I dug a Civil War cannon!!

[gtoast99]

Here's a relic I never guessed I'd dig!! These are my finds from the RRRHA relic club group hunt. The weird lead object is a crudely designed hand cannon! Note the "barrel" and touch-hole on top to set it off, No, it wasn't intended to be a weapon (though it could probably shoot small projectiles with actual gunpowder). Instead, this is most likely the result of a bored (and probably drinking) stressed-out young man away from home fighting a war. The soldier's life went from absolute terror and chaos, to a lot of downtime waiting for orders, and back again. Soldiers did a lot of activities to keep calm and occupied in camp, ranging from prayer, whittling, cards, drinking, and the good old fashioned American tradition of "lets see if we can blow something up". I have seen two other similar lead hand cannons in the past, one in an online relic shop reportedly dug at Vicksburg and the other from a Union winter hut near Brandy Station. This one came from what is believed to be a North Carolina camp.

PS - apologies for the title. But it isn't wrong

VOTES below on if you think I should set it off!!!

 

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[vpnavy]

Nice finds and love the history interpretation! Thanks for sharing...

 

[btjbtj]

Very cool finds, and your post is thought-provoking and interesting. Congrats, and thanks for sharing. -Lisa & John

 

[relic nut]

Great find! Carved lead is one of my favorite finds and this thing is way cool. Nice post.

HH RN

 

[Tradertom]

Really a great find.
In my opinion I would leave the firing to whom ever carved it, and he is long dead!

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on some nice finds

 

[ARC]

VOTES below on if you think I should set it off!!!

? ? ?

This... if it is what you say it is... would be a mistake.
IF this is truly some "cannon" as you say... made from lead... would be IMO... "not the smartest move".

 

[gtoast99]

Yea, I'm fairly positive on the ID. Heres one of the two other examples I'm aware of from Charlie Harris' book Civil War Relics of the Western Campaigns. Obviously mine is a bit more crude. But there's precedence that these were made, and it has all the same general characteristics. I also talked about it at the NVRHA club meeting the other day, and some of the VERY long time relic hunters there were aware of a couple of other similar cannons found in camps back in the day.

As far as putting in some black powder and a match on the touch hole.......... what could go wrong

 

[ARC]

The one you have pictured seems to be more in the realm of "fineable"...
Yours seems to be a bit more ummmm how should I say...
"sketchy". ?

No offense.

 

[against the wind]

Congrats on your finds.
I'm not an artist or a sculptor but neither was the person working with that lead. lol

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on the historic finds!

 

[fongu]

Unique and interesting come to mind. Nice assortment of finds.