Is this Grapeshot?

[jritter]

I found this in woods next to a civil war battlefield. I have seen similar looking pieces referred to as "shot", but this is bigger than the ones I have seen. It is round with a cross shape on top, but the bottom of the item appears to have a piece broken off. There is also a small square part on the side, as if manufactured attached to other "shots". Any ID would be appreciated, also is there a safe way to clean it? Thanks in advance.

[13rannon]

Doesn't look like any shot I have seen before, but maybe.

Cool find.

[jritter]

Thanks for the reply. Anyone else have an ID? It is appreciated.

[PCGeorge]

Sorry to have to tell you... no, the item you found is definitely not a grapeshot, nor any other kind of artillery projectile.

The form/shape of ALL civil war (and earlier) cannonballs, grapeshot balls, and canister balls was a "Perfect Sphere" (also called a True sphere), like a glass marble or a ball-bearing. They were never lumpy/bumpy, out-of-round, or "round-ish" (like an egg or an apple or a green pea).

Occasionally, the ironcasting-mold was "mis-aligned" during casting of a ball, which resulted in a ball with offset halves (also called a "sideslipped" casting). But, the form of each half of the ball is still perfectly-round.

For example, here's a photo of an actual Stand of grapeshot.

For additional proof, take a look at books or civil war artillery websites which show actual cannonballs, grapeshot, and canister ammunition. You'll notice that all of the balls are perfectly-round ...even when they are a "sideslipped" casting.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]

[PCGeorge]

I forgot to mention:
The lumpy-bumpy iron item you found is most probably a "Crusher" ball, used for crushing rocks (such as, turning bigger rocks into gravel), or for pulverizing coal. Such "balls" made for those purposes do not need to have a Perfect Sphere shape.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]

[jritter]

PCGeorge, you do not think it was round to begin with but struck something, like a cannon for example, changing its shape? It does seem to look similar to the "F" shots in the attached thumbnail. It has the square piece on the side, but is disfigured (from striking an object?). I appreciate the "crusher" ball information, I will look into that. Would the Union or Confederate army have used a coal crushing device on the battlefield, or had one with them? Does anyone else have an opinion? Thanks.

Jack

[PCGeorge]

Jritter wrote:
> PCGeorge, you do not think it was round to begin with but struck something, like a cannon for example, changing its shape?

I've previously studied that question, extensively, by investigating Metallurgy. The answer to the question is definitely No. Metallurgists call Cast-Iron a "brittle" metal, not a "malleable" (flexible) metal. Cast-Iron refuses to bend, flex, or "smush" (meaning, compress down or outward) upon even tremendous impact. Instead, it will break/shatter. That is why civil war bayonets, knife-blades, and swords were made of Wrought-Iron (a malleable/flexible form or iron), instead of Cast-Iron. Sorry, but there is absolute certainty that your iron object's shape is not the result of "smushing" by impact on a cannon or anything else.

> It does seem to look similar to the "F" shots in the attached thumbnail.

The "F" item is two small (.5"-to.7" diameter) IRON artillery case-shot/canister balls which were manufactured by casting in a Gang-Mold (a type of metal-casting mold which produces multiple items each time it is filled with molten metal, instead of a single item like most molds do). The various cavities in the Gang-Mold are connected to each other by a small tunnel, allowing the molten metal to flow into all the cavities. When the mold is opened and the "gang" of connected iron balls gets removed, the maker whacks them with a heavy hammer, breaking them loose from each other. But sometimes, the maker wasn't diligent enough to break every ball loose from its neighbor.

In the photo, the somewhat "smushed" shape of balls A, C, and E shows that they are lead balls, a metal which is malleable/flexible enough for its shape to be changed by impact. (As we see with fired lead musketballs and Minie-balls.)

> Would the Union or Confederate army have used a coal crushing device on the battlefield, or had one with them?

No... pulverized coal was used for creating the super-hot fire needed to melt iron, copper, & brass in a Metal Foundry's work. An army in the field had no need to pulverize coal. Civil war armies did have Blacksmiths, but their job only involved heating iron enough to bend it into another shape -- such as horseshoes -- not to melt it for doing Metalcasting.

About how your definitely non-military "bumpy" iron ball got to where you found it:
Probably for the reason of simple "convenience" in rural areas, old (no-longer-needed) rock-crusher balls and cement-truck-tank-cleaner balls have frequently gotten dumped (disposed of) in country fields and woods. I know personally that they've turned up in such places from time. For example, in my collection I own a lump of cement/concrete which has several cement-truck-tank-cleaner balls showing in it. A relic-hunter found it at the edge of an abandoned farm-field at the Chancellorsville VA battle site.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]

[jritter]

PCGeorge, thank you for your informative, yet admittedly dissapointing, information. Does anyone else have an opinion or educated guess? It is an old piece of iron found at a battle location.

[CWArtillery]

I absolutely agree with Pete. The iron item you have is undoubtedly not a cannister or grape. I've dug many dozens and and seen thousands and they are always round.

[jritter]

I was pretty hopeful I had found a relic of the civil war, given its place of discovery. What are the odds of a relic being found above ground, even with storms and such? Is it most unlikely? Thank you for your comments.