Clean Civil War bullets and minies?

W

wittzo

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My cousin was given several minie balls and bullets that were recently found in or near a creek bed by some other relatives. Hardly any of them showed any oxidation at all, they had some mud crusted on them. Several of them had what appears to be bite marks and some of them are flat or mushroomed like they were removed from a wound. Is it usual for excavated bullets to have no oxidation? It looked like someone could spray them off and shoot them, they were so clean. They were wondering if they could be faked, but why would someone fake bite marks and mushroomed round balls and minie balls?

We guess it might have been near a field hospital, where they dumped the body parts and other stuff, but we're still confused about the lack of oxidation. Maybe the clay or other sediment protected them?

I didn't have my camera with me, I'm going to try to take proper pics of them to post.
 
Since water can soften that white encrusted oxidation that forms on lead, it can probably also keep it from forming in the first place.
 
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The oxidation comes because of acidic soil. If the soil is dry and non-acidic, oxidation will not form. Of course it didn't form on those bullets the re-enactors fired into that creek bank last week, either.

Jim
 
Usually bite marks are from being in a stream with gravel. I've seen very few minies that led me to believe they impacted soft tissue. Usually even in water there is some oxidation. I'll try to remember to find some of mine and put up a few pics.
 
Oxidation comes from exposure to OXYGEN IN THE AIR. I have cast pure lead round balls less than a year old which are showing signs of oxidation. If your minies don't have those signs I surmise it is because the creek kept them washed.
Interesting curiosities. Also interesting how many survived and are still around today.
 
Theoretically, I would expect there to be at least a little oxidization, unless the water was very still. The dissolved oxygen in the water will cause the lead to react with the water and form a layer of lead hydroxide. But I think that it would be a very slow reaction because the amount of available oxygen in water is much lower than in air.

It's all just musing in my head, though. I could be completely wrong.

EDIT: Turns out it's completely right, but lead hydroxide is an unstable solid - thus, although the metal oxidizes, the hydroxide does not adhere to the metal. Tada! Clean bullet.
 
There were other relics found, but my cousin's cousin isn't telling where he found them, yet. The Battle of Harrisburg took place 4 miles from my house. I did a little research and figured that it's not that weird to find excavated balls with no oxidization.

There were a couple of them that had oxidation on them. There was a .69 roundball that was flattened like it came out of a wound and there was a .58 minie ball deformed, also. One of the .69 roundballs has the pattern of the patch impressed in it.

A few of the minie balls had crushed skirts just like some of the other minie balls I've seen in person and in pictures. Some of them had no marks on them at all. I find it unlikely that someone went out and dumped 2 lbs of bullets of 3 or 4 different types for the heck of it, along with buttons and other Civil War relics.

I'm about to got to Boy Scout camp, but when I get back, I'm taking pictures and measurements and I will post them.
 
I've dug up a lot of them from Ms. to S.C. and found a few in streams but never found one without some oxidation.
 
in the 50,s we went to gettysburg and you could find minnis and other balls along with some wierd things in the out of the way places. then you could dig a little bit and no body said any thing and you could pick up just about any thing. today its a big NO NO and will get you arrested. all civil war battlefields are federaley protected. eastbank.
 
All battlefields that are federal property are federally protected. Dig and get caught and you can do time. I knew a Special Agent who until his retirement was charged with protecting archaeological artifacts ("You with the Indian basket, put the basket down and put your hands above your head.")

Battlefields on privately owned land belongs to the private property holders. Digging requires their permission. Personally, I won't dig because I know that the archaeological value of the object is lost. Besides, I've no means to conserve the object.
 
Here's a few of mine. Minies, round balls, solid bullets and a couple of fired rimfire cases.

bullets.jpg
 
I've seen this before

As a kid many moons ago. I had family that lived in Richmond VA. We use to go out behind the house and dig around out there and found bullets that look like some of the ones in Hawg Haggens picture. Some of them were hollow base rd nose and some that looked like minie balls. They are still a lot of those bullets laying in peoples back yards up there. Just a spoons scoop away from the top of the ground. So let the feds keep up with what that have and find stuff in your back yard and enjoy the fine. ;) One more little note. had family that lived in Fairfax VA. The last time I drove through there they have not been in the woods behind those homes building houses as a kid we use to walk those woods with family there are graves out in them woods that have CW solders in them. My uncle found them buy falling into one. He got to looking around and sure enough it was not the only grave out there. He told my dad he knew they were there but never said anything to anyone. Said they been there all this time. and he was going to leave them alone. I'm sure some day they will be found but someone else will have to do the finding.
 
I won't dig because I know that the archaeological value of the object is lost
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4V50, very noble of you. But, I am afraid your leaving those objects where they are is pointless. If you don't dig them up, somebody else will one of these days.
And, I believe these objects in the hands of private collectors or museums have value to help educate others.
I bought a couple hundred CW dig up minies from a dealer in the Gettysburg area many years ago. Every so often I'll give a couple to a person interested in the CW. I still have about one hundred left. There is value in sharing like that.
 
I still have about one hundred left. There is value in sharing like that.
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An old BuckSkinner friend of mine found a cache of these in an out building, on his farm, in southern Illinoise. He gave me about 50 of these and I too hand them out to folks that are interested. I note that all did not show any rifling grooves although they are hard to read, because of the oxidation. I would not accept them if I knew for sure that they came off a battlefield. Most were of the most common .58's with hollow base and no markings that I can read.

Hawg,
Of the ones that I have seen or given, one looks like the one shown in your picture and am curious about it's design. Reference the bottom row, fifth one from the left, that has a shafted flange on the bottom. What can you tell me about this design? Thanks .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
I grew up in the area where the Battle of Seven Pines and the Seven Days Battles which completed McClellan's Pennisula Campaign of 1862 were fought. Heck, I used to bale hay for a fella on Malvern Hill -- which is a Federal protected battefield (he had a lease to do so). But in our yard, when I was a kid makin' "roads" for my Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars or diggin' a "foxhole" to play Army in, I found several minies, buttons (sometimes with cloth still attached), round balls, etc. I had no idea that it had any value. I had a couple of round balls that for years sat on my dresser as a kid. I found them in our yard.

I guess I should be lookin' out the window now for the Feds?.....;)
 
Reference the bottom row, fifth one from the left, that has a shafted flange on the bottom. What can you tell me about this design?
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It's a cleaner bullet. It has a zinc scraper to remove fouling. They came one per every package of 20. Hard to tell in pic but same row third from right is one also.
 
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