Sometimes, extra shells were fired off by ships, but a person has to wonder how come the Patapsco missed by a mile. However, Civil War shells were notoriously flawed.
When fired,, the shell base sometimes would fracture and the shell would go erratically. Also, sometimes the fuse would twist and the powder would not be ignited when it struck.
These Parrott shells had a range of 3-5 miles and were made of cast iron and made at West Point Foundry in Cold Springs, New York. Even though called a 200-pound shell, they actually weighed 145 pounds because it was a shell, filled with gunpowder and not a solid shot or bolt, which would have then weighed 200 pounds.
The shell will undergo preservation and is the fourth unexploded Parrott one found in the Fort McAllister area.
So,When You Go Walking Around a Civil War Battlefield, Watch Where You Step. --Old B-Runner
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