For your consideration one Enfield bullet with a small, very small, nose teat/nose cast mark. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is an interesting white to grey, brown colours & I do not see a single patina chip. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.565 x 1.055 inches.

The patina has a small amount of a black colour to it & this appears to be some of the original gun powder or this is a salvaged lead bullet.

For your consideration one low base first ring, faint skirt cast, 0.57 caliber 3 ring minie'ball. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition with a nice white patina. The bullet's nose is pointed & mold seams can be faintly seen on both sides. The skirt cast mark is FAINT but can be seen in the base photo 12 o'clock high. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.57 x 1.015 inches.

Overall, to me, this bullet has a short, dumpy appearance.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #273 "Burnside carbine-tinned case"/Thomas & Thomas 90B "Burnside...pointy nose shallow cone cavity" carbine bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a very nice waxy feelin' white colour with a patina "surface smudge" inside of the cavity...this patina has been checked with acetone. The one ring is crisp & well defined & the nose is pointy. One mold seam can be faintly seen. About 0.545 x 0.79 inches.

For your consideration one sharpshooter style of bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a very nice lite white colour with just a ting of red clay red to it. The bullet's nose is sharp & mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The 3 rings are all crisp, the cavity is essentric & is a pointed conical type. About 0.515 x 1.015 inches. This bullet pattern is listed in the Thomas RBRF#4 240...there are alot of slight variations.

For your consideration one unlisted tie ring revolver bullet. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a nice white colour...much of this bullet is still covered with a deep woods type dirt. The tie ring is crsip & clean & the solid base is smooth. About 0.375 x 0.575 inches.

For your consideration one Stelma 08-055 Marshall Texas Enfield "medium body" bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition with one or two what appears to be a cold pour marks...not unusual for a MTE. The patina is a slick, waxy feelin' tan/white colour & I do not see a single patina chip. The nose is very blunt & mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.565 x 1.055 inches.

In the bullet photo note at least 4 horizonal rings. The first ring is the heaviest & is about 1/2 way up on the side of this bullet...each ring making the bullet progressively smaller as you "go up" the bullet. These rings are faint but in the right light they are easy to see. Possibly a re-tooled bullet mold?? Opinions wanted

For your consideration one Federal saddle shield that saw civil war service. The shield has a great plum coloured patina...all 3 nail holes are intack. Front & back a very good piece of brass...a strong/durable shield. About 2 inches tall.

For your consideration one hat??? patterned heel plate...the actual "hat" design is easier to see in the 2nd photo. You will find this plate to be in excellent dug condition...made from very heavy guage brass. The patina is a deep, rich green colour. There are at least 2 remnant nails left in the nail holes. There is just enough dings to let you know this plate did see service.

This is the first of this design I have ever had.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #187 CS "Sharps carbine-1861" ringtail bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition with a near flawless white patina. The patina has that slick waxy feelin' to it. Heavy mold seams can be found on both sides of this bullet...all is crisp, clean & well defined. About 0.525 x 1.04 inches...this is not an easy bullet to measure the width of.

This bullet could well be a M&M #637 ".50 cal. Tie ring base" also.

For your consideration one sharpshooter style bullet. Please notice the skirtcast mark in the second photo...12 o'clock high. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition with a flawless lite white patina. Mold seams can be seen on both sides & note the sharp nose point. The 3 rings are crisp & the pointed conical cavity is essentric. About 0.53 x 0.995 inches. I have been told by these local diggers that these bullets were fired thru Austrian Lorenz rifles.

I think this bullet is listed in Thomas RBRF#4 as 240.

I wanted to do an update on a relic that has been on TennesseeLead for sometime now. I bought & sold this bell as a civil war calvary bell...being listed in the Lord's Vol.3 Collectors Encyclopedia as such. But there is much more to the history of this bell. These 4 inch bells were originally used in the US Camel Corps formed in 1855. At least 30 of these animals were brought to the US from the Middle East. The camels were used as transportation/pack animals on the uneven trails from Texas to Califorina & were perfectly suited for this rough, dry terrain. The bells were of great help locating camels that had wondered off. The bells worked so well that the idea & some of the bells saw service during the civil war. I had advertised this bell with a very clear, distinctive ring & well come to find out silver was cast in with the brass which did create an original, very clear ring. The gent who bought this bell told me he had 3 others just like this one but this bell had the best ring. So there you go...the other side of the story.

I have since been told by a gent that he dug a few fragnments of this type of bell in an early war camp in the Somerset/Nancy Kentucky area.

