By Jack W. Melton, Jr. & Lawrence E. Pawl

During the American Civil War more varieties of artillery projectiles and cannon were used than in any other time in military history. The outbreak of hostilities in 1861, found inventors on both sides searching for the perfect blend of sabot, shell body, and fuze to create the artillery projectile that would give the military advantage to their respective cannoneers. This seemingly unending search for that elusive, perfect projectile continued even after the end of the Civil War.

As a result of these seemingly endless innovations, the student of Civil War artillery today faces a fascinating, and potentially confusing, maze of hundreds of battlefield tested artillery projectiles, cannon, and shells.

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This site was designed to help the reader to better understand the variety of Civil War artillery projectiles used by the Confederate and Federal forces during the War Between the States. The authors, Jack W. Melton, Jr. and Lawrence E. Pawl have made every effort to be accurate, and whenever possible, archival and patent records have been used to support the information contained herein.  The Civil War Artillery Home Page.