Civil War artillery gunners hammer, recovered at Bentonville, NC

Being offered is an Artillery Gunner’s Hammer, measuring approximately 7” x 2 3/4" x 1”. It is typical of what was used by the artilleryman on ammunition crates, fuses, and for everyday maintenance on the equipment. It was recovered at the Bentonville, NC Battlefield.

The Battle of Bentonville was fought on March 19-21, 1865, and was the last full-scale action of the Civil War in which a Confederate army was able to mount a tactical offensive. This major battle, the largest ever fought in North Carolina, was the only significant attempt to defeat the large Union army of General William T. Sherman during its march through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865.

This hammer obviously was well used, but it remains very solid with no chipping and flaking.  I have a similar one in my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction” which was once part of the Gettysburg Battlefield Museum (see pictures). There is also one in the Gettysburg Museum collection (see pictures).  This would make a nice addition to an artillery or Civil War collection.