Carved Phallus bullet, Burnside Bridge, Antietam, 1980s (SOLD)

This is a rare and unusual piece being offered, it is lead bullet which a Civil War soldier carved into the shape of what appears to be a phallus. During the Civil War it was a common practice for soldiers from both sides to carve just about anything imaginable from bullets. Sometimes they would melt several together before starting.

To add to the uniqueness of this piece is the recovery site. It was found by Jim Gottert in the 1980’s on private property at the Antietam Battlefield, near the famous “Burnside Bridge”. This area was occupied by the Confederate right flank during the battle (see period photograph).

These carved bullets always generate a lot of interest. I have a similar example from my collection which is pictured in my book "Battle of Gettysburg – The Relics, Artifacts & Souvenirs" and in "The Civil War Soldier - His Personal Items". The bullet comes in the glass-top display case as pictured.