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

by Harry Ridgeway



Research Center: Artillery1752-Ball8in
Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, thin walled mortar with lifting ears, wood fuze with 1.25in. opening, likely Confederate manufacture, smoothbore mortar, 8in.
Projectile was manufactured in the Confederate arsenals for the heavy mortars. This pattern is likely Confederate based on the unusual shape of the tong holes, the hole is wide. Designed for siege operations, these guns were designed to send a projectile on a high trajectory into the enemy trench. Depth of the fuze hole is approximately 1.5in., this is much lighter than the Columbiad seige gun. Many were cast with tong or lifting ears for lifting into a mortar. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, Jones Fuzes pg. 2, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, larger opening, 1.25in. for a mortar. Projectile measures: diameter 7.9in., weight 45lbs.
Research Center: Artillery1752-Ball8in, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 57.

Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery1752-Ball8in.html.


A1403...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, thin walled mortar with lifting ears, wood fuze with 1.25in. opening, likely Confederate manufacture, smoothbore mortar, 8in.

Projectile was manufactured in the Confederate arsenals for the heavy mortars. This pattern is likely Confederate based on the unusual shape of the tong holes, the hole is wide. Designed for siege operations, these guns were designed to send a projectile on a high trajectory into the enemy trench. Depth of the fuze hole is approximately 1.5in., this is much lighter than the Columbiad seige gun. Many were cast with tong or lifting ears for lifting into a mortar. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, Jones Fuzes pg. 2, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, larger opening, 1.25in. for a mortar. Projectile measures: diameter 7.9in., weight 45lbs. Wood fuze is intact. Projectile is disarmed, drill hole through the paper section of the time fuze.. Recovered: not known.
Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 57.

A2361...Smoothbore artillery projectile, spherical ball, bursting shell, thin walled mortar with lifting ears, wood fuze with 1.25in. opening, likely Confederate manufacture, smoothbore mortar, 8in.
Projectile was manufactured in the Confederate arsenals for the heavy mortars. This pattern is likely Confederate based on the unusual shape of the tong holes, the hole is wide. Designed for siege operations, these guns were designed to send a projectile on a high trajectory into the enemy trench. Depth of the fuze hole is approximately 1.5in., this is much lighter than the Columbiad seige gun. Many were cast with tong or lifting ears for lifting into a mortar. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, Jones Fuzes pg. 2, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, larger opening, 1.25in. for a mortar. Projectile measures: diameter 7.9in., weight 45lbs. Wood fuze is missing. Projectile is disarmed, open fuze hole exposes empty interior. Recovered: not known.
Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 57.


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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