- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
In early 1913, a tree trunk cut down on the battlefield was claimed to hold a rather unbelievable 900 balls or other assorted projectile fragments. (The Monroe Advertiser, Forsyth, Georgia, March 28, 1913, p.6)
A more probable yet still impressive 63 "bullets" were reportedly found in a walnut tree that had stood on Culp's Hill. In 1909, a block from the tree was sent from Pennsylvania to be part of a display of timber contributed by every state to create a "wood map" of the United States. (The Griffin Daily News and Sun, Griffin, Georgia, June 16, 1909, p. 3)
In August 2011, an oak tree that had fallen near the Major Palmer (66th Ohio) marker at the north summit of Culp's Hill was determined to be over 200 years old. As workers cut the tree apart with a chainsaw, two embedded lead balls were discovered, one being of .58 caliber, and the other of .54 caliber. The latter was rather rare for this battlefield, however, the 95th New York, which for a time occupied the adjacent works, was partially armed with the .54 Austrian rifled musket. These relics were added to the Park's collection. (Ready ... Aim ... Fire!, Small Arms Ammunition in the Battle of Gettysburg, by Dean S. Thomas, Thomas Publications, 1981)
Finally, from my own collection (below) is a minie ball cut from a tree on Culp's Hill on March 28, 1877. It was in the collection of the old Lee's Headquarters Museum at the Mary Thompson house, until acquired by The Horse Soldier. I was fortunate to win the relic during an auction at a Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg gathering in the Fall of 1999.
A more probable yet still impressive 63 "bullets" were reportedly found in a walnut tree that had stood on Culp's Hill. In 1909, a block from the tree was sent from Pennsylvania to be part of a display of timber contributed by every state to create a "wood map" of the United States. (The Griffin Daily News and Sun, Griffin, Georgia, June 16, 1909, p. 3)
In August 2011, an oak tree that had fallen near the Major Palmer (66th Ohio) marker at the north summit of Culp's Hill was determined to be over 200 years old. As workers cut the tree apart with a chainsaw, two embedded lead balls were discovered, one being of .58 caliber, and the other of .54 caliber. The latter was rather rare for this battlefield, however, the 95th New York, which for a time occupied the adjacent works, was partially armed with the .54 Austrian rifled musket. These relics were added to the Park's collection. (Ready ... Aim ... Fire!, Small Arms Ammunition in the Battle of Gettysburg, by Dean S. Thomas, Thomas Publications, 1981)
Finally, from my own collection (below) is a minie ball cut from a tree on Culp's Hill on March 28, 1877. It was in the collection of the old Lee's Headquarters Museum at the Mary Thompson house, until acquired by The Horse Soldier. I was fortunate to win the relic during an auction at a Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg gathering in the Fall of 1999.
Bringing the