Need help identifying bullets

[Bossgobbler23]

I am new at digging civil war relics. My knowlege is very basic at identifying even the most common bullets. I dug these bullets on a private farm with permission near the Gaines Mill battle area. I would like to make a display case and list what they are. For reference I believe the one on the far right is a .58 caliber. The one on the far left might be a Burnside? Beside the possible Burnside, the other 3 bullets have 2 rings. The bottom views are very different.

Also, I found a New York officers button with much of its gilding in tact. What New York unit(s) retreated and/or camped near the Powhite Farm near Gaines Mill?

Any help would be appreciated.
Thank You

[{Sentinel}]

Starting from the Left:

1. May be a Gardiner that has been fired....Not sure but definitely CW

2. Sharps Carbine
Diameter Length Weight Caliber MM# TT#
.538 .871 381 .54 45V Base: 1


3.Sharps Carbine
Diameter Length Weight Caliber MM# TT#
.545 .965 442 .52 206 114b
Base: 5

4. Gardner Patent
Diameter Length Weight Caliber MM# TT#
.569 1.130 534 .577 173 162c
Base: 3

[wildrider]

Starting from the Left:

1. May be a Gardiner that has been fired....Not sure but definitely CW

2. Sharps Carbine
Diameter Length Weight Caliber MM# TT#
.538 .871 381 .54 45V Base: 1


2.Sharps Carbine
Diameter Length Weight Caliber MM# TT#
.545 .965 442 .52 206 114b
Base: 5

3. Gardner Patent
Diameter Length Weight Caliber MM# TT#
.569 1.130 534 .577 173 162c
Base: 3

#1 is a Williams Cleaner without the twist off zinc bottom.

I tend to agree with the rest.

Burt

[Bossgobbler23]

Thanks guys!
I did in fact find the Williams cleaner bullets with bases. I guess I never did consider that the base could've fallen off.

Are the Sharps & Gardner CSA?

[wildrider]

Gardner yes

Sharps not necessarily.

Burt

[DennisB]

Gardner Patent....How much they worth?


Dennis

[d2]

You could probably get on ebay and find out what the gardners are selling for...d2

[JChambers]

Hope this can be some help to you...NY Regiments involved in the battle of Gaines Mills were the 1st NY Dragoons Cavalry brigade (weapon of choice of course Sharps Carbine), and the 16th NY Infantry

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2...862gaines.html

this website gives a detailed report on their actions that day, hopefully it can be of some help to you. It also seems that the 12th and the 44th NY infantry were also involved and they all were pushed back during the battle. Either way nice find and good luck in the future!

[cwbullet]

Gardner is about $3-5. The rest go for $1-3. On ebay you might get more if you know the troops that used the area of the find.

[{Sentinel}]

Well Sharps Carbine was the choice weapon for the Union Cavalry period. It gave them a big advantage over our Southern cavalry especially in the later years. Some regiments used them as well. In addition, some were used by our boys but it was difficult to produce ammunition for these guns in the South so many times if a Confederate picked one up, he would only have the ammo that was in the Spencer and what ever the dead Yankee had in his ammo pouch.
The Spencer is given credit for ending the war. Rather than Lee marching his men through Union cavalry with repeating Spencers, he surreneder because he knew it would have been an unnecessary lose of life. If he could have slipped below the NC line though and met up with Johnstons army. He would have had a nice new army of over 60000 men.

[cwbullet]

Sharps Carbine is an interesting weapon. It was reproduced by the south, but was not widely used. There weapons typically used a 54-56 caliber bullet and had a paper or linen cartridge. The breech would slam shut and open the cartridge.

[BamaBill]

"Rather than Lee marching his men through Union cavalry with repeating Spencers, he surreneder because he knew it would have been an unnecessary lose of life. If he could have slipped below the NC line though and met up with Johnstons army. He would have had a nice new army of over 60000 men."

I think you're forgetting what shape the Army of Northern Virginia was in and how pitiful they're supplies and food were. Lee's decision was based on a bunch of factors.

[d2]

Yep, it was supplies and the lack there, of that was the deciding factor I think in the decision to surrender...d2

[JChambers]

The lack of supplies was a major factor, but the Union cavalry did play an important role. Sherridan was notorious in the south for being a tyrant. Johnston's army along with Lee's would have been able to get enough supplies for another major push, but Lee realized on his way to link up with Johnston that he would not make it. The Union cavalry held him up by riding all around and all over his lines. The infantry was taking a bit of time to catch up, but Grant's forces would have never been able to encircle Lee's forces on their own without the help of Sherridan's cavalry. Sorry, I have to agree with Sentinal...