Canister bottom?

[bnoll]

A friend of mine found this iron plate the other day and asked me to post it on here. Don't know exactly what it is but I believe it may be a bottom of a canister round. This thing is pretty small though. Approximately 2.65 to 2.70 inches in diameter, 25 inch thick a good deal smaller than the usuall 3 inch and 3.67 inch ones that are found. Is anybody aware of anything used in Murfreesboro (Stones River) that is slightly smaller than the 2.9 inch Parrot? I have a feeling Pete will be the only one that will be able to answer this but if any of you have info on it, I would greatly appriciate it!
Thanks.

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[PCGeorge]

The plate diameter you reported, 2.7" or a bit less, is appropriate for a 2.9"-caliber Parrott Canister. The reason the diameter of a plate from Canister ammo is smaller than the body of a shell (or solid-shot) for the same gun-caliber is that the plate was surrounded by a sheet-iron cylinder. Thus, a typical 12-pounder (4.62") caliber Canister plate is about 4.42" in diameter, whereas cannonballs of the same caliber (4.62") are typically 4.52" in diameter.

Rgerads,
Pete [P.C. George]