The Flank Company
The Flank Company, a division of Brockington and Associates, is an interdisciplinary team which focuses on research, identification, and evaluation of military-related historic properties. We are historians, archaeologists, and educators who believe these resources represent some of the most profound events in our nation’s history. Each of us has specialized research interests, and all of us truly enjoy working with military history. This allows us to be very effective in using a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach.
About Our Name
During the American Revolution armies fought in long, close-ranked lines. The flanks, or ends, of these formations were the most vulnerable positions. A successful enemy flank attack could be devastating. For this reason, the flank companies of each battalion or regiment had to have the most disciplined and dependable soldiers in the unit.
We see ourselves in this tradition. Military-related history projects can pose the greatest challenges in cultural resource management. Each project is unique, and a well developed knowledge of historic events, military tactics, and technological innovations is necessary from the outset. Our historians are skilled researchers and are familiar with military related record groups at all the major archival repositories. Facts gleaned from these research centers are used to compile exciting and dynamic historic contexts. The contexts, in turn, often drive the research focus during the fieldwork.
Battlefields
Battlefields have long been discussed only by historians, because they are difficult to study using traditional archaeological methods. Our use of increasingly sophisticated technology, however, has been equal to the task. Remote sensing techniques, GPS receivers, GIS mapping software, and satellite photography assist us to determine exactly where military engagements took place.
We have successfully used remote sensing to determine the archaeological integrity of well-known Civil War battlefields like Stones River (TN), Secessionville (SC), and Resaca (GA). Metal detectors helped locate "lost" Revolutionary War battlefields of Fish Dam Ford (SC) and Eutaw Springs (SC). It is typical for us to map carefully each artifact using a TotalStation laser transit with datums recorded by GPS receivers.
Historic maps contain useful data, but they often weren’t precisely scaled and don’t correspond well to our modern topographic maps. We use Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software to “rubbersheet” known landmarks and geographic features on modern maps. This information, coupled with the archaeological data (also mapped as a GIS layer), provides convincing evidence of actual fighting and troop movements during the time of the battle.
Forts
In many cases fortifications are still visible to even to a casual observer. Their historic context is well known, and we are tasked with defining their boundaries, evaluating their integrity, and determining their significance as related to the National Register of Historic Places eligibility criteria. These issues are important to our clients, as this information is used in planning future development.
Larger forts were sometimes rebuilt over many decades. Care must be taken to document how a defensive structure was changed during its different construction phases. Unlike traditional sites, fortifications typically have deeply buried artifact deposits and structural features. Sometimes heavy machinery is used to carefully strip away overburden. This takes a lot of skill from both the operator and archaeologist. We have used this technique, for example, to expose long filled-in Civil War trenches north of Atlanta. We utilized a trackhoe to locate and document original brick magazine walls and heavy timber floors at Fort Albert Sidney Johnston, an earthen Confederate fort in Mobile (AL). Similarly, we used heavy equipment backhoe in Key West (FL) to locate the remains of an original entrance causeway outside the walls of Civil War Fort Zachary Taylor.
Bivouac Areas
We excavated a War of 1812 barracks area at Point Peter in St. Marys (GA). Little was found in the way of sanitary conditions at Point Peter. Instead, oyster shells and other trash was simply piled next to the barrack buildings. A nearby well had been abandoned and backfilled with food, bones and military items. Our bone analysis showed the soldiers actively exploited the local environment for fish and deer to supplement their diet, instead of relying simply on issued beef rations. Study of plant and seed remains showed the soldiers also harvested wild plants and fruits to use as both food and medicines.
At Camp Baird, an 1863 Civil War tent camp of the 32nd U.S. Colored Volunteers on Hilton Head (SC), we found evidence of strict discipline. Streets, enlisted men’s tents, officers quarters, and mess areas were all laid out precisely according to regulations. Little refuse was allowed to be scattered about; instead, we exposed a series of large trashpits with numerous bottles, animal bone, and personal items.
Twentieth century military sites are increasingly being recognized for their archaeological significance. We identified and recorded the main cantonment of Camp Wheeler, in Macon (GA). Camp Wheeler was a substantial training area first used during World War I by the 31st (Dixie) Infantry Division. Over 28,000 men were stationed there during 1917-18. During World War II, Camp Wheeler was reactivated and used to induct and train recruits. Over 207,000 individuals went through basic training at Camp Wheeler during 1942-45.
Scott Butler standing next to the brick ammunition magazine wall of Fort Albert Sidney Johnston.
Field crew exposing the foundation of James Oglethorpe's 1738 Watch House at Pikes Bluff.
