I came to the same conclusions as Carl and John estimations that the rebel shell described is most likely a refitted US Schenkl shell. When I first read the description the words lug, pin, wood and paper time fuse started me thinking of a Mullane type shell, but the kicker is the conical shape & ribs.
Whether or not the confederates had a paper fuse adapter that would fit in a Schenkl was quickly answered by Carl. (Very nice!) One aspect I found very interesting was that the rebel workmen also covered the replacement wood sabot in zinc. The early Schenkl production rounds were also covered in a zinc jacket, but my understanding was that this was to prevent moister from swelling the paper mache’, not to help the projectile take to the rifling. Of course the zinc didn’t work and gunners in the field had to cut the zinc jacket off and whittle down the paper mache’ so the round would fit in the gun. Sounds like a “slight” inconvenience when someone’s shooting back at you. So I wonder if the zinc over the wood was to help keep the wood fragments in the rifling, or they were just copycatting the original Schenkl thought?
Doug
AKA Treadhead
