Could Morgan's Raiders Really Have Used This?

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Family lore has it that my ggg uncle, Benjamin Joseph Cooper, who it is claimed, rode with Morgan and was captured on the Ohio raid, carried this pot. It was supposedly used to melt lead to make bullets for their pistols. Could this be true? Did soldiers ever make their own ammunition?

 

[Package4]

Family lore has it that my ggg uncle, Benjamin Joseph Cooper, who it is claimed, rode with Morgan and was captured on the Ohio raid, carried this pot. It was supposedly used to melt lead to make bullets for their pistols. Could this be true? Did soldiers ever make their own ammunition?View attachment 404328View attachment 404329

Anything is possible, but that would be a rather unwieldy item to carry. Ladles were most commonly used to melt lead for those wishing to mold their own, they were easy to carry and had a poring "spout". I can see that pot being used post war for deer hunting and the like. I have no doubt that Morgan's men had to pour their own lead, being away from supply for long periods of time, so who knows, it is a cool piece though!

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah with no spout I'm not sure how that would work and it is very heavy. My grandpa was a plumber in the 1930s and used it to melt lead for soldering pipes, but always claimed it came from his Confederate great-uncle.

 

[NFB22]

I do see a Benjamin J. Cooper that served with the 8th Kentucky Cavalry. That regiment did in fact accompany Morgan on his raid. That part could be true.

 

[donna]

Do you have any information on your Uncle? Have you looked him up on Ancestry or Fold 3?

Interesting pot.

 

[donna]

See NFB222 has found Benjamin J. Cooper.

 

[donna]

In book, "Confederate Soldiers Of Kentucky", which I have, there is Benjamin J. Cooper listed with 8th Cav. Co. K. Corp. There are several Coopers listed. Do you know if he had any other relatives who served in Confederate Army? Also are you from Kentucky?

 

[donna]

Corp stands for Corporal.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Do you have any information on your Uncle? Have you looked him up on Ancestry or Fold 3?

Interesting pot.

I don't have access to those things. These are just stories from my elders. Supposedly he was paroled near the end of the war after an extensive stay at Camp Douglas. He could have ridden home on a train if he took the oath of allegiance but he refused. Another prisoner and he walked back home (over 350 miles) but it took them over three months. Ben had dysentery and was too weak to walk far. He kept urging his friend to leave him but the friend refused. They would stop in a town for several days while the friend did some odd jobs to get food and shelter for them. Surprisingly (or not) most of the people they met all along the way were very kind to them and offered a lot of assistance.
After the war he attended Morgan's final internment in Lexington, KY. He is referred to as Lt. Cooper in the newspaper write up of the affair. At least we think that is him.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

In book, "Confederate Soldiers Of Kentucky", which I have, there is Benjamin J. Cooper listed with 8th Cav. Co. K. Corp. There are several Coopers listed. Do you know if he had any other relatives who served in Confederate Army? Also are you from Kentucky?

Yes I am originally from Kentucky! ☺ Ben was born in 1843 and had a brother who was two years younger named Samuel Smith Cooper. When we researched our family tree Ben was the only Confederate soldier we could find which was a surprise. All the rest of the family went for the Union as far as we could tell. Brother against brother you know. I'm digging into some old letters right now that say he was imprisoned at Chillicothe, OH which certainly doesn't sound like Camp Douglas. Maybe over the years Chillicothe became Chicago (easier to pronounce )

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I do see a Benjamin J. Cooper that served with the 8th Kentucky Cavalry. That regiment did in fact accompany Morgan on his raid. That part could be true.

Thank you NFB22. I'm going to see what I can find on the web regarding the 8th KY calvary. All these little bits of info keep the story alive and interesting. This is something to share with my family!

 

[1867crete]

Great story and family lore! Thanks for sharing!

 

[TnFed]

Great story!

 

[Mrs. V]

Cool story. You gotta love the old stories..sometimes they are even true! lol! I know from experience!

 

[DixieRifles]

they were easy to carry and had a poring "spout".

I used a cast ladle to dip out molten lead out of my pot. Much easier. No spout on my pot.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I used a cast ladle to dip out molten lead out of my pot. Much easier.

Well. I guess I won't rule it out then. That's interesting!

I used a cast ladle to dip out molten lead out of my pot. Much easier. No spout on my pot.

 

[A. Roy]

These are just stories from my elders. Supposedly he was paroled near the end of the war after an extensive stay at Camp Douglas. He could have ridden home on a train if he took the oath of allegiance but he refused. Another prisoner and he walked back home (over 350 miles) but it took them over three months. Ben had dysentery and was too weak to walk far. He kept urging his friend to leave him but the friend refused. They would stop in a town for several days while the friend did some odd jobs to get food and shelter for them. Surprisingly (or not) most of the people they met all along the way were very kind to them and offered a lot of assistance.

This is a great story. Has someone written this up (and the rest of his story) in some publishable form? If not, maybe you should. Even 155 years later, this kind of family lore can serve as oral history and has value.

ARB

 

[Pollaco]

Interesting story, the question in the opening thread was asked "did soldiers make their own ammunition"? Yes they did.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This is a great story. Has someone written this up (and the rest of his story) in some publishable form? If not, maybe you should. Even 155 years later, this kind of family lore can serve as oral history and has value.

ARB

well those are kind words LOL. Of all the things I miss most being a grownup, one is sitting on the porch after supper and listening to the adults tell the old stories over and over as it slowly gets dark. I guess that is how you pass on oral history - repeating it. But you are right, if I don't write them down they aren't likely to get passed on these days.

 

[Greshamian]

My father was in the RAF for over 30 years starting just after WW1, so he had a great collection of tales. I was talking with one of my sisters and mentioned something our father had done, expecting her to know the story but she told me that I was the only one he talked to about his service. I only wish I had more than my failing memory to revisit the stories. So do write it down!