stuck in trees, buried deeper if they hit the ground or the might have shattered into pieces after hitting a rock.
Thank you for a interesting look into a soldiers life in battle. I have never thought of why so many bullets are dropped but now I understand it. 👍🏻
This was very enlightening. I had never even thought about any of this. I just assumed a dropped bullet was just accidentally dropped. Fascinating. Thanks for this!
In the Rev war part of military service, you had to have opposing teeth to bite the cartridge. Some men would go to the doctor or tooth turner and have their teeth pulled to keep from service. They had to put out a decree that a doctor caught doing so would be hung. The bayonet was very important. A musket was not considered arm until it had the bayonet fixed. some troops used belly blocks worn in front that only held 8 rounds. firing the musket was just to get you across the field so you could use the bayonet. I reenacted the Civil war and Rev war for a long time. the tins in the civil war cartridge box will cause you to lose rounds. when the top gets used and you have to pull it up to get the bottom ones you drop rounds.
Great info Chigg. 👍 Thanks for the video.
One more reason you might find dropped bullets - The soldier carrying them was shot/killed and spilled his cartridge box where he fell
eddominates,
True. But if he mentioned that "a soldier might have gotten killed" then censor happy you tube will demonetize the video.
This is FANTASTIC information. Thanks for the video!
My Dad arrived at a significant point with his platoon of African troops, called the radio guy forwards to contact Command, only to find out that the radioman had dumped the battery at some point on the march from the previous lay up. ‘Too heavy, Boss’! 🤦🏻♂️
lol... yep, things like that happen.
I limped around for a couple of months after dropping one of those batteries on my foot and breaking a bone.
This was a VERY GOOD EXPLANATION as to the "dropped bullets" and clarifies a lot of my questions. Thanks Chigg!
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting, I got one right and one sort of right. It never occurred to me that they weren't standing when reloading. Melted lead, they used the cartridge to light the fire, or they were casting lead. Love to see a video on your thoughts, but if it was a fire, soldiers were sitting around it keeping warm and eating.
Awesome explanation!!! You should definitely continue this series with other swords of items, definitely excited to hear your knowledge on melted led!
Thank you very much for the video. This is something I knew about but didn’t think much about it. But very interesting and gives me a whole new perspective on the civil war.
You are appreciated!!🎉
Thank you. Keep em coming. 😊
Thanks Beau
Great information Chig. I've always wondered about all those dropped bullets. Now we know. Thanks for all your efforts in bringing us your quality videos. Cheers Chig!
9:16 oh, I love the globs of lead and white metal! Good indicators of camps and such.
Great video! I have several black powder firearms including some of the muzzle-loading variety. One of my favorites is a reproduction 1862 CS Richmond musket. I cast my own Minie balls for it along with regular round balls. I also have a Pedersoli Brown Bess musket that I haven't fired yet but am looking forward to doing it this year. To be honest, casting the musket balls is most of the fun when it comes to black powder guns.
Packs of 10, with one extra paper tube containg 12 caps. Late war, 6 bullets were Burton pattern and 4 Williams cleaner bullets, iirc. On campaign you may get issued 6 packs, 2 were kept in pockets or the haversack. ❤🙂
This is something I have often wondered about. Many years ago I found several unfired minie balls in a group along the river in Benton, Arkansas where I live. The rain had washed out a small gully and there they were. There were no battles in that area, but the Union solders did occupy the town at some point. Still wonder how they came to be there.
Man, Chigg's got a hell of a collection.......and cool hair.......
I’m 57, best history lesson ever. More please!!!
Thanks
Thanks for the great video sir. I’m really enjoying these little teaching videos and hope you do more. I have a replica 1861 Springfield that I like shooting but have never made paper cartridges. I just measure my 2F (60 grains) and ram a lubed bullet. It’s definitely fun.
