09/26/2026
Jacob Obriant spent some time digging a construction lot in Wilmington, NC, and the older the layer got, the better the artifacts became! This site was beside an old railroad that was used during the Civil War. There were some really amazing recoveries from the hunt, including a 1957 silver Benjamin Franklin half dollar, a early 1900s spoon, a 1899 silver-washed suspender buckle, a Victorian brooch featuring a woman’s bust, a turn-of-the-century cast-iron stove burner lid and a Civil War period heart-shaped heel plate that once went on the bottom of a shoe. This was Jacob’s favorite find of the day. Although its primary function was to protect the heel from excess wear, perhaps there is more to it than we think. Although it was never officially recorded it was rumored both sides used them in secret to gain a military advantage in the field and here is how. The designs of these heel plates signified the associated army core insignia. There were many different types of these brass heel plates made with different designs punched into them. Examples include hearts, diamonds,clubs,circle, star ect. Each design corresponds to a specific army corp insignia. Boot prints with stamped insignia helped scouts identify the movements or foot traffic of nearby troops giving commanders a strategic advantage in decision making while on the battlefield. What makes the heart shaped heel plate Jacob found so interesting is the heart-shaped design has a connection to the 24th Army Corps. Now we look at Wilmington’s Civil War history where the heart shaped heal plate was found. Union forces with the 24th Army Corps participated in the campaign against Fort Fisher in January 1865. After the fall of Fort Fisher remaining Union forces advanced toward Wilmington and captured the city on February 22, 1865. Union troops of the 24th Army Corps were then tasked with guarding Wilmington from Confederate takeover, maintaining a garrison for enemy troops and lastly securing all railroads going in and out of the city. So finding the heart shaped heel plate in Wilmington lines up with the story of what what happened nearly 160 years ago.
That’s what makes digging these old sites so exciting. you’re not just finding old objects. You’re finding clues to our past that help us interpret what happened right here in the Cape Fear.
