gtoast99
Forum Supporter
Here's a relic I never guessed I'd dig today!! 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!!!
PS - apologies for the title. But it isn't wrong
VOTES below on if you think I should set it off!!!
