Archaeologists comb newly-found Civil War POW camp

[J.A. Collection]

Original Article

 

In this undated photo provided by Georgia Southern University, an 1863 Grocer’s Token made of bronze is shown at Camp Lawton a Civil War-era POW facility, near Millen, Ga. This token was issued in Niles, Michigan by C.A. Colby & Co. Wholesale Groceries and Bakery. It circulated for the value of a cent. Camp Lawton was built by the Confederacy to house about 10,000 prisoners of war. But it abandoned after being used for only about six weeks in 1864 before Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s army arrived and burned the camp. Archaeologists say they’re still discovering unusual, and sometimes stunningly personal, artifacts abandoned by prisoners of war at the massive but short-lived Civil War camp a year after state officials revealed a Georgia Southern University graduate student had pinpointed its location in southeast Georgia. (AP Photo/Georgia Southern University, Amanda L. Morrow)

 

[RWB]

This was the subject of an earlier breathless promotional article by the same folks. The hype seems deeper than the archeology.

[ldhair]

The history of this camp is a really fun read. The archeology part has been slow. I don't think they have had the funds to do much.

[BillJones]

Of greater interest to me was a group of coins and tokens that turned hidden in the wall of the New York City building when it was torn down years ago. I ended up with one of the Civil War tokens, It doesn't amount to much with cleaning and old plaster stains on it, but it was interesting to note what was circulating in New York City circa 1863. There were plenty of New York CWTs in the hoard, but there also some pieces from Ohio and Illinois as well. The bottom line was it seems that CWTs were not just a local thing, but pieces that circulated through out the Union once they had been issued.

[J.A. Collection]

Of greater interest to me was a group of coins and tokens that turned hidden in the wall of the New York City building when it was torn down years ago.

 

When we remodeled our house we put a couple coins under the floors. Will they ever be found? Never know. But maybe in 50-100 years someone will find them.