Man, I'm still in a bit of a shock with what I found the other day with my CTX 3030! Unbelievable!
Gigmaster (Steve) and I went out on the river to check some of his past hot spots and look for a few new ones. We were pretty much getting skunked at several of the places we went to. Too much silt and drift wood in some spots and TONS of aluminum and trash in others. It wasn't looking too promising and neither of us had found much of anything, not even a Minnie ball or other bullet until....
First good target I hit was an 1899 Indian Head Penny which was nice. Things were looking up! A little further down the riverbank I got a nice signal that showed a 12.39 and I thought I might be on another penny. After a few scoops, the signal improved to 12.43 then a 12.46! Awesome! I was hoping for silver at this point and when I had it out of the hole and dumped the scoop on the edge of the water I saw what I was SURE was a large cent. I called Steve over as I checked it out to see what he thought and to get his camera. I started to make out the lettering on it and could clearly see 5th Reg and we both knew it was WAY better than a large cent, It was a MAJOR bucket list find! An AWESOME Union Soldier's ID Tag!
My celebration was a bit toned down as I realized that this is the second time now in as many weeks (look at Steve's videos and you'll see) that he has taken someone with him (though not to the same location) that went and found one of these! Steve, I'm sorry man BUT you did make up some ground with that sweet silver 1830 Capped Bust dime!
Once I was home all I did to it was take some damp Q-tips and roll them across it to get some of the caked on dirt and debris off of it and left it at that for now. I put it in a coin slab just to protect it. One well known relic hunter suggested using a small amount of museum wax and just rub it on which I will do once I find some.
After I was able to read it better, I was able to find the name and the information on the soldier: "Moe" made it through his first enlistment, re-enlisted, was promoted to corporal and finished out the war. 1861-1865. And we thought we had it rough with 6 month to one year deployments when I was in the military!
Emery "Moe" T. Guptil
Waterbury VT
MILITARY SERVICE
Age: 18, credited to Stowe, VT
Unit(s): 5th VT INF
Service: enlisted: 8/10/61
mustered in: 9/16/61, Pvt, Co. D, 5th VT INF
reenlisted:12/15/63
promoted: CORP 3/28/64
mustered out: 7/10/65
VITALS
Birth: abt 1843, Waterbury, VT
Death: 1932
The 5th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry (or 5th VVI) was a three years' infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in the Eastern Theater, predominantly in the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, from September 1861 to June 1865. It was a member of the Vermont Brigade.
The regiment was mustered into Federal service on September 16, 1861, at St. Albans, Vermont. It was engaged in, or present at, Lee's Mill, Williamsburg, Golding's Farm, Savage's Station and White Oak Swamp during the Peninsula campaign; Crampton's Gap and Antietam during the 1862 Maryland campaign; Fredericksburg, Marye's Heights, and Salem Church; Gettysburg and Funkstown during the Gettysburg campaign; Rappahannock Station; the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor during the Overland Campaign; Charlestown, Opequon, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek during the Shenandoah Valley campaign and in the siege of Petersburg.
The regiment lost during service: 201 men killed and mortally wounded, 4 died from accident, 1 executed, 21 died in Confederate prisons and 112 died from disease; total loss: 339.
The regiment mustered out of service on June 29, 1865.
Thanks for taking the time to look at my find and a special thanks to you Gigmaster! Yours is NEXT!
DocBeav – VA, USA.
