Cannonball from Gettysburg area! BIG & HEAVY

[wbtaylor73]

55 years ago my brother-in-law found (dug up?) this cannonball during a Boy Scouts camping trip to the Gettysburg area.
He died awhile back and it was given to his sister.
She needed $$$ so I bought it for $100.00.

Details: The cannonball has a diameter of 6.37 inches and weighs 40 lbs. It's solid and there are no holes in it.

If anyone knows anything about this, I'd appreciate any help given as to what I may have.

Is it a $100 piece of garbage?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

First, let me provide Credibility for my answer to your question. I am the co-author of the 552-page historical artillery reference book "Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War." Sorry to have to tell you, your "Gettyburg ball" is absolutely not an artillery ball. We know for certain, because the SUPER-PRECISE diameter and weight measurements of all the sizes of cannonballs used in the civil war were recorded in the US Ordnance Manual of 1861. (The Confederates used the same sizes.)
Cannon bore, shot, and shell diameters for smoothbore guns

The only actual cannonball whose size and weight are anywhere close to your ball is a 32-Pounder (6.4"-caliber) solid-shot cannonball... whose precise diameter was 6.25-inches and precise weight was 32.4 pounds. Your ball weighs 40 pounds, and it's diameter is 6.37-inches. Those measurements flatly exclude it from being a cannonball.

So what is it? Here is the definite answer:
Your ball weighs "about" 15% more than a CAST-IRON 6.37" ball would weigh. This means your ball is made of steel. The 1861 Ordnance Manual says ALL civil war cannonballs were made of cast-iron.

Your report that this steel ball was found "at Gettysburg" provides a helpful clue to the ball's actual identity. There has long been a major rock-&-stonemilling quarry in operation near Gettysburg. Stonemills use what are called "rock-crusher" balls (a.k.a. Mill-Balls) in a massive Tumbler-Mill to turn big rocks into gravel. See the illustration of an Industrial Tumbler Mill, below.) Of course, the rock-crusher balls are made of steel, because it is a much tougher metal than simple cast-iron.

 

[bradyboy]

CBG never ceases to amaze me with his wealth of knowledge.
Straight forward, and will always post factual info to quickly dispel theory's
A HUGE asset to this community.
A fan
BradyBoy

 

[smokeythecat]

There were copper mines a few miles west of Gettysburg.

 

[xaos]

Your report that it was found "at Gettysburg" provides a helpful clue to the ball's actual identity. There has long been a major rock-&-stonemilling quarry in operation near Gettysburg. Stonemills use what are called "rock-crusher balls (a.k.a. Mill-balls) in a massive Tumbler-Mi9ll to turn big rocks into gravel. See the illustration of an Industrial Tumbler Mill, below.) Of course, the rock-crusher balls are made of steel, because it is a much tougher metal than simple cast-iron.

Yes, a ball mill! I was going to say ball mill that were used to crush the cooked limestone into powder for cement making...




There are many kiln parks in that area, images are from the Lime kilns at Lime Kiln, Canoe Park kilns, Wrightsville kilns, all not too far from Gettysburg...

 

[fyrffytr1]

First, let me provide Credibility for my answer to your question. I am the co-author of the 552-page historical artillery reference book "Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War." Sorry to have to tell you, your "Gettyburg ball" is absolutely not an artillery ball. We know for certain, because the SUPER-PRECISE diameter and weight measurements of all the sizes of cannonballs used in the civil war were recorded in the US Ordnance Manual of 1861. (The Confederates used the same sizes.)
Cannon bore, shot, and shell diameters for smoothbore guns

The only actual cannonball whose size and weight are anywhere close to your ball is a 32-Pounder (6.4"-caliber) solid-shot cannonball... whose precise diameter was 6.25-incches and precise weight was precisely 32.4 pounds. Your ball weighs 40 pounds, and it's diameter is 6.37-inches. Those measurements flaly exclude it from being a cannonball.

So what is it? Here is the definite answer:
Your ball weighs "about" 15% more than a CAST-IRON ball 6.37" ball would weigh. This means your ball is made of steel. The 1861 Ordnance Manual says ALL civil war cannonballs were made of cast-iron.

Your report that it was found "at Gettysburg" provides a helpful clue to the ball's actual identity. There has long been a major rock-&-stonemilling quarry in operation near Gettysburg. Stonemills use what are called "rock-crusher balls (a.k.a. Mill-balls) in a massive Tumbler-Mi9ll to turn big rocks into gravel. See the illustration of an Industrial Tumbler Mill, below.) Of course, the rock-crusher balls are made of steel, because it is a much tougher metal than simple cast-iron.

Again, a very detailed and informative explanation. I thought about buying a copy of your book but the high price it commands for a used copy is too much for my retired pocketbook!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Fyrffytr1 wrote:
> Again, a very detailed and informative explanation. I thought about buying a copy of your book but the high price it commands for a used copy is too much for my retired pocketbook!

