Large Artillery Shell Nose Section

Large nose section of a Civil War artillery shell. Click picture and "Detailed Description".

Large nose section of a Civil War artillery shell and weights a couple pounds. It measures approximately 5" x 4" x 2". It is from a 30 pound Parrott shell and the threaded section for the fuse is very obvious. It was recovered on private property at the Petersburg Virginia Battlefield. 

The Battle of Petersburg was one of the last battles in the Civil War. It all started when General Ulysses S. Grant wanted to take over the city of Petersburg, Virginia to gain control over the Confederates shipping/goods supply. General Grant took his men south across the James River. General Robert E. Lee however, was unaware of Grant's movements. Grant and his men built a pontoon bridge more than 2,000 feet long to cross the river. Grant then took his men across the bridge and they marched on to Petersburg. 

Most railroad tracks went through Petersburg, in which all trains would pass through, carrying goods for the Confederate Army. It was connected by railroad to the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia. At Petersburg, Grant hoped to stop all the trains from going to Richmond and the rest of the South. If Grant could take control over Petersburg, he could defeat the Confederate army by starving them out. At Petersburg, Grant was confronted by General Beauregard and his small band of men, who battled the Union and held them off until General Robert E. Lee came along. 

When Lee became weary on the decision of staying in Petersburg, he turns south and starts to escape. His original plan was to head south, swoop around the Union, and trap them from within Petersburg. However the Union followed the Confederacy to the south, managed to intercept their army, and obstruct their path of swooping around the Union. After this, the pursuit continued until the end at Appomattox. 

During the siege of Petersburg, thousands of shells were fired against the Confederates, this being part of one of those exploded shells. This section is in very nice condition with no chipping or flaking, and has been coated with a varnish for preservation. The digger also marked the shell "Petersburg", the site of the recovery.