Confederate Adjutant General button	The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!) I am a collector buying and selling authentic Civil War Relics
	This page updated   April 03, 2008

The Ridgeway Civil War reference archive 
Artillery shells, Large caliber balls
Federal and Confederate

This is a sampling of relics collected by Harry Ridgeway over the years.  This archive record is for educational purposes only.  Some of the relics listed may be on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester Virginia, some are no longer owned by the author.  None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to the separate sales catalog for items that are currently offered.

All artillery items listed  have been disarmed and rendered inert. 

A1808    Ball, thin walled shell, no lifting ears, Bormann fuse, smoothbore mortar, 8 in.
 
Designed for siege operations, these guns were designed to send a projectile on a high trajectory into the enemy trench. Depth of the fuse hole is approximately 1.4 in., this is much lighter than the Columbiads. Many were cast with tong or lifting ears for lifting into a mortar. Federal Bormann time fuse (Jones pg. 22) 
Recovered: not known 
Diameter 7.9 in., weight 45 lbs. 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 55 (Bormann fuse, no lifting ears) 

A1706    Ball, thin walled shell with lifting ears, seacoast watercap fuse, smoothbore mortar, 8 in.
 
Designed for siege operations, these guns were designed to send a projectile on a high trajectory into the enemy trench. Depth of the fuse hole is approximately 1.4 in., this is much lighter than the Columbiads. Many were cast with tong or lifting ears for lifting into a mortar. Federal drive in seacoast watercap fuse, (Jones pg. 6) 
Recovered: USS Cairo, which was sunk December 12, 1862 in the Yazoo River, Mississippi. Shell was presumably recovered in the 1960's when the first attempt was made to raise this ship. 
Diameter 7.9 in., weight 45 lbs. 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 55 (seacoast fuse, lifting ears) 

A1403     Smoothbore ball - 8 inch CS mortar  

Crude cast wood fuse ball, is believed to be Confederate manufacture. Wood fuse intact, metal solid around the fuse, pitting on the underside.
Recovered: Port Hudson La
Diameter 8 inches
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 57, (this is the shell photographed) 

A1707     Ball, shell, wood fuse, smoothbore, 9 in. 

Ball is cast for a wood fuse. 
Recovered: Port Hudson La 
Diameter 8.9 in, weight 75 lbs 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 69 (wood fused shell) 

A1242     Smoothbore ball - 10 inch shell, Columbiad siege gun 

Cast for wood fuse, no lifting ears, thick walls (3 inch) for the Columbiad. Top grade condition, don't plan to upgrade
Recovered: North Carolina defenses, early pickup
Diameter 9.87 inch
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 72 

A1238     Mortar shell - 10 in 

Lifting ears were used to position in the mortar, walls for the mortar balls were thinner (1.5 inch) because they did not need to travel as far or be propelled with as much force as the Columbiads.
Cast for wood fuse which is missing,
Recovered: Port Hudson, LA
Diameter 10 inch
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 73 

A1212       Ball 13 inch mortar, the "Dictator"  

Wood fuse, with lifting ears. This is the famous "Dictator" which was the largest mortar. This heavy gun sat in the middle of a river barge brought in close to Confederate deep trenches. 
Ball weighs 210 pounds Diameter 13 inch 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg.  

A1994     Wood time fuse adaptor, small shells

Wood drive in fuse is tapered, smaller diameter for smaller shells.
A1994     (left )         Length 1.25 in., top diameter .9 in
A1995     (middle)     Length 1.35 in., top diameter 1.05 in
A1996     (right)         Length 1.3 in., top diameter 1.1 in
Ref: Jones Fuses pg. 3

A1997     Wood time fuse adaptor, large shells

Wood drive in fuse is tapered, larger diameter for larger shells.
A1997     (left) Length 2.3 in., top diameter 1.5 in
A1998     (right) Length 2 in., top diameter 1.75 in
Ref: Jones Fuses pg. 3 $75.00

A1923    Fuse for a large mortar, 1865

Long wood fuse is marked "5 / SECONDS / TO THE INCH. / 1865". During the fight the fuse would be cut to set the burn time. Fuse generally intended for a larger mortar 10 inches and up.
Uncut fuse, original paper cap fully intact.
Length 9.5 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg. 4 right (1865)

