Research First, Then Swing
Every productive Civil War site was found on paper before it was found in the ground. Poche's first manual, Finding Civil War Campsites in Rural Areas, is a start-to-finish location method: the information sources and organizations that point to candidate sites, basic topographic map and air photo interpretation, and the checklists to run on confirmation drives before you ever ask for permission. It's written to be used by beginners and experts alike — and it's the reason "hunted out" counties keep producing camps for detectorists who do the homework.
Reading a Campsite from Its Relics
Finding the camp is half the job. Interpreting History from Relics Found in Rural Civil War Campsites shows how to estimate a camp's size and delineate its subdivisions — officers' area, enlisted rows, commissary, stables, sutler store, hospital — from the nature and position of excavated relics, using GPS waypoints plotted over topographic maps and air photos. The companion Exploring Civil War Campsites CD, written with Wayne Rex, extends both books with advanced interpretation techniques built around the "who, what, where, and why" of a site. Together the three form a complete course in systematic relic hunting — the difference between random finds and documented history.
David Poche Books FAQs
Which David Poche book should I start with?
Finding Civil War Campsites in Rural Areas — locating sites is the prerequisite for everything else. Add Interpreting History from Relics once you have a camp producing, and the CD when you want the advanced interpretation methods.
Do these methods require special equipment?
Mostly research tools you already have: topographic maps, air photos and online imagery, and a basic handheld GPS for waypoint mapping. Any quality relic-capable detector handles the fieldwork — the edge these books give you is knowing where to take it.
Are the books beginner-friendly?
Yes — they're written as "how to" manuals usable by both beginners and experienced relic hunters, with examples, checklists, and extensive source lists throughout.
Why Buy from Serious Detecting
Relic hunting is research-driven, and these are the research books we recommend when customers ask how to find their first camp. Add them to a detector or digger order and everything ships together — orders over $99 ship free in the lower 48, and 2,700+ verified buyers rate us 4.9 stars.
