Civil War Exploded Hotchkiss Artillery Shell, recovered at the 2nd Manassas Battlefield

This is another nice piece being offered; it is the remains of an exploded Civil War Hotchkiss case-shot artillery shell. The 3-inch Hotchkiss shells were made in three pieces – the nose, the lead band (sabot), and the base cup. This one stands 5” high, 3” x 3 ½” on the bottom, and weighs 3-pounds, 14-ounces. The Hotchkiss was the most common type of projectile fired from the 3-inch wrought iron rifle. This piece was recovered years ago from the 2^nd  Manassas, Virginia Battlefield.

Manassas was the site of two major Civil War battles: the First Battle of Manassas (also known as First Bull Run) in July 1861 and the Second Battle of Manassas (also known as Second Bull Run) in August 1862. These battles were significant events in the war, demonstrating the conflict would be long and costly.

The lead sabot is tightly fused to the shell, being very tight. It is a solid piece and has been coated for preservation. In my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”, I discuss these shells in further detail (see pictures).