From time to time an artifact is discovered at Johnson’s Island that I can’t identify. Most times I can figure it out without too much difficulty, but once in a while the identity alludes me. I decided to share some of those finds with you, hoping that someone would know what these objects belonged to or how they were used. Leave a comment below if you have ideas!

The first item we have presented before as the top of a plunger for a syringe. It has the letter F embossed at the top. The example to the right was photographed at a Civil War “show” where examples of various types of Civil War materials are exhibited. Although we could not find an example that was amber colored or with an F embossed on it, it appears to be from the interior plunger of a syringe.

FS 7280 is a piece of mollusk shell that has been cut by the prisoners for use in their craft activity. We are finding more craft items this year than we have found that past two years in the hospital block area. In addition to many cut shell pieces, we have also found several pieces of hard rubber cut from buttons and chart rules which appear to be waste from their carving rings, brooches, and other jewelry items. FS 7263 is a piece of one of the hard rubber button fragments we recovered from the hospital block area. These were cut from the button to create a facet for placement of a gold, silver, copper, or shell inset.

The numbering system we use for our cultural material has been used for 20 years now. Originally the site was assigned the catalogue number 704, referring to Johnson’s Island. The number 1 following that number refers to the Field Specimen catalogue we have developed for this site. All subsequent numbers are specimens felt to be significant enough to warrant their own identification number and storage bag. Therefore, the number 704-1-7297 refers to the FS 7297 pictured. This item is made from clear glass, circular in form and flattened, thus it is not half a marble, but is more disk-shaped. Any thoughts on what this might be are more than welcome.

Although we have found many items that we can identify, there are those few that elude us at present and FS 7309 is another one of them. It is made of copper with an edging of what appears to be silver. The silver edging is only on one side. It looks like it might be part of a sieve of some sort, but currently we have no interpretation of its use.

Every artifact helps us understand the treatment the POWs received in this Union prison. It is always a challenge to interpret the ones that we are unsure about initially, but in the end, all the artifacts are very important to bring to light what actions were taking place at Block 6.

The ideas posted to the old bulletin board have now been listed here, thanks to all who participated!

The first artifact (FS 4097) is something that has been discovered several times at Johnson’s Island. It is made of copper, quite thin, and has been discovered in a couple of different sizes. It has a bit of a spring to it as well.

• a spring from a rifle’s fire-control mechanism?
• a jews harp?
• a spring for a drawer slide?
• arch support for a boot?
• a leather working tool?
• a trigger guard?
• a pen clip?

The second piece is hollow and made of bone (FS 3902). It appears to have been a small cap over something. Of course, I am not sure what it may have covered. We have found three or four of these at the site.

• the cap to a gun powder flask, can, or horn?
• a piece for a chess set?
• a needlecase top?

The third object appears to be porcelain. All but the bottom is covered with a clear glaze. This is the only one of these that we have recovered from the site.

• water or feed dish for a bird cage?
• medical or sanitation item?
• detachable pot handle?

Comments (2)

1. David Pelfrey and Andy Villarosa says:

   July 1, 2009 at 1:54 am

   With respect to the third object of porcelain: perhaps this is a tavern or barracks style inkwell.

   1. the artifact is intended to be stable and it may be anchored to a flat surface as well as fit into a wooden rabbeted plank.

   2. the artifact is of a shape and material that suggests it is designed to serve as a resevoir for a liquid solutions whose properties must not be affected by its container. Porcelain would be ideal in this case.

   3. the volume of the artifact and its utilitarian material of construction suggests that it was intended to be both basic and serviceable: that it held an ample amount of ink might serve as an hypothesis worth investigating
2. Edward Patrick says:

   September 30, 2009 at 2:22 pm

   Hi,

   In regards to specimen #3 it is definitely a food dish for a bird cage. I have several of these in my possession – also in white glazed porcelain, that are nearly identical- and the exact dimensions shown in your photo. These were made well into the 1930’s.

   I do not know how far back they were produced – it is possible that the piece may be a contamination of the site – as there were many inhabitants on site post civil war- including Italian immigrants working the quarry who had a fondness for birds as pets.

   It is possible too that prisoners may have built cages and kept small finches, etc as pets.

   The holder was pushed between the bars of the cage and stuck there between the indentations on each side of the trough – the lip is for a person to grip the dish and pull it out.

   The ones I have were used by my Grandmother in the 1930’s when she raised canaries.

   I can forward a photo of the ones I have if you like.

   Ed