Civil War12-pounder cannonball recovered at Fredericksburg, in the Hamilton’s Crossing area

This is another great piece being offered, it is a US/CS 12-pounder solid shot cannon ball. It weighs 12 pounds and has a 4 ½” diameter. They were the most common projectiles of any caliber used during the Civil War by both Federal and Confederate forces. The ball would be secured to a wooden cup sabot by two crossed iron straps nailed to the wooden cup. The cartridge bag or powder bag was tied to the groove cut into the base of the sabot. It was dug years ago in Fredericksburg at the Harrison’s Crossing area (see pictures).

Burnside planned to use Franklin, with Sumner and Hooker, to cross the river using five pontoon bridges; they were done by December 12. Lee also had divided his army into two infantry corps under Lieutenant Generals Thomas J. Jackson and James Longstreet, with cavalry commanded by Major General J.E.B. Stuart.

Longstreet’s sector of the Confederate line proved formidable, with strong flanks, a sunken road, and a stone wall. Jackson’s line on the southern flank of Lee’s position was less favorable, in particular at a point called Hamilton’s Crossing.

Hamilton's Crossing was the crucial southeastern anchor of Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson’s defensive line during the December 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg. Today, the site offers a quiet, wooded contrast to the intense fighting that defined this critical Civil War location.

The formidable array of Union guns perched on Stafford Heights rained long-range fire upon the Confederate lines, dropping shells into the woodlands and around the Hamilton's Crossing supply base. More than likely, this ball was one that was fired from Stafford Heights.

This cannonball is in nice dug condition, only having some light surface rust, but no real chipping or flaking. It has been lightly coated for preservation and is now ready for display. In my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”, I go into more detail about these cannonballs and the guns that fired them (see pictures).