Item Number: A01023

Item Title: 7-Inch Dyer from Shiloh

Price: $420

Shipping: Not included

Provenance: US

Type: Dyer

Size: 7 Inch (Riftled 42 Pounder Gun)

Sabot: Lead Cup (Missing)

Fuse: Wood Adapter (Missing)

Book:
Jack Bell Page 224

Location Recovered: Shiloh, TN area

Description:This is a 7-inch Dyer shell cast for the gunboats along the Mississippi River squadrons which were fitted with a number of rifled 42-lber guns. The USS Cairo in the Vicksburg museum has a few of these guns and the Dyer shells that came up with the ship. The white metal sabot worked exceptionally well at taking the rifling which is often distinct on the shells that have the sabot. But it so quickly expanded into the rifling and sealed it so well that many were fired that didn't go off because the fuse didn't get lit. While not good in the heat of battle, that was a bonanza for Tom Dickey and the other hunters at Island #10 where lots of them were found.

This particular example was, as you can see from the legend painted on the side, found at Shiloh. If so it would have been fired about the same time Confederate forces at Island #10 were withdrawing. I've heard of a few of these found just southeast of Shiloh in the Eastport, AL area but not at Shiloh proper. Frank Witham doesn't list them in his book and the two gunboats there, the Tyler and Lexington, don't record the rifled 42-lber in their armaments. So I think that it came from upriver on the Tennessee River at Eastport.

This shell is missing the sabot. I'd guess about 1/3 of them lost the sabot. The iron is very hard and shows little ground action. With a little effort it could be cleaned up even more so make the base edges more crisp, etc. but it is good as it is. I didn't clean it yet due to time and not wanting to impact the legend on the side. The good condition clearly the relief of the base groove where the sabot is attached.

It is preferred that a show pickup be arranged but I can ship it.

Shell is inert, cleaned and coated.