Battle of Trippstadt July 1794

[Full Metal Digger]

Hey diggers,
It turns out there was a famous battle between the French and the Prussians only 6 miles from my house. I spent the weekend traipsing through the woods looking for one of the French camps shown on an old military map. I did find the camp but not much in the way of relics. Mostly musket balls is all I got. I did find 3 nice tombac buttons. Although it is very scratched up (from battle?), the largest has a very faint sunburst design on it. My visions of hands full of military buttons did not materialize but I did find one military button with a "1" on it (unidentified and in very poor condition).

I also found a 1955 "pinksterfeest" nature lovers pin from Amsterdam. The mother-of-pearl cuff-link is more modern I suspect. But how on earth does a cuff-link end up in the middle of the woods?!!!

Here's some pics. Thanks for looking! Dave.

 

[OxShoeDrew]

Imagine detecting battle sites in the states...they'd hang us. That's amazing the authorities don't care. All the balls look like drops. Do you know where the battle lines were? Very exciting, Dave! Keep us posted!

 

[Full Metal Digger]

Imagine detecting battle sites in the states...they'd hang us. That's amazing the authorities don't care. All the balls look like drops. Do you know where the battle lines were? Very exciting, Dave! Keep us posted!

Drew,
I didn't hunt the actual battle site. The battle took place in the town of Trippstadt and that has all been developed over since 1794. I was in the woods about 1 mile from the town on an old road that is now a logging road. I was searching for a French campsite indicated on a military map from the battle itself. It shows the location of all the Prussian and French camps.

 

[OxShoeDrew]

Drew,
I didn't hunt the actual battle site. The battle took place in the town of Trippstadt and that has all been developed over since 1794. I was in the woods about 1 mile from the town on an old road that is now a logging road. I was searching for a French campsite indicated on a military map from the battle itself. It shows the location of all the Prussian and French camps.

Surprising nobody has done this research before you. :clapping:

 

[Digger_O'Dell]

Wow, your pockets must have been really weighted down from all that lead! Those tombacs sure look nice, and the starburst shows up clear in the photo. Nice looking thimble too!

 

[Lodge Scent]

Wow, look at all that lead. What's with all the pulled ones ? "Pinksterfeest"....learned something new today.

 

[del]

Yes large amounts of "wormed" or pulled musket ball is a great indicator of an encampment area . Congrats Dave !

 

[BTV Digger]

Way to go Dave! Geezums, that collection of musket balls is more than I've ever dug! Love the pulled specimens. Good luck on getting an ID on the older button.

John

 

[Digger Don]

As always, Wow. Great finds Dave. You must be getting quite a work out lugging all that lead around the forest:thumbsup01:

 

[Bucknut]

That is a ton of relics from that battle/camp site! You have found some amazing spots over there in Germany. Congrats!

 

[Donnie B]

I have found wormed Minie Balls but never a wormed round ball. Those are nice finds. I agree with Danny. That is definitely an indicator of a camp site.

 

[calabash digger]

nice finds!

 

[aloldstuff]

Ditto what BTV Digger said. Nice hunting....:thumbsup02: