surplus munitions

[speedenforcer]

What did the Feds do with the majority of the surplus shells after the war. I know some were thrown at the Indians, some were thrown in the rivers, but what happened to the vast majority. Were they melted down. we all have seen the stock piles of shells. just curious of the manner of which they were disposed of.

[scottfromgeorgia]

Most of them were hoovered up by Mike Ward's ancestors.

[CarlS]

A lot of what Mike didn't get probably went to recycling, Bannerman's, cemeteries, city buildings & squares, parks, and other places for display.  At one time cannon ball displays were everywhere.  I don't think that a very large percentage of the surplus was field artillery as it's mobility allowed for it to be in constant use and thus be consumed about as fast as it was made.

[redbob]

I believe that many of the display balls/shells along with the guns that fired them, fell victim to the scrap drives of WWI and II.

[WRE]

What did the Feds do with the majority of the surplus shells after the war. I know some were thrown at the Indians, some were thrown in the rivers, but what happened to the vast majority. Were they melted down. we all have seen the stock piles of shells. just curious of the manner of which they were disposed of.

From my own personal finds I can verify that a number of Schenkl shells went to western Nebraska during the Plains Indian Wars.

[alwion]

nice WRE