A Small Find, But A Significant Date

[Valley Ranger]

I recently received permission to hunt a small piece of private property near the McDowell Battlefield here in Virginia. This was a significant battle and is considered to the the opening of Stonewall Jackson's legendary Valley Campaign. The terrain was tough - steep, lots of underbrush and low-hanging limbs and slippery from all the recent rains. It also started to drizzle right after I got there to hunt for what I had hoped was going to be 3-4 hours. I was only there a little over an hour, then it started to pour. Didn't want to take a chance on getting the T2 wet, so I packed it in. However I was able to recover this .64 caliber musket ball. The size threw me so I searched and found this comment here on TNet:

"Civil War Projectiles II" shows a .64 caliber paper patched ball cartridge for a Hall Carbine. The carbine was built by Bizhar, Hall Company in Virginia for the Confederacy from 1862-1864. Only 400 were made and one today is valued by collectors at over $10,000. Monty (See: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/175484-64-caliber-musketball.html)

Don't know about mine or not and don't know how I might confirm if it is in fact a Hall, but beyond that possibility, what is significant about this particular one is the date I found it - today, 8 May 2012 and the date it was most likely fired - 8 May 1862. This would be exactly 150 years to the day. It's going in a display case all by itself. Some days you just "know" you're going to make a satisfying find. Today was one of those days.

 

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[Valley Ranger]

Thanks again Quindy and everyone else.

 

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[Valley Ranger]

Here' the latest on this. I emailed Jim Thomas and he was kind enough to respond:

Actually, .64 inch for round shot is not odd, it's typical for era. All muzzleloading weapons needed bullets that were of smaller diameter than the bore in order to be loaded; usually with paper wad used to keep in place. So, .69 caliber muskets used roundshot that was .64 diameter.


The Halls were indeed .64 caliber, but were breechloaders; the ball being forced thru the barrel from the rear. So the regulation ".69 cal." ball (actually .64") was used for both with the only difference being in the cartridge, not the bullet.

I'd suppose what you found is a typical CW-era .69 cal. musket ball. Probably not a Hall only because there were so few of those weapons made.

I hope this helps,


Jim Thomas



I'm still learning this hobby. I'm 54 and have been a student and lover of history since I was a kid, but only came to relic hunting in 2010. I hope to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[leprechaun]

Musket balls are very cool finds,I find them after a storm at the beach.