I ve been relic hunting since 1961 with a metal detector and since 1956 with my eyesight in plowed fields and by random digging in winter hut holes using a screen to sift the dirt. I hunted in large circles of other hunters from 1962-1967 and in small circles of friends and alone since 1967. I only know of 4 Wintworth bullets found NEAR Battlefields ( it’s illegal to hunt battlefields as you asked).
One was fired and three dropped. The fired one I found was about 420 FEET from the marker indicating the spot Sedgwick was shot. Two dropped ones were found by a relic hunting friend on the south side of Laurel Hill (Wentworth sharpshooters were on the north side facing the enemy). The fourth was found yet again at Spotsylvania two and a half miles from Laura Hill on my farm. Fighting on my farm occurred on May 10 , sniper fire on Laurel Hill begin on May 8th.
Southern troops that took part of the fighting on my farm were
2,11,26,42 MS;
11,15, 26,27, 44,46,48,52,55,NC; 13 AB;
1,7,14 TN;
47,49,55 VA; 22VA battalion.
I heard of one shot one found “on the Gettysburg Battlefield “. I am always sceptical of a clam “found on ——— battlefield ‘.
Thank you for your interesting information.
As you indicate, the recovery of relics is prohibited in NPS administered battlefield sites. As a result, any whitworths found are more likely to be retrieved from private property in the peripheral areas adjoining the main battlefields. This greatly restricts the limited number of whitworths recoverable and makes them rarer for collection. Like you say, I too would be initially skeptical of anyone offering fired whitworths from battlefields, like Gettysburg. One needs to be careful and conduct further checks to be satisfied of their authenticity.
For my collection, I previously acquired a dropped hexagonal whitworth from the general vicinity; as well as a fired short-form cylindrical round found in a tree outside the southern edge of the battlefield.
Lee’s army reportedly received thirteen English whitworths during late 1862. Another two reached his army in early 1864. (I think they obtained a few more though).
Fred L. Ray in his work, ‘
Shock Troops of the Confederacy’, at page 276, estimates, …”in the approximately thirty-six infantry brigades of the Army of Northern Virginia, there were most likely between thirty-six and seventy-two of these rifles (whitworths) in service.”…
A list of a few of the whitworth riflemen, together with their relevant brigade and its composition of regiments, is:
Whitworth Rifleman Brigade Regiments
Ben Powell & McGowan 1 SC, 1 SC (rifles), 12 SC, 13 SC, 14 SC
? Cheatham
Thomas Jackson & Archer 12 AL, 1 TN, 7 TN, 14 TN
William Beasley
Thomas Burgess Kershaw 2 SC, 3 SC, 7 SC, 8 SC, 15 SC, 3 SC (battalion)
Charley Grace Dole 4 GA, 12 GA, 21 GA, 44 GA
Irvin Spivey Gordon 13 GA, 26 GA, 31 GA, 38 GA, 60 GA, 61 GA
Willie Simpson Hays 5 LA, 6 LA, 7 LA, 8 LA, 9 LA