Also discarded during retreat. Minie Ball Hill near Mountain Lake resort (where Dirty Dancing was filmed) has thousands of them. You can occasionally find them simply walking down the path for hikers
I metal detect in The Yukon and most of my finds have been bullets and casings, then fishing lures, then coins. Once found a gold/mercury amalgam crown on a molar with parts of the tooth still intact.
Please Keep up with these types of info videos and any other metal detecting ones as well
I check about every day for new ones
Thank you
Carl Zatsick
Farmington Michigan
Found one today! My theory is the flaps on the pouch left plenty of space for things to bounce out. J hooks probably weren't to secure. Bad shoes in rough terrain lots of falling. I would expect they would keep wet to reload or melt down for another purpose rather than toss? Just my 2 cents! Love the channel! I've lost them out of my Garrett pouch!
Never thought about that. Nice to learn something new (for me).
Great points! Also thick brush, forest, and weeds would make them difficult to find when dropped. Just grab another one.
Love these types of videos!
And another big reason. I taught for decades at ECU's Maritime Program. In the 90s we're were working on a sunken Union transport in the St. John's River in Florida. The Maple Leaf. I'm working from memory here. We found in the hold multiple unopened boxes of ball from the Frankford Arsenal in Philly. When we mic-ed them, we found that they were by no means uniform. Very poor quality control! A significant percentage, double digits of I recall, were wider than the barrels of the standard musket. They wouldn't have fit! We hypothesized that the soldier would grab the round from the box and proceed to load, only to find that the actual mini ball was too wide, so he'd tossi it aside and grab the next one.
Never heard of that. Thanks
Thanks Chigg -Keep Warm! Extra frigid here in Ohio❄
Nice collection behind you. Great information. Please do the melted lead video. Blessings
I am so jealous of that heap of bullets! I hope to one day find enough to make a handful or two and give some to my brother-in-law who is a Civil War buff. I think he'd be really happy to get them. Now if I can only find where in Georgia I can go to best detect some.
Very Interesting. Thanks so much for sharing.
Just from being a deer hunter who camped quite a bit, I'd say that those paper cartridges made for very convenient fire starters. Melted rounds likely indicate a camping spot where soldiers stopped. Detecting in the general vicinity might find other stuff like plates and buckles, etc.
Thanks! 👍
Excellent content, explained a very common occurrence clearly and concisely. 👍
Fantastic Video CHIGG
Great video thanks…UK detector user here..we found a practice area in a wood near us years ago and found loads of these…some unused and it trees etc..took to our local museum to find out more about them…the first thing the curator said was..to make sure when you handled these..to wash your hands, apparently in the process of making these they used cyanide and it’s still present in these..he also said if a soldier was shot and grazed by one..he’s toast anyway…don’t know how true all of that was..but just repeating he’s words…keep up the good work
Nonsense
Nonsense indeed. That "curator" was talking out of an inappropriate orifice.
Just passing by and don't really know why I clicked, but this was interesting. I never for one moment thought about Civil War era soldiers tossing out their unfired ammunition before.
Would definitely be interested to hear about the melted lead!
I may have missed this in another video, but where are you able to search battlefields? I am near Gettysburg and Antietam, and I'm pretty sure no metal detecting is permitted at these sites.
Thanks in advance!
You can't metal detect there, but there are some private lands nearby that allow it.
@@aquachigger Thank you for your reply! I suspected that was the case. Do you just approach private residences near the battlefields to request permission to search? Are there any other tips to gaining access to sites?
ciao collezione fantastica complimenti per la tua grande conoscenza e passione che metti nel conservare la storia del tuo paese
melted lead = campfire. I found 2 melted-together musket balls at my father's place. He lived near Bedford/Lexington MA, but never had the chance to dig there again. I know there's more to find.
This was wonderful. Thank you so much for a wonderful video
Thank Mr Chiggs👍
Great info! Thank you for making this video.
Thank you for answering my question. I go out to my muzzle loading Club Gun Range and never find a black powder bullet on the on the range. 22LR all over the place. When working in Mississippi shops would sell them for a quarter. Yep I blow a buck or two on them.
