Confederate? Fuse Adapter Component

[Spats]

The pictures show some .577 Enfields, musket balls, and buckshot along with a fuse adapter or part of one from a shell. Is there anyone (Cannonball Guy) who can identify what type of shell this came from? It measures .76 inches across and .42 inches tall (19.2mmX10.7mm). It has only one hole in the threaded side. These relics came from the site of a Confederate arsenal explosion so I think it is probably from a Confederate shell, but there were Union shells fired into this area also. Any information is appreciated.

As a side note, the ratio of aluminum can parts, aluminum bottle caps and other trash to relics at this site is about 100 to 1 so we really worked hard to find a few goodies.

 

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[HuntinDog]

Those are some cool finds.
Congrats on all of your hard work.
Can't wait for CBG to tell us what it is...

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Spats, you've found the "working part" of an extraordinarily rare Confederate Seacoast Watercap artillery fuze. (Similar to a Navy Watercap, but has a larger screw-in cap.) Congratulations!

The part you found is the only metal component of that fuze. Your part (called the "Watercap" -- meaning, Water-Proof Cap) was screwed into the top of a hollow tapered (cork-shaped) wooden plug, which held a paper-bodied flame-activated timefuze. Your Water(proof)cap allowed flame from the cannon's firing to pass through itself and ignite the paper-bodied timefuze below it, but kept water out if the shell skipped on the river (or ocean) surface on its way to the target (usually a warship). The tapered wooden Seacoast Watercap fuzeplug was hammered into the shell's fuzehole, not screwed in like the Navy Watercap fuzes.

The Confederate Army artillery was using these CS Seacoast fuzes in the river-defense forts along the Mississippi River in 1863. Most known specimens have come from the siege of Port Hudson LA, and apparently some were also used at Vicksburg MP. It is known to have been used in 12, 24, and 32-Pounder caliber roundshells.

For photos and a bit more information, see page 8 in the book "Artillery Fuses Of The Civil War" by Charles H. Jones.

 

[Spats]

CBG, thanks so much for sharing your vast knowledge once again. I thought this one should be Confederate, but it is great to have confirmation.