Doug Seneker, a member of the Ozarks Chapter of the Missouri Archaeological Society, came to CAR yesterday to analyze the ammunition related artifacts found in the Delaware Town area. We are interested in identifying Civil War era lead bullets, lead balls, and metal artifacts that may be parts of weapons. Dr. Jones and Dr. Lopinot are interested in identifying the location Sigel crossed the James River when he retreated south from the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Confederate troops ambushed Sigel and his men after they crossed the river in the Delaware Town area. The location of Civil War era ammunition will help pinpoint this action.
The lead balls were weighed in grams and then converted to grains. By measuring the diameter he determined the caliber. He also looks at details such as rings or grooves, rifling, and damage. One of the first conical bullets he looked at was a 52calliber Sharps Ringtail. Another interesting piece was a brass 12mm Pinfire, one of the earliest metal cartridge designs. Mr. Seneker said it was made in France and was probably used by an officer.
1 comment:
This is a wonderful look behind the scenes at your project. We've just blogged it over at Digital humanities projects http://missourihumanities.ning.com and added it to del.icio.us. -Beth
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