Wow my collection needs a lot more to catch up with chigger! Awesome displays ! Living up north I never find civil war bullets! :( I want to move to South Carolina someday soon !😊
NO one that has been in combat is asking that question. When a bullet snaps past your ear it tends to change your focus. Plus the fact that in combat things get lost.
Thanks for info! Beau! Very helpful!
Time to head my way in arizona sir. Always love the videos you make out this way
Great information. Thanks for sharing!!!
Can you have a show about your best finds and show your artillery collection?
Cool explanation! Thank you!
The bullets were also greased so I imagine in battle after loading many rounds, your hands could get slippery. Dropping a few this way could easily happen.
Hey mate,that explains a lot, and please do make another video on molten lead, I find a lot of it around Old gold mine sites in Gympie Queensland Australia.
You have got an awesome collection, would be good to see it in a video.
Thanks mate, well done 👍
Wow, Serious. I was mot that curious, I know people and shit happens. But the actual answer was very interesting and I enjoyed it. Thanks
I would think shaky hands from being shot at could contribute to a lot of dropped mini balls...but I agree water is the larger cause... Enjoy your videos Chig...
Thanks for the info! When are you coming back to South Georgia?
It’s interesting and so fitting how your voice sounds much like Shelby Foote’s when speaking of the civil war
I appreciate the explanation
Great video Chig
Interesting topic. My first visit to Gettysburg, in 1970, I saw quantities of minie balls for sale, and one of the employees pointed out that some them had a raised five pointed star molded into the middle of the hollow part, which was believed to indicate it was of Confederate origin.
Actually, that is an arsenal mark and is Union.
My uncle was in the civil war. He said they would put them paper cartridges in a ziplock bag to keep them dry. They also put their M&Ms in the same bag.
Rookie mistake, the M&M's go in the shirt pocket.
Thanks for this education! Those Minies can be found from here Finland also, although in my finds, musket balls are about 20x more usual :D
Where is your museum? Would love to see your historical collection.
Very cool video! Chigg can you save a shell for me to find jeez lol! As always great content!!Thanks
Hey Beau! Long time no see! I'd be interested to hear about melted lead. I have some theories , but I'd like to hear yours.
Very interesting Bob, Thanks!
I remember in the 80s buying a few at the museum as a kid
The biggest reason is you're under heavy fire, canon, and rifles. You are reloading over and over. Dropping the bullet or mini ball because you flinched or one got to close. If a canon ball gets too close, you tend to duck for cover. Spilling ammo if your bag is opened. Then, unfortunately, the fact that between both sides something like 600,000 were killed and left on the battlefield. Cleaning up some of the major Civil War battlefields, particularly after the war's conclusion, took several months to a few years depending on the size of the battlefield and the number of casualties, with the immediate aftermath focusing on recovering and burying the dead, followed by later efforts to preserve the sites for historical remembrance.
Key points to consider:
Immediate aftermath:
Following a battle, soldiers from both sides would often attempt to recover and bury their dead as quickly as possible, sometimes with the help of local civilians.
Contractors and government involvement:
After the war, the US government hired contractors to systematically search battlefields, recover remains, and bury them in newly established national cemeteries.
Notable example: Gettysburg:
Considered the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, the cleanup process at Gettysburg took several months, with the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery occurring in November 1863, just a few months after the battle.
Great pondering!
I know a couple of legendary relic hunters from Mineral VA. Bill Graham and Elton Strong. Re-enactors also.
My dad and I along with a friend hunted The Olustee Battlefield in Florida and we found a lot chunks of lead that looked like they had teeth marks in them like chewed chewing gum, we thought it could have been from nervous soldiers chewing chunks of lead to help comm their nerves!
I used to study this stuff years ago and recently realized there's a Mandela effect where the calibers have actually changed from what we were used to being taught