Re: Saving some history
we've been still at this project almost exclussively this past few months (George more so than I due to family and home issues) . Scouring the banks of the Connecticut River for signs of the British's landing in Essex and ensuing battle that took place. It has been very slow with an occasional musket ball being found here and there . The banks of the river have been used for farming and as homesites for hundereds of years , errosion and bank building maintanence has been going on about as long . Now multi-million dollar homes exist with manicured lawns and very picturesque views line the shores , no doubt much of that particular days history is lost. There has been some sparks of good news , Coinnut did find a small area that gave up multiple musket balls and the calibers looks right for the type of weapons the British used.There was also a ballast stone pile located just off shore in the river and parts will be excavated to varify if it was indeed one of the captured Privateer ships , the Anaconda or the Eagle .Ballast stone for those not fammiliar with what it is , its a type of stone used to weigh a ship down to sit right in the water as they can actually be to boyant and not float evenly when not loaded down with normal cargo.An expert came out an measured and sized up the pile and said it was consistant with about thirty ton vessle. When they excavate the stone they expect even after 200 years to see the ships wooden hull ribs and the chips and wood shavings still laying an the floor (because these ships were so hastely made) preserved under all that stone . Our goal is to find buttons (military or civiliian ) , any accroutments , weapon parts ect. from that time period in the researched areas of the battle sites . there were a few cannon batterys set up in various places along the Connecticut river but finding an areas that is not built up or disturbed is very challenging. we hope to continually add more pictures and info about this project as we go .
Dan
