Introduction and shell photo

[24thMichigan]

I am new here and would like to introduce myself.  This is a great forum.  After joining yesterday I spent over two hours last night reading the great posts.  I have dealt with several of the members I see here and all have been very knowledgeable and helpful.  My Great-Great Grandfather (Arthur Congdon) got me started collecting CW artillery by returning from the war with a very nice 12 pound Bormann shell that sat in the back room of my Grandparent's farmhouse for many decades.  I first discovered it when I was nine and inherited it four decades later.  I am attaching a photo of my Great-Great Grandfather (with 14-year-old drummer Billy Young) and the shell that he brought home.  He and my Great-Great Uncle were both with the 24th Michigan.  Both survived.  I hope you find the photo interesting and look forward to further exchanges of information here.  Thanks for a great site.

[6lbgun]

Welcome to the forum.  Great 12pd shell, especially withe family history.

Dan Klemens
6lbgun

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Welcome Sir to the Forum. that shell looks complete with sabot and straps.  Can you give us a separate photo of it?
Was it loaded? We hope you enjoy yourself and look forward to your posts.
Kind Regards,
John

[divedigger]

welcome to the forum and congratulations on the family history, that's what we do is reach back in time and it looks like you have a direct connection, how cool is that!

[24thMichigan]

Thanks guys.  The shell was full of loose case shot, no powder.  All components are easily disassembled.  Here are some additional photos:

[Pete George]

  Welcome to the forum, 24thMichigan. 

  You are (statistically) extraordinarily fortunate to possess a civil war Military relic passed down to you by your ancestors.  The only thing that came down through the generations to me was a story told to me by my grandmother about her grandfather showing the children the crater in his calf muscle made by a yankee Minie-ball at Chancellorsville.

  I notice that your cannonball still shows some "Barn Red" paint, which was the civil war Ordnance Department's color-code for Case-Shot ammunition.  Thought you'd want to know about that, if you don't already know.

  As you are beginning to experience, there's lots of other cool civil war ammunition knowledge to be had, for free, from the members of this forum.  Again, welcome.

Regards,
Pete 

[Dave the plumber]

 Welcome !!
           Interesting - your ball has a rare-ish US high lip Bormann fuze with the steel underplug.  Also note the directional arrow  cast into the fuze  .  Extremely nice piece, especially with your family history. Actually - priceless !!

[24thMichigan]

Thank you!  I do indeed feel fortunate.  I was aware of the paint but not the details on the fuze, so thank you for that.  I also have a photo of my Great-Great Uncle in uniform and one other item of interest.  If you notice the object that appears white on Arthur's right chest, it is a locket containing a photo of his wife and he wore it throughout the war.  My aunt has it now and hopefully I will be adding that to my collection soon.  I also have one of two in existence group photos of the remaining 24th members at the Gettysburg reunion in the late 1880's.  They posed in front of the 24th Michigan monument and Arthur is clearly visible in the front row.  Arthur is buried in my hometown in Michigan, just a few yards from a pair of huge Parrott guns.  Here is a photo of his grave from a visit my Father and I made there some years ago:

[24thMichigan]

Should have mentioned my name is Randall.  Didn't mean to be rude!

[Selma Hunter]

Randall,

Welcome.  You are indeed fortunate to have a family with generational interest in history.  Glad you are passing it on.

Bill Lockridge

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Randall,
   Nice shot of your case shot, thank you for posting a clearer view of such a handsome specimen.
Kind Regards,
John

[CarlS]

Welcome,

Always glad to have new members interested in our great hobby join us.  There are a lot of personalities here but it is a great group of people.

I notice that in the background of your first image there appears to be some other projectiles we can see small parts of.  I am sure your wonderful family relic is and always will be the center piece of your collection.  It is a great piece to have on it's own merits and special with the story that comes with it.  Was your great-great-grandfather in the artillery?  Or was he like many of us and just interested in such things?

[24thMichigan]

Arthur Congdon was a bugler with the 24th.  His brother David was a lieutenant with the 24th.  I do not know for sure, but believe he brought the shell back as a souvenir.  How he lugged it home, I have no idea!  I remember visiting his daughter (my Great Aunt) in Adrian, Michigan when I was very young in the early 60's.  If only I had known what questions to ask back then!  In this photo, Arthur is seated in front row, far left.  There are only two copies of this photo in existence.  In the one I have, they all have their hats off; in the other one, they are wearing their hats.

[24thMichigan]

And Carl.....Yes, I do have other projectiles in my collection that is now around 35 pieces.  It is fascinating looking at these relics and thinking that 150 years ago someone was loading it, firing it or if unfortunate, was on the receiving end of it.

[CarlS]

Very nice.  Thanks for sharing.  And great job on the nice clear photos!