Need help identifying projectile...

[Secesh]

Hello all,
A lady friend of mine recently returned from a trip to her parent's farm, located on the Tennessee - Alabama border. In one of her father's fields she found a group of 6 small iron balls, approximately the size of a large plum. They were scattered across this large field. I at first thought they were canister, being solid and spherical, but am now thinking they could be some type of small cannonball. She weighed it on a scale in her home and said it weighs in at less than a pound. Any ideas? Thanks.

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Could be Grape Shot. Depending on the size of the gun, the Grape Shot varied in size, but were larger than canister balls. Where exactly is the farm located? I ask because finding out if there were any kind of conflicts in the area would help making sure it was a projectile.

[Blair]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Tom,

Any idea on the diameter of these plum size balls? What would that be, about two inches each?
Might they be "grape shot" instead of canister?

[Secesh]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

It is about 3'' in diameter...the farm is near the Murphreesboro battlefield....I also thought that it could be from a small caliber cannon attached to a cav unit, or even pre-date the Civil War, being from the Shawnee uprising...

[Blair]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Tom,

3 inch is pretty large for "grape shot" in a gun or howitzer that would/could be deployed in the field. An 8 " Howitzer on a 32 pounder gun field carriage would be about the largest caliber one might find. These were normally used in siege operations and grape shot would be useless for this.
A rather diminutive, but deadly Confederate muzzle loading rifled field gun by the name of "Weird" gun (spelling) was just under a 3 inch caliber. Something like a 2.75" cal. (if my memory serves me correctly.)
Research into various Artillery units (or Home Guard units) that served in this area may help lead you to identifying the piece. (may help)
Keep in mind this could also be from a much older type/style gun (as you may already suspect) that was pressed into service by a local Militia unit. Either wayl, it could be a neat find and may justify going back into the area with a metal detector.
The original caliber for a Parrot Rifle was 2.90" cal. But these shot a conical projectile (don't know of these shooting a round ball) and were generally refereed to a 10 pounders Parrot's because of shooting the elongated projectile.

[David Fox]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

The stubby, patented Waird rifle was allegedly steel (recent corings show it not to be much more than iron), bored and rifled 2.6", fired elongated projectiles, was Union made and Confederate only by right of capture. These iron balls, if indeed they are projectiles and not some other usage (really big ball bearings, polishing media, etc), would have been for some deminuative smoothbore.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Blair,

If your talking about the Wiard gun, they were not Cornfed. The gun was invented by Norman Wiard and cast in NYC... and they were rifles.

[Secesh]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

I do not think they are ball bearings....they are not perfectly round and have quite a bit of patina, rusting, and pitting...2.75 " dia. sounds about right. It is about the size of a plum....I also want to add that flint arrowheads were also found in this field...

[VaTrooper]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Sounds kinda light a 3" piece of steel.

[Secesh]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

I'll try to obtain a pic of it, but it does seem to be grape shot.

[Brian Baird]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Tom, there was quite abit of heavy guns in and around Murfreesboro. John Mendenhall submitted a report on 1-14-64 and reported that they had at Bat. Mitchell 2 8 inch howitzers. One 8 inch at Lunette Paler, 2 more at Lunette McCook, 1 at Lunette Negley, 1 8 inch & 1 24 pdr at Lunette Rousseau, redoubt Johnson 3 24 pdr, Redoubt Schofield had 2 24 pdr seige, Redoubt Wood 4 24 pdr rifles, Redoubt Brannan 8 inch howitzer. There were CS forces sent to threaten Murfreesboro when Hood advanced in November of 1864. This report in in the OR's.
Brian Baird

[Secesh]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

Thanks Brian. I appreciate the info.

[65thgainf]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

I have three metal detectors and would love to hunt those fields [grin]. I can loan the other two to her family members, if they want to join in.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

It is about 3'' in diameter...the farm is near the Murphreesboro battlefield....I also thought that it could be from a small caliber cannon attached to a cav unit, or even pre-date the Civil War, being from the Shawnee uprising...

Tom, It sounds like Grape shot. It is too large to be cannister shot.

http://books.google.com/books?id=02cDAAAAYAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22United%20States.%20War%20Dept%22&lr&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1850&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1866&as_brr=1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

[robert-m]

Re: Need help identifying projectile...

I think that Pete has hit the jackpot. But they are defiantly in the 24 pound gun range easily, at least from the descriptions. There is no telling as to what else may be in the field.