Base from a Parrott artillery shell, found at North Anna battlefield (SOLD)

This is another nice item being offered, it is the base from an exploded Civil War Parrott 10-pounder artillery shell. The base has the brass rotating band showing the rifling of the cannon tube. It was recovered from the North Anna, Virginia battlefield.

After the fighting at Spotsylvania Court House, Grant continued his Overland Campaign. He was brought up short on the North Anna River by Lee’s widely studied “hog snout line,” which forced Grant to divide his army into three parts.

On May 23, 1864, one of A.P. Hill’s divisions assaulted the V Corps which had crossed the river at Jericho Mill, resulting in bloody see-saw fighting. On the 24th, Union infantry was repulsed at Ox Ford (the snout) but advanced to near the Doswell House on the Confederate right. Once the threat of Lee’s position was revealed, Grant withdrew both wings of the army back across the North Anna River.  Grant outflanked the position by moving downstream and continued his advance on Richmond.

This is a nice, clean solid piece. I go into more detail on these shells and how they were used in my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”. It would make a nice addition to any Civil War collection.