RRRHA

2013

Year in Review

P.O. Box 209, Unionville, VA 22567 rrrha@live.com & www.rrrha.com

President – Robert Painter Vice President – Earl Mesimer

Treasurer – Bobby Painter Secretary – Jason Thomas

Chaplain – John Graham

Web Manager – John Underwood

With the new year upon us I thought it would be a good

time to reflect back on the previous year and sum up the club’s

highlights from 2013 all in one place. Even though this club is a

rather young, just about two and half years old, it has grown

and become the thriving club that it is today. 2013 Without a

doubt being the club’s best year yet. During 2013 the club had

its first relic hunt, its first picnic, another much larger relic

show, amongst other things as well. Then we have the

member’s finds that were on display each and every meeting.

There were some great finds every month for the membership

to vote on for relic of the month, and let’s not forget the relic of

the year, it was a great find with an interesting story to go with

it. Last but not least with the end of 2013, our faithful

president and treasurer ended their terms and if it wasn’t for

their hard work along with the other officers, 2013 wouldn’t

have been the year it was for the club. Now go ahead and take

a trip back in time and refresh your memory of all the great

things that went on during 2013.

RRRHA Secretary

Jason Thomas

January January was a sign of things to come for RRRHA; we started the year off

strong. Bob Painter announced at the meeting that the club could secure

Meadow’s Farm Cattle Co farm for the first club sponsored hunt to be held in

April. The farm is part of the historic battle of Mine Run. Greg B. won the first find

of the month; I guess this was a sign of things to come for Greg but more on that

later. He dug a lovely Richmond spur. Also in January the club voted for the 2012

find of the year, it was won by Chris H., he dug a rare AVC buckle.

January’s Find of the Month

2012 Find of the Year

January’s Minutes

Click Here

February At February’s meeting, Bob Painter gave a presentation on the “Coins

Soldiers Carried”. There was more discussion on the upcoming club relic hunt,

mostly pertaining to rules about club membership and the cost for members to

attend the hunt. Scott A. brought to the meeting a manuscript ‘I’ button, which

was the overwhelming winner for find of the month.

February’s Find of the Month

February’s Minutes

Click Here

March March’s meeting brought in 18 new or renewing members swelling the club

size to 59 members. There was more information presented by Bob Painter about

the status of the relic hunt to be held the following month. The local Girl Scout

troop approached the club to see if there was interest in having them provide the

club with a spaghetti dinner at our May meeting, the club kindly accepted the

offer. In addition we had some guests from Minelab who were assisting in the

archeological work at James Madison’s Montpelier, they gave a short

informational talk about the activities they were participating in. Then there were

some stellar relics for consideration when it came to find of the month, Don E.

came out on top though with his Georgia cuff button.

March’s Find of the Month

March’s Minutes

Click Here

April The meeting in April was filled with discussion about the Mine Run relic

hunt that was just mere days away. Maps and name badges were handed out.

Bob reported that we had 120 relic hunters were signed up and ready to go for

the hunt, 81 of which were non members. Bob also reported that he had secured

generous donations from Minelab and First Texas so that we could hold a raffle at

the upcoming hunt. Matt J. brought in a silver North Carolina button which won

find or the month. Ironically the month proved to be a good month for the silver

NC buttons as there was another one brought in as well, Matt’s was just a bit

nicer and took the prize.

April’s Find of the Month

April’s Minutes

Click Here

MINE RUN RELIC HUNT!!!!

On April 13 & 14 the club held its first sponsored relic hunt. It was held at

the Meadow’s Farm Cattle Co. farm which was part of the battlefield associated

with the Battle of Mine Run. There were 120 people who attended the two day

hunt. There were some seeded tokens for non members to find, amongst the

prizes associated with the tokens were a silver NC button, and other various

prizes. Amongst the many bullets and buttons found there were some stellar

finds made during the two days. Some of the better finds included two

Whitworth bullets, three shells, a Block A button, a Virginia Button, and a Script I

button as well. Near the end of the two day hunt the generously donated

Minelab detector, the 50% First Texas gift certificate, and other donated prizes

were raffled off.

