🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Cherokee County Alabama Cannonball

[AllanSAL]

I have a cannonball. It is 4.5 inches in diameter and weighs 10 pounds. It was given to me by a late great uncle who lived in Gaylesville, Alabama. He plowed it up years earlier in his field. He had often told of General Sherman's march through the area and burning his grandparent's crops. Any ideas on the type of cannonball? If it was a Confederate ball, it may well have been cast in Cornwall Furnace in Cedar Bluff, Cherokee County, Alabama. It was knocked out of service in 1864 by General Sherman.

 

[AllanSAL]

I have a cannonball. It is 4.5 inches in diameter and weighs 10 pounds. It was given to me by a late great uncle who lived in Gaylesville, Alabama. He plowed it up years earlier in his field. He had often told of General Sherman's march through the area and burning his grandparent's crops. Any ideas on the type of cannonball? If it was a Confederate ball, it may well have been cast in Cornwall Furnace in Cedar Bluff, Cherokee County, Alabama. It was knocked out of service in 1864 by General Sherman.

The weight may be off as I used a bathroom scale. I used a better scale and it shows 11 pounds 5 ounces.

 

[AU Seeker]

For a solid shot cannonball that is that size.... 4.52 inches, it should weight 12.25 lbs. i.e. a "12 pounder", no way that I have heard of to tell if it's a north or south cannonball.

Look at the solid shot for smoothbore guns chart.

Cannon bore, shot, shell, canister, and grape shot diameters for rifled and smoothbore cannon.

Rifle Canister Cannon Bore Diameter Cannon – RifledPattern # of PiecesDiameter & Shot Material 1.7-inch Whitworth? 24 .65-inch lead shot 2.25-inch CS Mountain Rifle 27 .70-inch lead shot 2.6-inch 6-pdr.

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