Confederate 6-pounder cannonball recovered at Columbia, SC Arsenal (SOLD)

This is another nice artillery item being offered, it is a Confederate 6-pounder solid shot cannonball. It was recovered in the river near the Columbia, SC Arsenal. When Union forces were approaching the city, much of the ammunition was dumped in the water to prevent being used by the Union.

Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, was an important political and supply center for the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. General William T. Sherman was accused almost immediately of having deliberately and needlessly burned the city, which he denied. Modern historians say that multiple causes were responsible.

On February 18, 1865, Sherman's forces destroyed virtually anything of military value in Columbia, including railroad depots, warehouses, arsenals, and machine shops. Among the buildings burned were the old South Carolina State House and the interior of the incomplete new State House. The Arsenal Academy was also burned; the only surviving building today is the South Carolina Governor's Mansion.

As expected, this ball has the typical dimple-pitting, but is very solid, with no chipping or flaking. I discuss these projectiles and others in my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”. This would make a great addition to any Artillery or Civil War collection.