I need help identifying civil war relic

[ArkansasReliicHunter]

I found about 2 dozen of these in a Civil War Camp in Northwest Arkansas a few months ago. The Camp was occupied by the Army of the Frontier. The Relic is made of Brass and is about 1" tall and 3/4" inside diameter. I sent a picture to a long time Tennessee Dealer and Relic Hunter and he told me he had never seen one and it was likely Post War. I thought he was probably right until I found another one a couple of days ago in another Camp occupied by the Army of the Frontier two months later and 80 miles away in Southwest Missouri. I think it might go on a Tent Pole to keep the end from splitting but that is just a guess. If you have any ideas please let me know.

 

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[civil_war22]

I found one of those a few years back but never ID mine either. I did keep it just in case

 

[relic nut]

According to this, they were used to reinforce the top of tent poles.

HH RN

 

[nhbenz]

That appears to describe them as iron, but since it's something that shows up at such places there must be a similar application for a bushing like this? Surely it's not the one that came to my mind (wrist pin bushing): https://www.classicbritishspares.co...511-wrist-pin-bush-twins-650-bonneville-tiger

 

[ArkansasReliicHunter]

It sure looks like the wrist pin bushing but I wonder how these got in two Civil War Camps 80 miles apart

 

[baspinall]

Doesn't look like it has age to it?

 

[ArkansasReliicHunter]

I found one of those a few years back but never ID mine either. I did keep it just in case

Someone sent me picture that looks exactly like it identified as a motorcycle bushing but I really think they are for tent poles

 

[civil_war22]

Do they mean the fork seal bushings? When I first found mine I thought it was a sleeve to a piston but mine didn't have any markings and wasn't tapered at one in like a sleeve.

 

[Tony in SC]

It appears to be a bushing. The old starters, generators and many other things would have brass/bronze bushings. The hole would line up with an oil port. Have changed many of these things and still use them on antique hit&miss engines.

 

[Icewing]

I also have some of those, they even have the same groove in the inside.

 

[JHinPA]

Wow - I just spent a week installing these. Rocker arm bushings for a Ford Y-block engine. Same dimensions, rounded edge, internal groove and oil hole. Coincidence??
JHinPA.

 

[civil_war22]

It appears to be a bushing. The old starters, generators and many other things would have brass/bronze bushings. The hole would line up with an oil port. Have changed many of these things and still use them on antique hit&miss engines.

Mine was iron not brass so it still may be a bushing of some sort which I don't see why they would use iron as a bushing. In pretty much all automotive stuff I've redone it's always been something other than iron and mine had two holes.