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Federal
DIAMETER: 3.61 inches (3.83 across flanges) |
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| Sylvanus Sawyer patented this
shell and fuze system on November 13, 1855, patent #13,799. Sawyer
shells had poor battlefield performance because the lead jacket expanded when the shell
burst, thereby absorbing the shock and not allowing the iron projectile body to fragment
properly. This Sawyer pattern has six iron flanges under the lead covering that correspond
with the rifling of the cannon bore. The patent date is stamped on the flat base. Stamped
on the nose near the fuze is "11 1/2". This information was needed so that the
factory worker would know how many ounces (11 1/2 ounces) of bursting charge to load
inside the projectile. Most of the specimens recovered were fired by Holcomb's Vermont
Battery during the Siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana. Go here for more
information about the "11
1/2" stamping.
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