Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
	Civil War Artillery
	by Harry Ridgeway

Research Center: Artillery1434-Ball24pdr

Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18lbs. Research Center: Artillery1434-Ball24pdr, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48. Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery1434-Ball24pdr.html.

A1697...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18.5lbs., empty. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: La Fourche Rail Crossing outside Tipado, Louisiana, found Nov 1974. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48.

A1698...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18lbs. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48.

A2329...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18.5lbs. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48.

A2827...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18lbs. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48.

A2828...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18lbs. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48.

A2945...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Projectile with the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. However it could alternately be used for the longer range cannons Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. This pattern is Confederate manufacture during the war. Instead of the usual round bursting chamber the interior was segmented into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18lbs. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48.

A2948...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, polygonal cavity diamond pattern, wood time fuze with .875in. opening, Coehorn mortar, smoothbore 24 pounder, 5.82in. Ball with polygonal cavity and the small wood fuze hole was intended for the Coehorn mortar, a relatively light cannon that could be lifted and placed into position by a couple of strong men behind a trench line, it was effective against troops in the opposing trench line. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Shell was cast for a smaller opening, (.875in. versus 1.125in.) may have originally distinguished the mortar from the howitzer cannon, but the difference is slight and apparently either would do if needed. By segmenting the interior into polygonal forms, points of weakness would be created to facilitate more uniform fragmentation. This pattern was cast using the four sided diamond shape, (Dickey & George Fig C-4 pg. 527), wall is very thick. Often the core would drift off center during casting, the resultant off-center cavity would tend to negate the benefits of the segmented interior. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., weight 18lbs. Cut shell shows diagonal polygonal interior. Wood fuze missing. Projectile is disarmed, cut shell exposes interior. Recovered: Spanish Fort, Blakeley, Alabama. Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 48. Cut shell

This is the "Ridgeway Civil War Research Center", a research tool for educational purposes only, and is provided at no cost to the reader. Some of the relics listed are retained in the author's collection, most reside in other collections and are not owned by the author. None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to relicman.com sales listings for items offered for sale. This is a work in progress, I list items as I get to them, there are many patterns that are not listed yet, this list will be regularly updated as I get pictures and descriptions for more items. I will also correct mistakes, so if you see any please tell me. All items listed are believed to be authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described. This information is available for research purposes, pictures may be used by permission only.
All excavated artifacts have been recovered from private property with owner's permission.
All projectiles listed have been disarmed.

Most information on this page is from:
Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War, 1993 Edition. by Thomas S. Dickey and Peter C. George.
Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance, A Guide to Large Artillery Prjectiles, Torpedoes, and Mines, by Jack Bell.
Artillery Fuses of the Civil War, by Charles H. Jones.
Pictures are by the author, unless otherwise indicated.

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.

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