found in period camps and contemporary military protocol for camp layout for both the Union

and Confederate army. The rows of huts ran from the top of the ridge downslope to the

northwest for a distance of approximately 300 feet. Based on spacing of 15 feet between hearths

found during the excavations, there would be between 15 to 20 hut sites located on each street,

and approximately 150 huts within the camp. Field observations of 125 depressions closely

mirror this predicted number of huts at the camp. With the pattern of streets and hut sites noted,

the next phase of the field research involved excavations to determine the exact function and

layout of these features.

The Huts

To better understand the camp plan, two areas were selected during the summer of 2002

for intensive testing: Area 1 is located on the easternmost portion of the camp close to the ridge

crest. Area 2 is located in the western area of the camp on the downslope portion of the company

streets. The first step in testing these areas was to clear the site of brush and leaf litter to expose

surface features. What immediately became apparent was that each depression was associated

with a very slight mound with rocks protruding from the surface. Subsequent excavations

revealed these mounds to mark the location of the hut sites while the depressions were the

remains of borrow/trash pits associated with each hut. In each of the two areas selected for

excavation, two adjacent hut sites were excavated to determine the distance between hearths.

While all four of the huts excavated varied in their superficial expression, all had three aspects in

common—the presence of an at-grade hearth, evidence for stick and mud chimneys, and borrow

pits that were used for refuse disposal. Despite these similarities noticeable differences in

structural elements and material possessions were found. As we will show, these differences

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