2.5" cannonball...

k2gleaner

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My father-in-law had had this in his office for decades. Found in the dirt near pantego. Probably belonged to someone else whose Homesite eventually was demolished. It was probably NOT deposited there in the act of war itself.

Still, I'm not familiar with different types of cannonballs. This one is 2.5 inches in diameter.
f539c6146517036be379a18c1afd7bd0.jpg


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It may be a piece of grapeshot. They would put several in a bag and put it in a cannon and when it was shot, it would have the same effect as a shotgun. 2 1/2" grapeshot should weigh about 2 lbs.
 
Interestingly, I asked a local 'expert' who has detected since the 60s and is very, very familiar with civil war artifacts told me it might be a ballcock for a steam engine.

Our area was formerly swamp and was cleared in the 30s probably. Narrow gauge track was used to haul logs out of the swamp. That's why the idea of the steam engine.

[However, I thought a ballcock was something that floated, like the float in a toilet tank, that shut off the supply of [water] when it floated high enough to trip a switch or valve.]
 
Have a place near me I would like to look for cannon balls and any other CW relics.
A cannon ball was found on this point on top of hill that overlooks a bend in the big hollow below on top off ground up there several years ago.

Just so happens this route is the route taken when Gen Bragg invaded Ky from the south.
 
It is cool whatever it is! I know of a old cannon ball factory close to me. Never have hunted it though. Hope someone can ID it!
 
Not a projectile.
A local told me the same thing. Maybe a ballcock(?) off a steam engine. There are tracks close by and there used to be many small spurs in the area when they logged this place.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
My father-in-law had had this in his office for decades. Found in the dirt near pantego. Probably belonged to someone else whose Homesite eventually was demolished. It was probably NOT deposited there in the act of war itself.

Still, I'm not familiar with different types of cannonballs. This one is 2.5 inches in diameter.
f539c6146517036be379a18c1afd7bd0.jpg


Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I think what you have is a gate weight. It was on a piece of chain that was attached to the gate post and the latch side of the gate and the weight was hung in the middle. Looks like the eye was where the divot is. It was an automatic gate closer.
 
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