✅ SOLVED Request help in identifying this 32 oz piece of iron (magnet attached) rescued in Charleston, SC. Is it a cannon ball fragment? Respectfully, Bill

[BillZ]

 

[Terry Soloman]

Looks like shrapnel from an artillery round.

 

[BillZ]

Looks like shrapnel from an artillery round.

Thank you Terry Solomam. Considering that this fragment weighs about 2 pounds, the original projectile must have been heavy.

Speculation as to the type and age of the original shell is welcome and requested. Thank you, Bill

 

[Terry Soloman]

Look up "Brookes Projectiles."

 

[Digger54]

As Terry stated. You can see the remnants of the fuse well in a couple of the pics.

 

[BillZ]

My thanks to Terry for the ID as a Brookes projectile. I appreciate the help as I am unschooled in this subject. Respectfully, Bill

 

[BillZ]

I am trying to determine the original size of the Brooke projectile. Looking at my small piece of shrapnel and descriptions of the various sizes in civilwarartillery.com I believe that the original shell was in the 4.5 inch diameter grouping. I put my fragment in a 4 inch circle and I can't imagine the original diameter size is larger than 4.5 inches.

If there is a standard method of determining the actual size, I would appreciate learning about it. Thank you, Bill

 

[Gare]

WHAT about a cannon shell fragment ?

 

[Gare]

I think Terry has the right Idea !!!

 

[Fredneck]

This piece you've found, by your pics, Confederate Brooke ( 2.8 inches dia) is to small. The Union fired on Charleston using 20 and 30 pound Parrott shells, and your piece looks like its one of the two. The fuze cavity is not correct for a cannonball. The 20lb is roughly 3.5 inches diameter and the 30lb is a little over 4 inches. You should be able to guesstimate its diameter with proper measuring. Your piece could have been fired from the famous "Swamp Angel" .

 

[AU Seeker]

This piece you've found, by your pics, looks to small to be the Confederate Brooke ( 2.8 inches dia). The Union fired on Charleston using 20 and 30 pound Parrott shells, and your piece looks like its one of the two. The fuze cavity is not correct for a cannonball. The 20lb is roughly 3.5 inches diameter and the 30lb is a little over 4 inches. You should be able to guesstimate its diameter with proper measuring. Your piece could have been fired from the famous "Swamp Angel" .

Just any FYI, the "Swamp Angel" fired a 8" 200lb. shell, there were only 36 rounds fired on Charleston from that gun before it "burst"/broke the barrel and was permanently out of commission.

There were as mentioned numerous 20 and 30 pounders used in the attack on Charleston, so yes that very well could be what you have found,

 

[Fredneck]

Yep... that would be a great piece of shrapnel to find and by these pics I didn't want to write off the 8 inch'r.

 

[Fredneck]

If your guesstimate of 4.5 inches is correct, likely your piece is from the 30lb Parrott at 4.2 inches and looks like this ...

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Far better to find something like that than to catch it.