Good evening! Let me begin by professing my own ignorance. I'm probably about to sound stupid. 😂 I have a question. Short version is, would any minie-type bullet in the Civil War have had a flat nose with an "x" in the center (to facilitate bloom, maybe)?
Long version. I used to live some miles outside Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. Ten years ago, I bought a metal detector and was trying it out in the front yard and I found what looked like a minie ball in the dirt. Had creamy white surface, rings at the base, and the "x" on the nose. I got a little excited, but someone told us that the "x" means it's relatively modern. So we kept it a while and lost track. Probably went in the trash. No pic, unfortunately. There was a skirmish near where I lived, The Battle of Menard Bayou. The state historical society puts the skirmish at one location, but last night I found a report from a relic hunter of musket and minie balls found at a nearby location instead, moving it closer to me. Then, I found a local historians account that landed where I found it right in the action. So... we may have gotten some very bad advice. Did we lose a neat little find? Very hard to say with no picture, I know, so any bits of knowledge you have is greatly appreciated!
