Civil war or earlier projectile maybe??

[scubadetector]

Ok, Along Lake Huron in one spot I was finding tons of three ring bullets, some pictured here and lots of musket balls. I also found 2 small cannon balls. I took a handful of them to the museum in Port Huron and asked if there was a small skirmish here. The currators eyes lit up and asked me how many bullets I found. I told him hundreds. LOL little did I know I stumbled into the shooting range for the old Fort Gratiot in Port Huron. Nobody had any idea where it was. I also found one small button with an I in the shield for infantry. Now here is my question. I found this in the same place. Its iron and it seems to have NO useful purpose. Is it some kind of shot for a small cannon? The cannon balls I found were little , about 4 inches around. I need to go back to the museum and see if I can at least get a picture of them.

So this weird jack looking thing is solid iron. Doesn't look like it attached to anything at all. And I was thinking that possibly, just possibly it was some kind of cannon projectile to shoot into ships. I have absolutly hundreds of these bullets and a few other weird ones I have found there. I know what the cannon balls are, but this item has always had me stumped!! Thank you all for your knowledge!!!!

 

[Southwind]

Civil war era caltrop.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Southwind "nailed" it...... Google caltrop, it is really a good read.

 

[scubadetector]

I did google it. and saw a picture. Two problems, this was in the water with the cannon balls and this looks a lot bigger and heavier than the picture. BUT maybe a different kind.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Click on images and you will see hundreds of variations. Yours is without a doubt a Civil War iron caltrop, many sell for $50 or more. A VERY nice find and how it got in the water, we may never know. They were used to disable the mounted soldiers, (Cavalry) and they were used clear back into the Medieval times, a horse's worst nightmare.

 

[taz42o]

This has been a long argued subject...
Thousands of these have been found, many at military sites but the fact that there is "no mention of Caltrops anywhere in the 125-volume Official Records indicates we can be about as certain as it's possible to be that caltrops were not used in the American Civil War".
Also ,know caltrops were made so one point landed up and were much bigger and sharper. see pics 01 & 02.
Why would you make such a small, dull caltrop? I dont think very effective on dirt.

The ones like you found are often found worn to various degrees leading many to believe they are tumbling media. see pic 03.
No reason a dug civil war caltrop would be that worn.

That said , I do not claim these are or are not caltrops but would like to see more proof than an ebay or google picture with some unqualified person claiming they are CW caltrops and asking 55$.

 

[407floyd]

It doesn't look like or serve the purpose of a caltrop. It would be annoying, but it wouldn't puncture. Maybe it's an experimental form of grapeshot for a cannon canister shell.

 

[GoGoGopher]

Reminds me of an iron fence topper...???

HH,