Click Here for more pictures and hunt memories put together by Bob Painter.

May May’s meeting was filled with good food, good company and excellent

service which was provided by Girl Scout Troop 707. For a donation of $10 a

person the troop put on the all you could eat spaghetti feast. Members didn’t

have to lift a finger as the girls took care of our every need. After stuffing

ourselves Bob reported the final numbers from the relic hunt, as a result the club

earned over $4,000 from the hunt, it was a nice boost in the club treasury to say

the least. Also Bob reported that the Rapidan fire co. approached him to see if we

were interested in taking over the Central Virginia Relic Show that they had

previously put on. Amongst some great finds Earl K. won find of the month with

the Confederate Long Reed shell that he found at the relic hunt in April.

May’s Find of the Month

May’s Minutes

Click Here

June June brought in the dog days of summer, and a slow time of year for us relic

hunters. During this month’s meeting it was decided that the club would take

over the relic show and it would be held in September. Also we decided to form a

picnic committee so that we could have our first annual picnic. The committee

consisted of Greg B, Greg H, and myself. Brian W. brought in an Enfield bullet that

had initials carved into it, which became the find of the month for June.

June’s Find of the Month

June’s Minutes

Click Here

July With the weather alternating between rain and oppressive heat things

really slowed down. John G. brought a DVD from a presentation given at the

Rappahannock Civil War Roundtable. David H. won find of the month with a .69

Garibaldi bullet. The picnic committee announced that the club would hold the

picnic during the October meeting at Lenn Park in Stevensburg, VA. Also a $250

donation was made to the East Orange Ruritans.

July’s Find of the Month

July’s Minutes

Click Here

August August’s meeting was supposed to feature a presentation by Greg H. on the

“Relics of the Retreat Route”, but due to some technical difficulties the

presentation would have to be put off until a later date. Bob reported on the

progress made towards the relic show to be held the following month. Find of the

month went to a rare Major’s collar star dug by Ron P.

August’s Find of the Month

August’s Minutes

Click Here

September At September’s meeting Greg H. gave his delayed talk on the ‘Relics of the

Retreat Route’. Bob reported on the progress towards the relic show to be held

in the coming days. Members volunteered for jobs at the relic show, and without

these volunteers the show would not have been possible. The picnic committee

reported that the plans had been finalized for the picnic in October. Butch B.

entered one of the block ‘A’ buttons he had found and won find of the month for

it.

September’s Find of the Month

September’s Minutes

Click Here

Central Virginia Relic

Show

On September 14, 2013 the club sponsored the Central Virginia Relic Show.

It was held at the Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper VA. Ten dealers occupied

30 tables. Aquachigger, and Nugget Noggin from YouTube entertained the

attendees during the show. Minelab and First Texas generously donated to the

club again so a raffle could be held. In addition to these prizes Bob P. donated

some civil war prints as additional raffle prizes. Between vendor fees, admission,

and raffle sales, the club made a profit of over $500. After talking to vendors,

attendees, and considering the profit, the show was considered a success.

More pictures from the show can be seen by clicking the link for the October

meeting’s minutes on the following page.

October October brought on the first annual club picnic. Greg H., made his

wonderful pulled pork BBQ, Greg B. secured historic Lenn Park, and myself, well I

just bought some plates and silverware. The members each brought a covered

dish and needless to say we had a feast that could have fed an army. If you went

hungry it was your own fault. The ground Lenn Park sits upon was land that the

battle of Brandy Station was fought on. In addition to this just behind the park is

Coles Hill and Hansborough Ridge, site of a huge Second Corp winter

encampment. Lenn Park proved a fitting site for us relic hunters but also tortured

us at the same time knowing that while we stuffed ourselves silly there were

relics sitting right under our feet. A $50 gift card was drawn for amongst the

family members attending the picnic, it was won by Donna W. Also nominations

for the upcoming officer elections were made. Even though we were all stuffed

we still mustered up enough strength to vote on find of the month and Jim A won

with his sword belt plate.

