Civil War "Pain Bullet"

Civil War "Pain Bullet". Click photo and "Detailed Description". (SOLD)

This is another nice item being offered, it is a Civil War “Pain Bullet”. It appears to be a .69 cal. Minie Ball and the teeth impressions are very pronounced. In Pictorial Encyclopedia of Civil War Medical Instruments and Equipment, Volume I, by Dr. Gordon Dammann, there is an example of a Pain Bullet (see pictures). Dr. Gordon states “This is a round musket ball that was used by soldiers during a time of surgery or intense pain. The lead projectile would be placed between the patient’s teeth and the patient would be instructed to bite hard during a painful procedure”.

 

This particular bullet was recovered at the Wilderness, Virginia Battlefield. The Battle of the Wilderness, fought from May 5 to May 7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant’s 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a prelude of a bloody war of attrition against Lee's army and, eventually, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. The battle was tactically inconclusive, as Grant disengaged and continued his offensive. The glass top display case is also included. (SOLD)