Revolutionary War artillery bar shot, recovered at Castine, Maine, Penobscot Expedition

Being offered is a section of a rare Revolutionary War Bar Shot. It measures 5 ½” x 3” x 3 ¼” and weighs 2 pounds, 5 ounces. A complete example of this projectile would measure 10” long (see example). During the Revolutionary War, "bar shot" was a type of cannon projectile consisting of an iron bar with two cannonballs, two cannonball halves, or one solid piece with the ends increasing in size to fit in the cannon barrel. This one was recovered at Castine, Maine during the Penobscot Expedition.

This bar shot is crudely-made American and a bit too large for a three-pounder gun, making it likely for a six-pound gun or perhaps a French four-pounder. Ordnance, particularly American ordnance, was rather international: the bow gun of Arnold’s gunboat “Philadelphia”, for instance was an old Swedish twelve-pounder.

Bar shot was particularly effective at close range, where its tumbling motion could cut through rigging and sails. While less accurate than round shot at longer ranges, bar shot was used to target masts, sails, and other rigging, which were crucial for a ship's maneuverability and control. The spinning and tumbling motion of bar shot made it ideal for tearing through thick sails, wooden hulls, and large sailing masts.

The Penobscot Expedition was a 44-ship American naval armada assembled by the Provincial Congress of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The flotilla of 19 warships and 25 support vessels sailed from Boston on July 19, 1779, for the upper Penobscot Bay in the District of Maine. The expeditionary force had more than 1,000 American colonial marines (not to be confused with the Continental Marines) and militiamen. Also included was a 100-man artillery detachment under the command of Lt. Colonel Paul Revere.

The expedition's goal was to reclaim control of mid-coast Maine from the British who had captured it a month earlier and renamed it New Ireland. It was the largest American naval expedition of the war. The fighting took place on land and at sea around the mouth of the Penobscot and Bagaduce rivers at Castine, Maine, over a period of three weeks in July and August. It resulted in the United States' worst naval defeat until Pearl Harbor 162 years later in 1941.

In “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution” by Neumann and Kravic, there are examples of bar shot shown (see pictures). Bar shot could vary somewhat in the shape of the ends or the contour of the connecting rod.

This projectile remains in nice condition, having overall roughness, but no chipping or flaking. It has been lightly coated for preservation. Bar shots, complete or partial, are rare and highly desirable.