For your consideration one 0.58 caliber 3 ring minie'ball with a deep flat tip (small plug) cavity. I don't find this exact ball listed. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a very nice white colour. All 3 rings are in great condition & one mold seam can be faintly seen. About 0.57 x 1.005 inches.

This bullet us similar to a Stelma 07-056.

Here's a 3 ring minie'ball you just are not going to see everyday. Listed in the new Thomas RBRF#4 as 331 "Tyler Ordnance Works" Tyler, Texas. Measures about 0.576 x 0.985 inches. The cavity is a flat tipped ogival (M&M cavity 10) with a cavity depth of 0.420. Weights 424 grains. This is a bullet of limited know examples...but how many examples is unknown. An interesting Trans-Mississippi bullet tied to a known Southern arsenal...if you have any additional info on this bullet please let me know. Dug from the Tyler area.

This bullet seems at least similar to a Stelma 08-045 & 046 Baby Austrian bullet.

For your consideration one variant of a Mason & McKee #112 Confederate "Colt revolving rifle" bullet. This is a crude bullet but a crude bullet that is in very good to excellent dropped condition. Both rings are crisp & the patina is a very nice lite white colour...as shown. The solid base is smooth with the typical small cavity this bullet variety has. Thomas 96B describes this as a "small punch mark...probably made by the Hazard Powder Co". About 0.575 x 0.955 inches.

I have seen these bullets dug here in NE Tenn & its always in CS areas. I have no provenance on this bullet.

For your consideration one unlisted 3 ring minie'ball with a very pointed nose. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a lite white colour with areas of darker greyish/black mixed in. The 3 rings are shallow cast & mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The skirt is somewhat thick & the cavity is a pointed conical type. In thde right light you can see this is a skirt cast bullet. About 0.575 x 1.04 inches.

This may be a salvaged lead bullet.

For your consideration one unlisted "odd" 3 ring minie'ball....an interesting bullet. You will find this bullet to be in very good dropped condition. My guess this is a salvaged lead bullet with areas of lite white & black equally mixed in with each other. The 3 rings are faint, very shallow cast, especially the bottom one. Please notice the nose cast mark is clear & easy to see & mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The cavity is a deep ogival/paraboloidal type with a small teat at the base of the cavity...its hard to see in my photo but its there. About 0.575 x 0.97 inches.

Except for the lack of a 4th ring this bullet is pretty much a dead on match to a M&M #373 bullet. I guess a M&M #369 variant also.

For your consideration one iron sword hanger. You will find this hanger to be in excellent dug condition, very strong...a very nice piece of iron. The rust you see is minor.....just enough to let you know its been in the ground a long time. This hanger has a heavy coat of polyurethane applied to it...now its clean to handle...an excellent canidate for electrolysis...very nice example.

For your consideration one plug cavity Enfield bullet.You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a smoooth white colour. This bullet has a well defined nose cap ring around its nose. The skirt is nice & round & the cavity is a plug type. About 0.565 x 1.05 inches.

Note the vertical "tear" line impressed into the side of the bullet...the paper cartridge was pressed to the side of the bullet to aid in a uniform removal of ball from paper. Please refer to the Thomas & Thomas handbook.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #491 "Colt army-early model" bullet. The condition of this bullet is a very good & the patina is a near flawless bright white colour. The one ring/groove is crisp & the solid base is smooth with a faint base cast mark showing. About 0.455 x 0.685 inches.

Please notice the blunt cut nose. This bullet is not suppose to have a blunt nose...the nose appears to have been "hand-cut". I have seen Spencer cartridges dug that had hand cut blunt noses. Another bullet that's not suppose to have a blunt nose. Maybe some of the troops thought that a blunt nosed bullet had more stopping power? Maybe just a cut/boredom bullet?

For your consideration one Thomas & Thomas 171A "Southern manufacture" GA troops bullet with a nice, long teat inside of the cavity. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is real nice & mold seams can be easily seen on both sides of this bullet. About 0.575 1.13 inches.

This is the tallest of the 0.58 caliber GA bullets.

For your consideration one 0.54 caliber Enfield bullet with the original boxwood plug still intact, inside of the cavity. The plug has deteriorated some & you can see evidence of that on the side of the bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina has a very even, very smooth, lite white colour. One mold seam can be faintly seen. About 0.53 x 1.025 inches.

This appears to me to be a Thomas RBRF#4 297 ".54 cal. Miss. rifle" bullet.

