Found 6 ft down in a grave in Lexington TN

[21stTNCav]

OK. Here is the story. I was with a Friend retracing Forrest's route into West Tennessee on Friday The 23 of July 2010 during my vacation to the family home. We were following the new Civil War Trails signs while driving and when we got to Lexington we saw the sign for the battle Forrest fought there. Unfortunately it directed us into a parking lot behind a large old home that was being used as a business. After unsuccessfully looking for a information stop I decided to go inside the business and see if they could direct me to it. It was a Lawyers office and once I asked the receptionist she said someone there could help us. We were directed to a small old office where a 90 year old gentleman by the name of William Barry sat. This was a former Tennessee State Legislature member of 30 years and a wealth of information. My fellow history buff and I had a great time discussing the Civil War and during the next hour and a half found that the Civil War Trails stop was close by. Right before we left he said he had a little mystery for us that he liked to ask people about. He reached into a drawer of his desk and out came this odd looking Spoon/dipper. He said 50 years ago a new grave was being dug in Lexington cemetery and this item was found about 5 ft down while digging. We could not indenify it with and certainty and I am opening this up to my amigos here. It seems to be made of brass or bronze. It is quite hefty and the spoon part is slightly smaller than my palm. Good luck and I hope someone has some insight so I can solve this for Mr Barry.

 

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[sniffer]

it looks like half of a cannonball mold, that's been broken. from your description, maybe from a 4 pounder

 

[colorado14ers]

it looks like half of a cannonball mold, that's been broken. from your description, maybe from a 4 pounder

I agree with him

 

[diggemall]

it looks like half of a cannonball mold, that's been broken. from your description, maybe from a 4 pounder

I agree with him

Only problem I see with that is: How does one cast molten iron in a brass or bronze mold ?

Or were cannon balls cast using a lost-wax type process ?

Diggem'

 

[21stTNCav]

Wow, those are some good theories. I never thought of a Cannonball mold. Personally I have no knowledge of what molds were made of but like Diggem says would brass not melt casting Iron? From hunting for the park service at Palto Alto Battlefield I did note that Mexican Canister was Brass while the American we found was iron. I hope someone here has seen this before and can solve the mystery.

 

[sniffer]

check to see if it's magnetic

 

[Tuberale]

Slightly smaller than your palm ... so about 3.5-4" across the bowl? Might be a crucible for melting lead. Molten lead then poured into bullet or sinker molds. Don't see any lip that would typically be on such a crucible, though.

 

[21stTNCav]

check to see if it's magnetic

Good suggestion, but no can do. I am back in Texas and 1000 miles from Lexington TN.

 

[trikikiwi]

Very interesting
It would help to know what metal it is


Mike

Edit: Is it just my imagination - or is it not quite half-round, but more half-egg shaped?
And - is that a notch on the lip, on the left in the pic?

 

[ivan salis]

my guess as to what it would be is--- a lead melting pot for melting lead to be cast into bullets ===aka as a "crucible" in fancy talk lingo.

 

[trikikiwi]

I think I have to agree with tubeerale and Ivan, that it logically, is a crucible, from its form.
To me, the metal looks like rough cast iron. Maybe it was alloyed with some 'filler' metal and subsequent multiple heatings for melting .....? to give it the brass/bronze look as suggested by the poster.

It looks like the handle is probably half-round. You can see where it has been joined to the 'cup', near the lip. It suggests (to me), the handle is plugging a half-round gap in the cup.

My wild guess is that the crucible has been made from a cannonball

Mike

 

[sniffer]

now that I've seen a resized pic, I don't think it's a mold. it does look like it's low grade steel, if it was iron it would be really rusty unless it was cleaned. from the size and shape, I would go with a crucible, it just looks like it wasn't used

 

[Arizona Bob]

It looks like it could be part of a (broken-off) lever-actuator... like maybe from the digging machine

 

[21stTNCav]

Holy Cow, I think that lever actuator is it!!!! What were those made of? Bronze or Brass? Where could a better picture be found??

 

[21stTNCav]

Hey, not fair. I thought that was a different picture but it is just a negative of the one I posted. I thought it was a different picture of a lever from a digging machine. Sorry, but I guess if that picture is not one such lever then I really doubt if that is what it is. the back of the handle is absolutely flat. Nothing broken on it.

 

[21stTNCav]

Very interesting
It would help to know what metal it is

meanwhile, here's a more easily viewable version of your pic.




Mike

Edit: Is it just my imagination - or is it not quite half-round, but more half-egg shaped?
And - is that a notch on the lip, on the left in the pic?

Hi Mike. Yes it is a little egg shaped of oval. It was very heavy. The metal was either Brass or Bronze. Personally I think Brass because that was used more in that era in the United States than Bronze, but I am not certain. The flaw is just that, not a notch. Of course if it was a mold it may just be the upper half. I hope that answers your questions Bud.

 

[Arizona Bob]

Hey, not fair. I thought that was a different picture but it is just a negative of the one I posted. I thought it was a different picture of a lever from a digging machine. Sorry, but I guess if that picture is not one such lever then I really doubt if that is what it is. the back of the handle is absolutely flat. Nothing broken on it.

Come on, Tennessee! I've seen this type of lever used on the foot-pedals of organs and pianos, too. It doesn't look *broke* because it was probably sawed-off.

 

[21stTNCav]

Hey, not fair. I thought that was a different picture but it is just a negative of the one I posted. I thought it was a different picture of a lever from a digging machine. Sorry, but I guess if that picture is not one such lever then I really doubt if that is what it is. the back of the handle is absolutely flat. Nothing broken on it.

Come on, Tennessee! I've seen this type of lever used on the foot-pedals of organs and pianos, too. It doesn't look *broke* because it was probably sawed-off.

Bob, I really want to know what this is. Is there some Google or Yahoo images of such a pedal type. I have never seen a piano with a lever with a giant cup in it but I suppose it is possible. I think a foot pedal for a piano or a organ is a stretch, and you know that. Again, I really have no experience with digging machines other than my trowel I use detecting and shovels. I have never seen anything like this on a backhoe or bobcat I have climbed on but then again this could have been back in 1950 and I do not know what those pedals looked like. I can find no image of a pedal to a digging machine that looks like this so far. Help me out and find one.

 

[Arizona Bob]

Bob, I really want to know what this is. Is there some Google or Yahoo images of such a pedal type... Help me out and find one.

You're right Tennessee. After searching google for the piano pedals, I found the hollow ones... but not as pronounced as this one. Tell me about the handle. Is it mostly square, or is it box-style on three sides and rounded on the fourth side? Does the small end of the handle look flat, rounded, or jagged? I'll help ya look, but I need more info!

 

[21stTNCav]

Bob, I really want to know what this is. Is there some Google or Yahoo images of such a pedal type... Help me out and find one.

You're right Tennessee. After searching google for the piano pedals, I found the hollow ones... but not as pronounced as this one. Tell me about the handle. Is it mostly square, or is it box-style on three sides and rounded on the fourth side? Does the small end of the handle look flat, rounded, or jagged? I'll help ya look, but I need more info!

Sure. I will tell all I can remember. The item is 1000 miles away in Tennessee now. The handle is a U shape with the flat side facing up. The small end is smooth edged and really I cannot find any really jagged edges anywhere on it. Most edges looked almost worn smooth. The small end looked flat with rounded edges. If you have other questions I will gladly answer. CAB