Archaeological Mitigation of Six Sites (9CE571, 9CE573, 9CE1040, 9CE1746, 9CE1931, and 9CE1942) Within the Good Hope Heavy Maneuver Area, Fort Benning Military Reservation, Chattahoochee County, Georgia

Under a continuing services contract with the U.S. Army Infantry Center, Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division, Fort Benning Military Reservation, Panamerican Consultants, Inc. (PCI) conducted a series of Phase III archaeological mitigations at six sites within the reservation. The objective of the excavations was to mitigate as much of the sites as possible before construction activities associated with the creation of the Good Hope Heavy Maneuver Area began. This work was undertaken in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended; Executive Order 11593 (Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment); and the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974. Six sites (9CE571 , 9CE573, 9CE 1040, 9CE 17 46, 9CE 1931 , and 9CE 1942) were excavated during this set of Phase III mitigations. Site 9CE571 had been deemed eligible without a Phase II investigation being conducted, so it was determined advantageous to conduct limited testing instead of proceeding with a more time-intensive mitigation. Very little was found during this investigation and all of the ceramics recovered came from a surface context. Other than a nail fragment, no evidence of a structure was found. The function of this small historic artifact scatter remains unknown. It is possible that a small amount of cultural material was re-deposited here from another site. Site 9CE573 is located in this same land lot and seems to be the location of the landowner's home. Any material located in the area of 9CE571 is probably incidental and associated with this larger, artifact-rich site. Site 9CE573 contained a series of push piles with bricks, foundation stones, and other artifacts. No intact chimney foundation base was found, but it can be inferred from the pushpile locations that the main house was situated just west of an unnamed dirt road about 2.5 km south of the Jamestown (also known as Shiloh Methodist) cemetery. Remnants of a possible shed or outbuilding were discovered behind the main house area, as were the location of several pit features and post features. An analysis of the nails found yields a construction date of the house site between 1855 and 1890. This date is somewhat refined by an equation using the thickness of window glass to a date range between 1874 and 1888. While some early artifacts were recovered from the Phase II and III work, much of the cultural material seemed to date to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Site 9CE 1040 consisted of a late nineteenth to early twentieth century house site. The Phase III excavation efforts were concentrated in the eastern area of the site around the two chimney foundations and the previously discovered well feature. The house was approximately 30 ft. in length with a chimney at each end. This structure could easily be a dogtrot or central hallway house, although without more structural elements the precise style is unknown. Subsurface features associated with the house include a well, which was partially excavated during the Phase II work, a probable fence post, trash pits, a probable cesspool, and a possible clay mining depression. This structure was probably built during the last quarter of the nineteenth century and lived in until the early part of the twentieth century, when the military acquired the property. Site 9CE1746 contained surface and subsurface features including two chimney foundations (at eastern and western ends of the house structure), a rectangular stone and brick foundation for an outbuilding, a privy, and post molds. Another nearby brick pile was not investigated and may represent another outbuilding. The excavated chimney contained both hand made and extruded brick, leading to the conclusion that the chimney was built post-1870 with a combination of new extruded brick and salvaged hand made brick. The ratio of machine-cut to wire nails indicates the house was constructed prior to 1890. Adding in the date of 1878 to 1892 gathered from analysis of the window glass thickness leads to a plausible date range of 1870 to 1890 for the building of this house. The artifacts recovered agree with this and also indicate that the house was occupied into the early years of the twentieth century before the property was sold to the U.S. Government in 1919. Site 9CE1931 consists of a light density historic non-Indian artifact scatter with a few Indian artifacts. In general, the artifacts recovered from this site seem to be earlier than many of the historic non-Indian sites at Fort Benning. The dearth of wire nails gives a date of pre-1855 for the site. Ceramic decorative techniques found at the site were common from 1830 to 1860 and a lack of amethyst glass (pre-1880) and other items date this site to the earliest time of white occupation and settlement. The Phase III excavation efforts were concentrated in the general area of the previously discovered privy feature, with the hope that more features would be present in this area. Unfortunately, that did not come to pass and the artifact recovery was slight. It is surmised that the structure associated with the privy has been so effectively razed by the military that no trace of it still exists. No brick piles that would denote a chimney fall are present, and very little architectural material was encountered. It is possible that the landowner lived in town in the later years, while maintaining farming practices at 9CE 1931 with hired laborers. If no one was maintaining a residence at the site during those years, it would explain the lack of late nineteenth to early twentieth century artifacts. Site 9CE1942 contained the remains of three historic structures. Chimney remains were found at Structure 1 that demonstrated the orientation of the chimney and therefore the house. A few fields tones were located in such an area as to be suspect foundation stones, but the locale has been so well demolished by the military that the structure outline is not known. Structure 1 was located west of the old road bed and east of the modem Blue Ridge Road. Approximately 87 m south of Structure 1 lies the next house within this site boundary. Structure 2 was also found between Blue Ridge Road and the old road bed. The remains of one sandstone foundation chimney were found, although this structure has obviously been vigorously razed. No other intact foundation stones were noted here, although numerous push piles were present, which probably harbor the structural remains. Farther still to the south, some 220 m from Structure 2, and on the opposite, or west side of Blue Ridge Road, sits Structure 3. The old road bed is unclear in this area, but this structure seems to be located at a greater distance from the old road. The remains of a double-sided fireplace were found, as well as a probable root cellar. The cellar is south of the chimney by about 4 m and may be underneath a detached kitchen. Several fieldstones were noted within an area of large pushpiles, but, as they were displaced, they were no help in determining structure size or type. It is assumed that all the structures faced the old road bed. While the exact year these houses were built eludes definition, it is fairly certain they were all constructed in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Maker's marks found on glass and pottery indicate that people lived in these houses until the property was bought by the U.S. Government in 1919. While all of the six sites were not completely mitigated, three of the sites are scheduled to be impacted across the entire site. These are 9CE571 , 9CE573, and 9CE1746. The remaining three sites (9CE1040, 9CE1931 , and 9CE1942) will not be completely impacted by planned construction activities. The nonimpacted portions of these three sites remain NRHP eligible under Criterion D.