Battlefield exploded musket barrel

Civil War exploded musket barrel. It measures 21 ½” long and appears to be a .577 cal. Enfield. There is about a 3” section split where it burst. The nipple which took the percussion cap is also still on the piece. The Enfield was used by both the North and the South, and was the second most widely used infantry weapon in the war, surpassed only by the Springfield Model 1861 Rifled Musket. The Confederates imported more Enfield’s during the course of the war than any other small arm, buying from private contractors and gun runners when the British government refused to sell them arms after it became obvious that the Confederacy would probably lose. It has been estimated that over 900,000 were imported to America and saw service in just about every major engagement.

The attached tag states “Exploded Musket Barrel – Recovered Cold Harbor”. This is where it was dug on private property. 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.

There is little doubt that this piece seen its demise during the heat of battle…possibly by being jammed or overloaded with cartridges. The artifact has been coated with a light varnish for preservation and remains very solid with no chipping or flaking. Battlefield damaged Civil War weapons are very rare.