The high price is due to the book being out-of-print. Unfortunately, that situation is beyond my control. My co-author (the late great Thomas S. Dickey) and I each hold a 50% share of the Copyright. That means, I cannot reprint the book without the permission of Tom's estate. His only living relative has refused to grant permission. If I reprint it without permission, I'd get slammed with a very expensive lawsuit for Copyright Violation -- and the books would be confiscated. So, it's Game Over. Of course I very much wish that was not the situation, but there it is.

 

[Retired Sarge]

First, let me provide Credibility for my answer to your question. I am the co-author of the 552-page historical artillery reference book "Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War." Sorry to have to tell you, your "Gettyburg ball" is absolutely not an artillery ball. We know for certain, because the SUPER-PRECISE diameter and weight measurements of all the sizes of cannonballs used in the civil war were recorded in the US Ordnance Manual of 1861. (The Confederates used the same sizes.)
Cannon bore, shot, and shell diameters for smoothbore guns

The only actual cannonball whose size and weight are anywhere close to your ball is a 32-Pounder (6.4"-caliber) solid-shot cannonball... whose precise diameter was 6.25-incches and precise weight was 32.4 pounds. Your ball weighs 40 pounds, and it's diameter is 6.37-inches. Those measurements flatly exclude it from being a cannonball.

So what is it? Here is the definite answer:
Your ball weighs "about" 15% more than a CAST-IRON 6.37" ball would weigh. This means your ball is made of steel. The 1861 Ordnance Manual says ALL civil war cannonballs were made of cast-iron.

Your report that this steel ball was found "at Gettysburg" provides a helpful clue to the ball's actual identity. There has long been a major rock-&-stonemilling quarry in operation near Gettysburg. Stonemills use what are called "rock-crusher" balls (a.k.a. Mill-Balls) in a massive Tumbler-Mill to turn big rocks into gravel. See the illustration of an Industrial Tumbler Mill, below.) Of course, the rock-crusher balls are made of steel, because it is a much tougher metal than simple cast-iron.

Hence the reason I'm so dang skeptical when I see a cannon ball in an antique store, flea market etc. Unless you know your stuff, you'll walk out with a mill ball, counter weight, fence/wall/gate decoration etc. Just can't put TCBG on my shoulder and ask good or bad.......Would be nice if I could though!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Ffuries wrote:
> Hence the reason I'm so dang skeptical when I see a cannon ball in an antique store, flea market etc.
> Unless you know your stuff, you'll walk out with a mill ball, counter weight, fence/wall/gate decoration etc.
> Just can't put TCBG on my shoulder and ask good or bad.......Would be nice if I could though!

My esteemed US Military friend, I'm happy to be able to provide the answer you need... which you CAN carry around in your pocket. (Or, just keep it in your car.) Spend about $12 for what is called a Diameter Scale, or a Pi-Tape. It's like a Carpenter's tape-measure, but smaller, definitely not too big to carry in your pocket. (See the photo below, which includes a .69-caliber Minie-bullet for size comparison.) Use it as you see being done in the other photo. As that photo's caption says, the Diameter-Tape proves the iron ball really is a (12-Pounder caliber) cannonball, because it measures precisely 4-&-33/64ths-inches/4.52-inches. After you've used the Diameter-Tape to precisely measure the ball, you'll also need your Smartphone, with a bookmarked link to the 1861 Ordnance Manual's "Shot Tables" cannonball & grapeshot diameter-&-weight charts. Go to the Shot Tables site, and check the size-chart for a matchup with the Flea Market ball's diameter. The ball must be within about .02-inch (2 one-hundredths) -- if not, it's not a cannonball. (But be sure to also check the Grapeshot ball size-chart, etc.) Cannon bore, shot, and shell diameters for smoothbore guns

 

[Doubter in MD]

So you didn't get a cannonball. Ultimately, you helped out someone who needed money. Kudos.

 

[sprailroad]

Fyrffytr1 wrote:
> Again, a very detailed and informative explanation. I thought about buying a copy of your book but the high price it commands for a used copy is too much for my retired pocketbook!

The high price is due to the book being out-of-print. Unfortunately, that situation is beyond my control. My co-author (the late great Thomas S. Dickey) and I each hold a 50% share of the Copyright. That means, I cannot reprint the book without the permission of Tom's estate. His only living relative has refused to grant permission. If I reprint it without permission, I'd get slammed with a very expensive lawsuit for Copyright Violation -- and the books would be confiscated. So, it's Game Over. Of course I very much wish that was not the situation, but there it is.

We do understand what CannonballGuy is saying, and it is a sorry thing not of his making. So....what about "cloning" the CannonballGuy himself? CannonballGuy? would you be O.K. with that? I think all of you would really be a great ongoing source of information. It might be legal and with no copyright violation. I vote O.K. (Of course we'll need to keep the original for a "master mold" as it were)......just saying...

