Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War |
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Civil War Artillery | |
by Harry Ridgeway |
Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, "case shot", Confederate copper time fuze, lead sideplug, smoothbore 12 pounder, 4.62in. Projectile is Confederate wartime manufacture for the light smoothbore "Napoleon" cannon using the copper time fuze designed to detonate in the air above the target, spreading fragments against troops in the open field. Those with side plugs were generally configured as case shot (approx 10lbs. with iron balls), those without side plugs are usually "common" (approx 9lbs.) and without balls. This shell is "case shot" and employed a side plug as a way to load iron balls into the shell. Conventional case shot shells were usually filled with soft matrix and lead balls, an auger would be used to drill through the lead balls and the matrix to create a void for the powder train. Because of a shortage of lead, the Confederates substituted iron balls. To drill through a mixture of matrix and iron balls would be difficult, so a sizing rod would be inserted through the fuze hole to reserve a void for the powder, the iron balls and matrix would be loaded through a side hole, once loaded the side hole would be plugged, the sizing rod would be removed, and the powder train would be filled. This one was sealed with a lead sideplug. Fuze employed was a Confederate copper time fuze, short pattern for spherical projectiles, with flange and spanner holes, the fuze hole is recessed to seat the flange flush with the curvature of the ball, (Jones pg. 38). Projectile measures: diameter 4.52in., weight 10lbs. Research Center: Artillery1262-Ball12pdr, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 32. Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery1262-Ball12pdr.html. |
A2900...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, "case shot", Confederate copper time fuze, lead sideplug, smoothbore 12 pounder, 4.62in. Projectile is Confederate wartime manufacture for the light smoothbore "Napoleon" cannon using the copper time fuze designed to detonate in the air above the target, spreading fragments against troops in the open field. Those with side plugs were generally configured as case shot (approx 10lbs. with iron balls), those without side plugs are usually "common" (approx 9lbs.) and without balls. This shell is "case shot" and employed a side plug as a way to load iron balls into the shell. Conventional case shot shells were usually filled with soft matrix and lead balls, an auger would be used to drill through the lead balls and the matrix to create a void for the powder train. Because of a shortage of lead, the Confederates substituted iron balls. To drill through a mixture of matrix and iron balls would be difficult, so a sizing rod would be inserted through the fuze hole to reserve a void for the powder, the iron balls and matrix would be loaded through a side hole, once loaded the side hole would be plugged, the sizing rod would be removed, and the powder train would be filled. This one was sealed with a lead sideplug. Fuze employed was a Confederate copper time fuze, short pattern for spherical projectiles, with flange and spanner holes, the fuze hole is recessed to seat the flange flush with the curvature of the ball, (Jones pg. 38). Projectile measures: diameter 4.52in., weight 10lbs. Projectile is cut exposing case shot balls in sulfur matrix, time fuze and the lead side plug. Copper time fuze and lead plug intact. Projectile is disarmed, drill hole through the paper section of the time fuze. Recovered: Richmond, Petersburg, Virginia campaign. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 32. |
Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War. Artillery Research center, artillery, click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery0000-Index.html. Research center, artillery, click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery0000-Index.html. |
Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway, Civil War artillery, Relicman sales catalog. Click here: http://relicman.com/artillery/RelicmanSalesArtillery1.html. Artillery for sale: http://relicman.com/artillery/RelicmanSalesArtillery1.html. |