Trans-Mississippi Taxonomy

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I have a few photos and bullets to start posting and I have just thrown together a numbering system to attempt to keep things separate ie. TM-1 will be 54 Cal MTE, TM-2 will be .577 MTE, TM-3 will be MTE deep cavities, TM-4 will be TME's (Trans-Mississippi Enfields), TM-5 will be Tom Green's and so forth. The numbers such as TM-3 and a TM-3a will be different deep cavity MTE's. I am just getting started so I will appreciate any suggestions or comments. Hope everyone enjoys and realizes as with any Enfield the MTE has the same amount and if not more variances in sizes. What I will be posting are a few of the examples in my collection as well as borrowed pictures from forum members and I will include the individuals name on those bullets unless I have been requested not to. Hope this will be informative and entertaining as this gets kicked off an going.

TM-1 54 Cal Marshall Texas Enfield .530 x .990 x 411
TM-2 577 Cal Marshall Texas Enfield .570 x .946 x 473 dug at the Marshall Texas Powder Mill by Coonboy.

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Deep Cavity Marshall Texas Enfields.

I have always considered a deep cavity MTE to have a cavity of .4 or deeper. I would like inputs from others on their thoughts of what constitutes a deep cavity MTE.

TM-3 MTE Deep Cavity .565 x 1.007 x 456 with cavity depth of .477 (Red River Campaign).
TM-3 a MTE Deep Cavity ..567 x 1.049 x 454 with cavity depth of .411 (Alexandria, Louisiana). Great cold pour marks.

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Trans-Mississippi Enfields are similar to the British Enfields but are very crude and found in the Trans-Mississippi theatre with most of mine having come out of Louisiana. Many of the TME's will have striations marks as well as the bulls-eye nose rings.

TM-4 Trans-Mississippi Enfield - .570 x .941 x.462 (Red River Campaign). Great striations and Bulls Eye nose.
TM-4 a2 Crude TME .565 x 1.081 x 577 (Red River Campaign). Extremely crude bullet.

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The Tom Green Enfield (Dance and Parks)(Anderson Texas). The Tom Green (MM-657/TT-164/RBTRF IV 405-409) was produced with a short/medium and long body. Mike was supposed to send me a photo of his Long Body but guess he's too busy. The bullet was produced on a machine similar to the Gardner with a flange crimped over to hold the paper. Some of the Tom Green's have what appear to be one ring where the flange crimps over and on others the body will be smooth with no indication of the crimping. The bullet was named after General Tom Green who was killed at the Battle of Blair's Landing with this bullet and others found at his troops campsites. Mike believes General Tom Green was extremely brave but lacking in comprehensive thinking.

TM-5 .572 x .869 x 417 Dug at Brushy Creek (Colonel DeBray's Texans campsite) at Crumps Hill, LA by Coonboy.
TM-5a .567 x .885 x 435 dug in Southeast Texas.
TM-5d Tom Green profile of a base marked Tom Green. (Mike Ward Collection)(I believe this was dug by Coonboy.)

[R. J. in LA]

Great photos Michael, keep 'em coming!

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TM-6 (MM-631) .503 x 774 x 260
Dug Confederate Barracks, Arkansas Post, Arkansas



TM-7 and 7A
Patrick Cleburne
.537 x .845 x 358 Cavity depth .225
TM-7A Mike Ward Collection






TM-8 Rocker Base Sharps
.524 x .978 x 416
This bullet pictured in North/South Trader Vol XIV No 5 July-Aug 1987



TM-9
Churchill .565 x .68 x 324
Mike Ward Collection



TM-10
MM-268 Tie Ring Enfield
.572 x 1.194 x 588
Dug Port Hudson by a forum member.
Base slightly pinched.

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TM-9
Churchill
.565 x 68 x 324
Mike Ward Collection

Hopefully the picture posted this time.

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The above post pretty much took care of the 1 Groove or Tie Ring bullets. I will be starting on the 2 Groove next week and there are a lot of neat and different 2 Grooves associated to the Trans-Mississippi.

Hopefully all will post comments on the above bullets and add information that is noteworthy.

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Texas or Arkansas Hawg???

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TM-11 is a unique round ball found in Arkansas, Mike Ward collection



TM-12 Delvigne. I let this bullet slip through my hands and called Mike to let him know what site it was listed on. I will always regret that. This is one of the few Delvignes I have seen with a good patina. If anyone in Arkansas has an extra I would love to pick it up from you. Just IM me.
Dug 2 miles north of Cane Hill, Arkansas in the winter headquarters of Major Whitfields Texas Cavalry.
Mike Ward Collection



MM-13 Sterling Price




TM-14 Hindman without Striations
TM-14a Hindman with Striations (Mike Ward Collection).






TM-15 Cosmo Type II what more needs to be said. One from Arkansas and one from Louisiana.



TM-16 (MM-301) Mississippi Rifle - this bullet was produced with a variety of cavities to include a small plug/truncated cone, dish, dish with teat, and I have seen one that is between a dish and cone.




TM-17 Fagan-produced on a machine and made as the Gardner was. The flange pulled down over and holding paper.

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Lets try the Fagan again.

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When I placed these in Photo Bucket I had typed dig locations, sizes, etc. I guess when I post copy and paste the photos I will retype all of the information placed on the photobucket site.

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TM-18 (MM-291) - I have always considered this to be a Trans-Mississippi bullet with so many found in Louisiana and Mississippi. This bullet was dug by PIA in Grenada, Mississippi (.684 x 1.038 x 640). One of my all time favorite bullets.

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I will finish the two grooves as soon as I get photos taken and then will start on the 3 and 4 Ringers. Hope everyone enjoys.

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Gonna cover the Musketoons this evening. I include the MM-292 (Arkansas Musketoon), MM-293 (Port Hudson Musketoon), and the Jenkins Ferry Musketoon all as Trans-Mississippi Theatre bullets.

TM-19 Arkansas Musketoon
.674 x .971 x 533
Dug DeSoto Park, Memphis, Tennessee




TM-19 A Port Hudson Musketoon
.678 x .986 x 593
Dug Boca Chica, Texas (Texas mainland) across from Brazos Santiago and the route Lt. Colonel Branson and the 62nd USCT and the 2nd Texas (union) travelled to Palmito Ranch (The Last Battle of the Civil War).




TM-19 B Jenkins Ferry Musketoon
.693 x 1.033 x 636
Rhea's Mill, Arkansas