 

[Molewacker]

We don't need to clone him - just need to download his brain!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Molewacker wrote:
> We don't need to clone [TheCannonballGuy] - just need to download his brain!

(blush) (smile)
This seems to be a good time to remind y'all that a lot of my "Relic Knowledge" is preserved in T-Net's archive of my What-Is-It posts. (98% of my posts are about relic-ID... I don't do "Hey, that's a nice find" posts.) Currently, T-Net has archived 999 of my relic-identification posts. Anybody who wants to read and learn from them can simply click on my name (at the left of any of my posts), and then click on "View Forum Posts." Think of them as a 999-page book on relic-ID.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Doubter in MD wrote:
> So you didn't get a cannonball. Ultimately, you helped out someone who needed money. Kudos.

Indeed.

Wbtaylor73, please do not fret over the $100 you gave to the elderly-lady-in-need for this steel rock-crusher ball. I have found, beyond any doubt, that the Good (and the Evil), the Kindness (and the Selfishness) that you do in the world comes back around to you, multiplied.

 

[bradyboy]

why can you create a pamphlet /book of your posts to get around the copyright issues
it would be a journal of your personal knowledge and experiance
brady

 

[Dug]

Doubter in MD wrote:
> So you didn't get a cannonball. Ultimately, you helped out someone who needed money. Kudos.

Indeed.

I have found, beyond any doubt, that the Good (and the Evil), the Kindness (and the Selfishness) that you do in the world comes back around to you, multiplied.

Absolutely. What goes around comes around. Keep your circle positive. Speak good words. Think good thoughts. Do good deeds.

 

[Retired Sarge]

why can you create a pamphlet /book of your posts to get around the copyright issues
it would be a journal of your personal knowledge and experiance
brady

In all honesty, I think there should be a reference section on here where TCBGs knowledge can be placed. Would make for easy finding and thus be a great tool for when out and about.

Just like I have several gun information pages bookmarked so I can easily and quickly reference when I come across guns. Better to know the answer before I buy something, than afterwards. For a gun buyer it can be a costly mistake.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Bradyboy wrote:
> Why can['t] you create a pamphlet /book of your posts to get around the copyright issues.
> It would be a journal of your personal knowledge and experience.

I appreciate your thoughtful suggestion. But unfortunately, "a pamphlet/book of my posts" cannot be done, BECAUSE of Copyright issues. Literally 99.8% of the time, my posts are a reply to somebody else's photo of their unidentified object. That person owns the Copyright for their photo. I would have to get written, Notarized legal permission from every person whose photo gets used in the pamphlet/book.

And of course, my posted reply which identifies the unknown object/relic is useless without a photo of the object/relic.

That's not a problem here at T-Net, because when you use the "View Forum Posts" option to read my hundreds of past relic-ID posts, the necessary photo is still at the top of each discussion-thread.

Again, thanks for the thought. But unfortunately, it cannot be done. The only do-able possibility is to click on my name and use the "View (past) Forum Posts" option, which lets you view the most-recent 999 of my 10,200 relic-ID posts at T-Net.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Ffuries wrote:
> Hence the reason I'm so dang skeptical when I see a cannon ball in an antique store, flea market etc.
> Unless you know your stuff, you'll walk out with a mill ball, counter weight, fence/wall/gate decoration etc.
> Just can't put TCBG on my shoulder and ask good or bad.......Would be nice if I could though!

My esteemed US Military friend, I'm happy to be able to provide the answer you need... which you CAN carry around in your pocket. (Or, just keep it in your car.) Spend about $12 for what is called a Diameter Scale, or a Pi-Tape. It's like a Carpenter's tape-measure, but smaller, definitely not too big to carry in your pocket. (See the photo below, which includes a .69-caliber Minie-bullet for size comparison.) Use it as you see being done in the other photo. As that photo's caption says, the Diameter-Tape proves the iron ball really is a (12-Pounder caliber) cannonball, because it measures precisely 4-&-33/64ths-inches/4.52-inches. After you've used the Diameter-Tape to precisely measure the ball, you'll also need your Smartphone, with a bookmarked link to the 1861 Ordnance Manual's "Shot Tables" cannonball & grapeshot diameter-&-weight charts. Go to the Shot Tables site, and check the size-chart for a matchup with the Flea Market ball's diameter. The ball must be within about .02-inch (2 one-hundredths) -- if not, it's not a cannonball. (But be sure to also check the Grapeshot ball size-chart, etc.) Cannon bore, shot, and shell diameters for smoothbore guns

Dang TCBG, sorry my brain dead posterior end missed your post and suggestions. I booked marked the link you provided, for future reference and guidance. Been busy with guns and my brain is in gun mode.......

 

[sprailroad]

We don't need to clone him - just need to download his brain!

Well ya, but the brain by itself would not have the same charm....