For your consideration one variant of a Thomas & Thomas #174B/variant of a Mason & McKee #350 0.54 caliber lube groove Enfield bullet. You will find this bullet to be in very good dropped condition. The patina is a thick bright white colour...very nice. One mold seam can be seen on this bullet & all 3 rings are well defined. The cavity is a plug type with a small hole/imploded teat in the center of the plug. About 0.53 x 1.04 inches.

This is the first & only time I have seen this exact bullet variety.

For your consideration 4 nap sac hooks all dug from the foothills of NE Tenn. All are strong...all show service. The patinas are as shown. Shipping is $3.50.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #450 confederate "For rifle musket" bullet. This is the bullet variety without the nose cast mark. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a brown colour, slick & waxy feelin'. Please notice the high base first ring. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.575 x 0.99 inches.

I have seen this bullet variety dug here in NE Tenn & its always in CS camps.

For your consideration one Thomas & Thomas #188B "Machined pressed & turned" Prussion bullet. You will find this bullet to be in good to very good dropped condition. The patina is a verrry interesting spotted white to brown colours...as pictured. Please notice the very high hi-base first ring. The cavity is an ellipsoidal/ogival type. About 0.665 x 1.28 inches.

This is one big bullet!

For your consideration 3 Mason & McKee #377 type confederate 3 ring minie'balls. All 3 bullets are in very good dropped condition...no culls here! All 3 have real nice white patinas. All 3 have really big nose cast marks. All are 0.575 caliber with cone cavities. Shipping is $3.50.

These bullets are dug mixed in with M&M 365 bullets.

For your consideration one unlisted 3 ring bullet. This bullet appears to me to cast from salvaged lead. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a straighted black on grey/white colours & I do not see a single patina chip. Mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.575 x 1.02 inches. This is a very nice patina!

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #227 very rounded nose Enfield bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is an exxtra nice white colour. The nose cast mark can be easily seen & mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.57 x 1.085 inches.

Its hard to find a match to an Enfield bullet listed in M&M.

Question: Here's a little cuff/kepi I button dug here in NE Tenn back in the 1990's...off of a well drained slate ground hillside. The button is in excellent dug condition. I wanted to show a rarer confederate I button & I was hoping someone would be able to share some information on this button. No backmark. Measures 0.50 inches across. answer: A Tice's CSI209As1 variant. C. ROWLEY without the backmark. Not listed in Tice's or Albert's books. The style of I, slightly puffed back & there's other similarties.

Welcome to the banks of the Mississippi River extreme NW Tennessee. When you look across the river from here you see Missouri, not Arkansas. A Tenn State Park for Island #10 & its foritications. The confederate government knew one key factor in securing Southern independence was to control the Mississippi River. In 1862 seven US gunboats with mortar rafts bombarded this "tight double bend" in the river. Island 10 was located in the exact right place to fire on anything heading down river. By the time a gunboat reached Island #10 they were having to maneuver for the "double bend". Confederate gunners knew this & you can bet their guns were trained on this area of the river. After a 3 week bombardment, darkness & high river conditions 2 US boats slipped pass the island. Now them Yankees own down nearly ta Memphis. This is the first piece of the Mississippi River confederate forces had lost in conflict. The confederates evacuated the island, under fire, in pretty good order & were chased thru the swamps some 5 miles nearly to Tiptonville, Tenn. Here better than 6,000 CS troops were captured. A interesting civil war story...a little off the beaten path. Island #10 & fortications are now underwater.

My initial reaction while reading the records of this bombardment was "I wonder if anyone had done any shell hunting here"? Beautiful country but this is the most remote part of Tenn I have ever seen.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #12 confederate "Country rifle" bullet. You will find this bullet to be very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a bright white colour...a real nice patina. The nose is nice & pointey & please notice the well defined base sprue. About 0.535 x 0.76 inches.

Thomas RBRF#4 identifies this bullet as a "Harpers Ferry Slug".

Here's a bullet I bought with a small group of confederate bullets. For your consideration one unlisted 0.54 caliber 3 ring bullet. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is as shown a splotchy white colour...a very nice patina. Please note the faint re-cut ring effect in the middle & top rings. The bottom ring appears to be a little deeper & slightly wider cast than the other 2 rings. The skirt is thick & the cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.53 x 1.015 inches. Dug from the Corinth/Shiloh area.

Appears to me to be a short variant of a Thomas & Thomas 138C bullet.

For your consideration one unlisted confederate blunt nosed 3 ring minie'ball. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a splotchy brown on white colour...as shown...& I do not see a single patina chip. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.565 x 1.03 inches. Dug from the Corinth/Shiloh area.

