"Firestorm at Gettysburg"

[PanzerJager]

Re: "Firestorm at Gettysburg"

Relics are still surfacing on battlefields today due to environmental conditions such as erosion and rainfall, although not in the number as it once was in the years immediately following the battles or before digging became illegal. A pard of mine found a .69 cartridge box tin less then a foot off the trail on Little Round Top, granted it was all rusty and nasty but still there after all those years, makes you wonder how many tourists kicked it thinking it was just an old can. Recently, within the past few years, I found a federal bullet walking the trail in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg where how many thousands of people have walked before I did. I was looking down at the trail walking back from checking out a monument and right where my shoe scuffed the ground there was an unfired 3 ring bullet which quickly found it’s way into my pocket. I also have in my collection a piece of sack coat flannel with 2 eagle buttons still attached that reportedly was found in a barn on East Calvary Field, by the owner of the house, in the 1970’s or 80’s that was used as a field hospital after the battle.

Regards,

[Rough_and_Regular]

Re: "Firestorm at Gettysburg"

In april 2004 i was at the Antietam Battlefield doing a living history for the 89th medical group out of Andrews air force base. The day was long and hot and i was dressed in my full 9th New York zouave gear included a full pack. I was finished my last group and waited for the shuttle to come and get me but it never arrived so i decided to hike from the spot where i was "the 9th New York start off point" and head to the visitors center and it was a hot march so i decided to take a rest on the banks on the Antietam creek by Burnsides bridge. I was putting my feet in the water to cool off my dogs and i cleared rocks away to get some soft silt to be comfortable i was about to throw what i had in my hand away when i saw something that looked like a mashed mine`ball after close inspection not only did i have 1 but 2 i had a smashed one and a fully intact ball they had an orange brownish film on them. I put them in my pocket and put on my socks and shoes and rushed to the visitors center and showed my findings to a female who was behind the desk and she called a gentlmen for whom i do not recall his name to come to the visitors center. The man arrived i showed him what i had found and he said finders keepers and said i could have them as a small token of thanks for the work i did that day. Another incident happened to me at Gettysburg. A group of us in uniform climed up Big round top to sit and enjoy the veiw while we were climbing the ladies we were with were tired and required rest so we found a old tree that had fallen and sat on it i was placed by the trunk where the tree had uprooted and after sitting a spell we went to get up and out of the dirt was a white object i picked it up and sure enough it was a mine` ball fully intact. after leaving i had stopped a ranger and showed him what i found and he took it and wrote up a report and took my name and address and placed it in a plastic bag and that was that and he said thanks. I was kinda disappointed because i wanted it but in the same token it was a relic and it needed to be handed in. 2 months later i get a brown envelope in the mail and inside was the bullet and a letter saying that it was deemed a insignificant find and that it was to be given to me and included in the letter was a thank you for being honest and turning it in.