Identification Assistance Requested

[misipirelichtr]

a friend found this round ball in an agricultural field east of Vicksburg while doing a bit of spring plowing.  It is solid, has a diameter of 3.15 inches, and weights 4 1/4 pounds.  The difference in coloration reflects about 2/3 of the ball was in the ground and the top third exposed.  One side of the ball is relatively flat.

Any ideas?

[scottfromgeorgia]

Sir, Did you check the artillery tables for weight and size specs? Good to get in the habit of always checking there on any round ball you find. The table is at Jack Melton's excellent site at http://civilwarartillery.com/  Technical Information  Shot Tables. Best, Scott

[misipirelichtr]

Scott, as a matter of fact I did, and I should have mentioned that in my post.   The tables are an excellent first point of reference for ID - thanks for raising that question. 

The diameter and weight, while close to a 4 pound solid, are off enough that I have some doubt that it is a four pounder (although there was at least one documented four pound cannon in the area).  Biggest difference is the weight - this one is a few ounces heavier than the weight listed in the tables.  Spec wise, it is very close to a grape from a 42 pound stand - but for the life of me, I can't figure out why a 42 pound grape would be east of Vicksburg.  I can't discern a mold seam either. 

So, I guess what I am really asking is given the dimensions are close to a 4 pound solid, does anyone feel this is what it is?

[emike123]

I just measured one of the balls in the 7" stand of grape I got when we were there at the Corner Drug Store last year and it is 3.17" diameter and 4.22lbs.  Pretty darn close!

Tell your buddy to go back there and find me the top plate I am missing to complete the round

[scottfromgeorgia]

Mike, Do they find those top plates intact in fired round? I would imagine they would splinter.

[emike123]

Yes they do, but of course not always.  Carl has recovered one I am borrowing to complete a stand I have and I have seen or owned fired ones from Maryland Heights, Daufuskie Island, near Shiloh, and Fort Pillow.  They are all uncommon to find but the problem is my 7" is an even more uncommon size than usual.  My round is intact including the top nut save the top plate.  I believe mine was recovered from Snyder's Bluff, however, and not fired so the top plate did probably shatter away during the explosion.  At Snyder's Bluff the rebs blew up their ammo dump when they determined the position was untenable.

[misipirelichtr]

Mike, I don't believe the Snyders Dump had any 32 pound stands of grape recovered there.  Probably recovered from a gun emplacement there.

[emike123]

Interesting Jimmy that only smaller caliber rounds were recovered at the ammo dump site.  You know better than me, and you were also there when Joe Gerache told us where it was recovered so he must've meant one of the gun emplacements up near there.  Its a 7in, not a 32pdr, so if we find the 7in Brooke or 42pdr smoothbore and thats probably where it came from.  Of course there may have been more than one up there but there probably weren't too many.

The bolt is a bit bent and the top gone -- I'll try to post a picture tomorrow -- so it suffered some trauma but obviously was unfired for being complete all except the one piece.

[misipirelichtr]

my bad on the size - I knew it was a 7 incher, but my brain does not always work, especially after a long day of work.  And as an excuse, I have 32 pounders on the brain since all I have in the way of stands of grape is this 32 pound example.

I think I have a reference somewhere on the Vicksburg defenses that may shed some light on cannon emplacements.  I'll do some digging around and see what I can find.