US/CS Artillery Canister ball from South Cavalry Field, Gettysburg. (SOLD)

This is another nice item being offered, it is an iron artillery canister ball with a diameter of 1 1/4”. These balls would have been encased in a tin and when fired acted like a shotgun blast (see picture of a complete shells). It was recovered on South Cavalry Field at the Gettysburg battlefield (see map).

While the Confederates were assaulting the Union center, Federal cavalry commander General Alfred Pleasonton issued an ambiguous directive to his subordinate on the southern part of the field, General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick. He was ordered to strike the enemy “at the earliest opportunity”. He launched a series of piecemeal mounted attacks against the Confederates astride the Emmitsburg Road and at the foot of Big Round Top.

West of the road, General Wesley Merritt’s brigade met Georgians of General George “Tige” Anderson’s brigade who, despite their vicious fighting in Devil’s Den and the Wheatfield the day before, were able to parry Merritt’s thrust. Further to the East, one of Kilpatrick’s brigadiers, General Elon Farnsworth, despaired at having to make a mounted charge against infantry over terrain broken by boulders and stone walls. Farnsworth’s charge was met by Alabamians and Texans of Hood’s division, who made quick work of repulsing the Federal horsemen. Among the casualties of Kilpatrick’s ill-conceived attack was Farnsworth himself.

This ball remains solid, no chipping or flaking. In my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”, I show and discuss canister shells (see pictures). The area of recovery was on private property in a wooded area not too far from the Eisenhauer Farm. This is a 100% Gettysburg relic with great history. It comes in the acrylic display case pictured.