Bullet in Wood

"Bullet-in-Wood" from Cold Harbor Battlefield. Click picture for further details. (SOLD)

“Bullet-in-Wood”. It appears to be a .58 caliber Minie Ball, and it is almost entirely covered by the wood from the tree it struck. The lead from the bullet has a chemical reaction with the wood which in turn will often preserve the wood that surrounds the projectile. This piece was recovered from the Cold Harbor, Virginia Battlefield. Shortly after the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia, both armies were again on the battlefield of Cold Harbor, forming a seven-mile front that extended from Bethesda Church to the Chickahominy River. At dawn June 3, 1864, the Union II and XVIII Corps, followed later by the IX Corps, attacked the entrenched Confederates, only to be slaughtered at all points. General Grant would later comment in his memoirs, that this was the only attack he wished he had never ordered. This was a devastating loss for the Union, with 13,000 casualties compared to the 2,500 suffered by the Confederates. This unique artifact is from the late John Graham collection, who was an avid collector and historian on the Civil War. I will also include the glass top display case pictured. (SOLD)