Civil War Musket Worm/Wiper found at 1st Day Battlefield, Gettysburg (SOLD)

This is another nice piece being offered, it is a Civil War Musket worm. It measures 1 ¾” and is in excellent condition. They were used to remove jammed bullets and paper from the barrel. This one was recovered years ago on the 1^st Day Battlefield at Gettysburg.

The First Day’s battle proceeded in three phases as combatants continued to arrive at the battlefield. In the morning, two brigades of Confederate General Henry Heth's division were delayed by dismounted Union cavalrymen under Brigadier General John Buford. As infantry reinforcements arrived under General John F. Reynolds Union I Corps, the Confederate assaults down the Chambersburg Pike were repulsed, although General Reynolds was killed.

By early afternoon, the Union XI Corps had arrived, and the Union position was in a semicircle from west to north of the town. The Confederate Second Corps under General Richard S. Ewell began a massive assault from the north, with General Robert E. Rodes's division attacking from Oak Hill and General Jubal A. Early's division attacking across the open fields north of town. The Union lines generally held under extremely heavy pressure, although the salient at Barlow's Knoll was overrun.

The third phase of the battle came as Rodes renewed his assault from the north and Heth returned with his entire division from the west, accompanied by the division of General W. Dorsey Pender. Heavy fighting in Herbst's Woods (near the Lutheran Theological Seminary) and on Oak Ridge finally caused the Union line to collapse. Some of the Federals conducted a fighting withdrawal through the town, suffering heavy casualties and losing many prisoners; others simply retreated.

Like I said, this is a great piece from where the Battle of Gettysburg began. It only has slight surface rust and is one of the nicest dug examples I have had in years. It comes in the glass-top display case pictured.