Looks to me to be a variant of a Thomas & Thomas 165B bullet.

Here's a rare bullet a Thomas & Thomas 70A "Confederate manufacture for unknown carbine...two square grooves" bullet. You will find this bullet to be in good to very good dropped condition with a couple insignificant period "bumps". The patina is a lite brown colour & there is NOT a single patina chip. Mold seams can be seen on both sides. Both rings & grooves are cleanly cast & well defined. The solid base is smooth & free of damage. About 0.52 x 0.94 inches.

This is the pointed nose variant.

For your consideration one carved civil war bullet. A bullet with "notches" carved into each side. The patina is a very nice bright white colour. Like all carved bullets this one is unique. This bullet began life as a 0.57 caliber bullet.

Because this bullet's patina is such a BRIGHT WHITE colour...its hard to photograph...there's more detail here than my photo shows.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #355 "Machined grooves-variant" bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a too die for bright white colour, very smoooth, very even. Please note that the top groove is not as deeply machined as the middle & the middle is not as deeply machined as the bottom. The skirt is nice & round & the cavity is an ogival type. About 0.565 x 1.075 inches.

Please excuse the brown/yellow ting from my camera lights!

For your consideration one 0.69 caliber musket barrel dug from the Shiloh, Tenn area. This barrel has been cut off to make a 12 guage "sawed-off" shotgun. Barrel length is about 14 1/2 inches long with an overall length of almost 17 inches including the "tang" thang. This barrel shows only minor surface pits with a great brown patina & is in excellent dug condition...simply a great piece of iron. It has been electrolysised, cleaned & has a lite coat of polyurethane applied to it. This barrel is now stable for life & clean to handle. If you will notice the top photo the nipple is still attached to the barrel. Really a much better relic than my photos show. Shipping is $11.00 USPS flat rate.

A point to remember 0.69 caliber & 12 guage are the same size.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #301 "For Mississippi rifle" 2 ring bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a slick waxy feelin' lite brown colour...a real nice patina. Please note the very well defined nose sprue complete with sprue nipper mark (pinch) that alines up very well with the mold seams that can be found on both sides of this bullet. Both rings are all crisp & well defined...better than my photo shows. This bullet variety can be found with a least 3 different cavity types. This bullet has the dish base cavity. About 0.53 x 1.03.

There seems to be some thinking that this bullet variety was produced at the Marshall Texas arsenal.

For your consideration one variant of a Mason & McKee #271/272 "Cut off minie". You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition.....as you can see from my photo this bullet has layed in the ground next to an iron relic for years. The patina is a light white to grey patina, some rust colour too & there is NOT a single patina chip. One mold seam can be faintly seen. The one ring is cleanly cast & notice the faint ring just above the one ring.....looks like a brass cartridge was once attached to this bullet?? Maybe this is actually a carbine bullet?? The solid base is smooth with a small "air pocket casting flaw" in it. About 0.55 x 0.67 inches.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #12 confederate "Country rifle" bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a thick black on white colour....a near flawless patina. Mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. The bullet's nose is sharp & a sprue pinch mark can be easily seen on the solid base. About 0.535 x 0.765 inches.

I'm selling this as a salvaged lead bullet...the #12 bullet in M&M looks like it might be a salvaged lead bullet also.

Not too far from this spot is the final resting place of the USS Mointor. I always remembered this ship as that funny looking tin can-boat that changed naval warfare forever. That revolving turrent bobbing around in the water firing bone crushing shots to ships of the day. Repeated & accurate shots. The Monitor was built buy a Swedish ship builder & she was much more adepth to river warfare than naval warfare. Her low seaboard & heavy turrent made the Monitor unseaworthy in rought waters. Well...in December 1862 in the famed Graveyard of the Atlantic she went down while in tow & still lies there. Experenced divers can make the 230 foot dive & view the wreckage in the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. This type of scantuary is the first of 14 which protects a marine "cultural resorce rather than a natural resorce".

Photo is of the Bodie Is lighthouse under repair.

For your consideration one very pointed nose/nosecast Enfield bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is an interesting "motted" mix of whites to browns to blacks.....a real nice patina. The cavity is a pointed conical type. About 0.565 x 1.05 inches.

This appears to me to be a salvaged lead bullet.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #323 foreign mold bullet recovered from the Wishing Well down in Georgia. For a Wishing Well bullet you will find this bullet to be in very good condition. The patina is a lite white to grey black colours. The cavity is a very deep paraboloidal type. Now how's that for a little piece of history!