A1924    Fuse for a large mortar, 1864

Long wood fuse is marked "5 / SECONDS / TO THE INCH. / 1864". During the fight the fuse would be cut to set the burn time. Fuse generally intended for a larger mortar 10 inches and up.
Uncut fuse, original paper cap fully intact.
Length 9.5 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg. 4 right (1864)

A1925    Fuse for a smaller mortar

Fuse generally intended for a smaller mortar, up to 8 inch. During the fight the fuse would be cut to set the burn time.
Uncut fuse.
Length 6 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg. 4 left

A1926    Seacoast watercap fuse

The Navy seacoast fuse employed a crooked channel so that the flame would travel faster than the water. The bushing is cast brass, replacing earlier wooden fuses, and the watercap mechanism is threaded inside the bushing. Originally covered with a lead pull tab, this was removed before firing. Fuse generally intended for large caliber balls.
Fuse is intact, rare to get the inner watercap also intact.
Length 2.8 in., Head diameter 1.3 in. bottom diameter 1 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg.6

A1927    Navy watercap fuse "1859"

The Navy watercap fuse employed a crooked channel so that the flame would travel faster than the water. The fuse consists of an outer threaded bushing, the fuse is threaded into the bushing, the watercap mechanism is threaded inside the fuse, so there are three sets of threads! Originally covered with a lead pull tab, this was removed before firing. Marked "ORD D (symbol of an anchor) / 1859" Fuse generally intended for large caliber balls, up to 11 inch.
Threads clean, good display or can be used, inner watercap missing
Length 2.45 in., Diameter 1.3 in. Flange diameter 1.25 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg.10 (1859)

A1928    Navy watercap fuse "1863"
 
The Navy watercap fuse employed a crooked channel so that the flame would travel faster than the water. The fuse consists of an outer threaded bushing, the fuse is threaded into the bushing, the watercap mechanism is threaded inside the fuse, so there are three sets of threads! Originally covered with a lead pull tab, this was removed before firing. Marked "ORD (symbol of an anchor) / 1863" Fuse generally intended for large caliber balls, up to 11 inch.
Threads clean, good display or can be used, inner watercap intact.
Length 2.45 in., Diameter 1.3 in. Flange diameter 1.25 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg.10 (1863)

A1931    Navy watercap fuse "1863", long fuse for 15 in. Rodman

The Navy watercap fuse employed a crooked channel so that the flame would travel faster than the water. The fuse consists of an outer threaded bushing, the fuse is threaded into the bushing, the watercap mechanism is threaded inside the fuse, so there are three sets of threads! Originally covered with a lead pull tab, this was removed before firing. Marked "ORD D (symbol of an anchor) / 1863" Fuse generally intended for balls for the Monitor class 15 in. Rodman
Threads clean, good display or can be used, inner watercap intact
Length 3.5 in., Diameter 1.3 in. Flange diameter 1.25 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg.11 lower left (1863, ORD D in large letters)

A1744    Navy watercap fuse "1864" 

The Navy watercap fuse employed a crooked channel so that the flame would travel faster than the water. The fuse consists of an outer threaded bushing, the fuse is threaded into the bushing, the watercap mechanism is threaded inside the fuse, so there are three sets of threads! Originally covered with a lead pull tab, this was removed before firing. Marked "ORD (symbol of an anchor) / 1864" Fuse generally intended for large caliber balls, up to 11 inch. 
Threads clean, good display or can be used, inner watercap missing 
Length 2.45 in., Diameter 1.3 in. Flange diameter 1.25 in. 
Ref: Jones Fuses pg.10 (1864, small letters) 

A1930    Navy watercap fuse "1864"

The Navy watercap fuse employed a crooked channel so that the flame would travel faster than the water. The fuse consists of an outer threaded bushing, the fuse is threaded into the bushing, the watercap mechanism is threaded inside the fuse, so there are three sets of threads! Originally covered with a lead pull tab, this was removed before firing. Marked "ORD D (symbol of an anchor) / 1864" Fuse generally intended for large caliber balls, up to 11 inch.
Threads clean, good display or can be used, inner watercap and lead cover intact, outer bushing missing.
Length 2.45 in., Diameter 1.3 in. Flange diameter 1.25 in.
Ref: Jones Fuses pg.10 (1864, ORD D in large letters)

[Back to Ridgeway archive, artillery page]  

[Back to Ridgeway archive main page] 

[Back to Artillery main page]

[Back to relicman.com Home Page]