October’s Find of the Month

October’s Minutes

Click Here

November At November’s meeting the plan was to vote for the 2014 club officers who

were nominated at the October meeting, but because there were not enough

members present at the meeting, the vote was delayed until December’s

meeting. We had a few guests who told us their stories from the DIV hunt that

was being held in Brandy Station. As always there were some great relics on

display, Todd H. though took the prize for find of the month with a Mississippi I

button.

November’s Find of the Month

November’s Minutes

Click Here

December As we rounded out the year, the December meeting brought on the

delayed officer elections. The meeting also was the last meeting with our faithful

president Jim at the helm. Jim had to sit this election out due to the club bylaws

only allowing two, one year terms. The elections brought a few changes. Gary

decided to ‘retire’ and with that Bobby P. was elected as club treasurer. Bob P.

also ‘retired’ but his retirement actually became a promotion. We had no

candidate for president and it was a vote of write - ins, and with a majority vote

Bob became the new president. I was elected to club secretary and Earl M.and

John G. were elected to vice president and chaplain respectively. Although not an

elected position, our web site manager continues to be John Underwood. When it

came to find of the month, we ended the year like we started with a spur found

by Dennis T taking home the prize.

December’s Find of the Month

December’s Minutes

Click Here

Find of the Year

2013

Last but not least we round out this review of RRRHA’s year with the find of

the year. Greg B. dug the silver ID ring of Allen McDonald, a private in Company E

of the 106th New York. Interestingly enough the middle initial that is stamped on

the ring is a ‘J’, with a review of the muster rolls there is no Allen J. McDonald to

be found, instead there is an Allen P. which alternates with Allen L. These errors

were quite common for identification pieces as many examples are known to

contain misspellings or wrong initials. After some rather exhaustive research was

done it is very safe to say this ring belonged to Allen P. (or L.) McDonald.

The ring was found in Virginia in an area the 106th was known to occupy

during the autumn of 1863 and on and off again through the spring of 1864. The

106th NY was known as the St. Lawrence County Regiment. It was formed in the

extreme upstate part of the state and Company E was comprised of mostly men

from the town of Potsdam. The 1860 census lists him as a farmhand which was

likely the job Allen left when he enlisted in August of 1862 as the regiment was

being formed. The census records also do not indicate that he had a wife or any

children. This fact is important to note as it would be highly unlikely that a

farmhand would have the means to purchase a silver ID ring. Since he had no

family to send his pay home to, his pay would likely have become discretionary

money so that he could afford such a ring in lieu of the more common and

cheaper ‘ID Disc or Tag’. Only one more record of Allen exists and this is Allen’s

demise. Allen was one of the 137 men of the 106th NY who lost his life from

wounds received in action. He passed away in Fredericksburg, VA on May 9,

1865. The records do not indicate where or when he suffered his injuries. Given

that he died in Fredericksburg one can surmise that he possibly suffered them

during the battle of the Wilderness or Spotslyvannia Courthouse, in May of 1864.

Hopefully this was not the case as he would have then suffered a complete year

before the injuries eventually took his life. This aspect of Allen along with many

others will likely remain a mystery forever. No grave markers for him can be

found in any records. This ring that was bought by him and eventually lost some

150 plus years ago, now being found serves as the only known memorial to one

Allen McDonald.

In my opinion anytime you make a find that can be linked back to an

individual soldier, it is an incredible find that tells a fantastic story no matter

what. However in Allen’s case, he likely became one of the many forgotten

soldiers to be buried in unmarked graves in the Fredericksburg area. Until Greg

found his ring, Allen’s memory was lost to the ages, and without finding it he

would have remained this way. As relic hunters when we find something like this

we have effectively brought his memory back and now the ring serves to honor

his memory. Every time I go hunting just knowing the potential to bring history

back to life makes this hobby special to me, and I know it does for a lot of others

as well.

(The research on Allen McDonald was a conducted by Ms. Nancy Rossbacher)

With that this concludes the 2013 year in review for the RRRHA. Let’s have

another successful and wonderful year, I am not sure we can top 2013 but we can

sure try. I hope everyone enjoyed taking a look back!