The Wishing Well in a nutshell: as troops moved towards battle they passed a drinking well. As they passed they threw a bullet in the well, made a wish & contuined on towards the battle.

For your consideration one civil war iron canteen spout. The condition is solid, complete, with only minor surface rust. Don't see dug iron this nice much anymore! About 3 1/2 inches long.

Shipping is $3.50.

For your consideration one Thomas & Thomas 147A teat base Enfield bullet. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a thick, slick brownish/white colour with just a ting of red clay red...you will not be disappointed with the patina! Mold seams can be seen on both sides & the teat is thick & slightly protrudes.

This bullet has a vertical slit line in its side to aid in the uniform removal of cartridge from ball. The Thomas Bros describe this as "These came from slits made into the cartridge, a feature usually evident on Enfield cartridge". I don't recall seeing this on a teat base Enfield before?

For your consideration one, unlisted 3 ringer bullet with a conical flat tipped cavity. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a bright white colour...very nice. Mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. Please notice the "bulbed" type nose this bullet has. All 3 rings are shallow cast. The skirt is fairly thin & nice & round. About 0.575 x 0.995 inches. This is not a Mason & McKee #591 bullet.

Alphaeus Albert lists this button as a CS7 Army Officer with 14 five pointed stars. With a W. DOWLER SUPERIOR QUALITY backmark. Great detail with gold guilt remaining. After a hard rain in June 1988 this button was found under a down spout of an old house here at Mosheim. I'm guessing but I would say this was lost by CS Kentucky troops here.

For your consideration one variant of a Mason & McKee #111 "Unknown carbine" bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent condition. The patina is a grey/black colour with areas of lite white. Both rings are deeply & cleanly cast. One continous mold seam can be seen up one side of the bullet, across the nose & down the other side. The solid base is smooth & this appears to be a base cast bullet. Please notice the very rounded nose. About 0.52 x 945 inches. I image this bullet could also be called a caliber variant of a M&M #105 or a Thomas & Thomas 141A bullet.

Here's another one off the beaten path. Welcome to the banks of the Nolichucky River-State of Franklin-1786-birth site of David Crocket...now Greene Co. Tenn. Humble beginnings. Crocket's grandfather was killed by native Indians...his father was one of the Overmountain Men. During his very early years the most organized form of government Crocket knew was that of the Cherokee Indians. Rough, tough, ...ready to move in a minute. Joined the Tenn Militia & fought in the Indian Creek Wars. Two term Congressman from frontier Tennessee. Opposing fellow Tennessean Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy helped defeat Crocket which, in anger, prompted one of his most famous orations you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas. Crocket's death at the Alamo, like much of his life, is somewhat speculation. History offers more than one demise to Crocket...the one I like best is "Crocket's body was found surrounded by no less than 16 Mexican corpses, with Crocket's knife buried in one of them." Tennessee has since been known as the Volunteer State.

For your consideration one 0.54 caliber Enfield bullet with a raised ring around its nose. The raised ring with a nose cast mark on the bullets nose. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition. The patina is a very nice brown colour. The cavity is a flat tipped conical type. About 0.54 x 0.975 inches. I have heard from more than one customer that they have dug this same bullet.

For your consideration one of the BIG varieties of a ringtail Sharps bullet.....probably a M&M #182 type bullet. You will find this bullet to be in excellent dropped condition. The patina is a slick, slick tan to white colour. There are very heavy mold seams on each side of this bullet.....so heavy its makes the bullet slightly out-of-round. The 3 raised rings are all crisp & the tie ring is crisp & clean. About 0.535 x 1.085 inches.

There is a small piece of the tie string still in the tie ring groove.

For your consideration one Mason & McKee #366 Charleston, South Carolina hi-base 3 ringer. You will find this bullet to be in very good to excellent dropped condition....a very nice bullet! The patina is as shown a mix of white to brown to grey colours. Please note the high base first ring & mold seams can be seen on both sides. The cavity is a M&M #3 flat tipped conical with a small pin hole in the flat of the flat tip. About 0.565 x 1.085 inches. Dug from the same camp as bullets TL2551, 52 & 53.

Notice the "ring in the cavity wall" near the bottom of the cavity....this ring extends 360 degrees around the cavity.

For your consideration one plug cavity CS salvalged lead bullet. You will find this bullet to be in very good dropped condition. The patina is a splotchy white on black colour.....a real nice patina for a salvaged lead bullet. Mold seams can be seen on both sides of this bullet. About 0.535 x 0.94 inches.

There seems to be evidence that this bullet/cartridge is a product of the Richmond, Virginia arsenal.

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