Civil War Gathered & Identified Bullet Collection – SOLD

Description

Civil War Gathered & Identified Bullet Collection.

These bullets and cartridges were collected by Assistant Surgeon James Henry Denny, 2nd Mass. Heavy Artillery, who was taken a POW in April of 1864 at Plymouth, NC.  The tagging was done about 1891.

This wartime gathered, and tagged collection consist of :

• Appears to be an Enfield bullet, found at “Ezra Church Battle,  July 28, 1864, 3 mi. west of Atlanta.”
• Williams Cleaner, label reads same as above.
• .58 Minie “picked up on Mr, Black’s Plantation, Peach Tree Battle ground of Jul. 21, 1864.” / “Nov. 1891.’
• 3 spent bullets showing damage.
• “Bullet found on Lookout Mt. Said to contain explosive material and sold by English to the Confederates.” This comes with a pencil note on period paper, ” Confederate bullet sent over by England, either as gift or a sale. Said to contain poison, but a few used. Purchased at Lookout Mt.”  In addition to these items is a hand written letter dated Jan. 29, 1970, on Univ. of South Carolina; A letter from Francis Lord to the then owner of the collection, saying not to send the bullet. Lord does not believe the bullet to be an explosive type, etc.
• Two paper cartridge paper casings, id’d on old metal rimmed tag, “English Cartridges taken from the Magazine at Fort Fisher, N.C. by James H. Denny, Asst Surg. 2nd Mass. H.A., August, 1865.”  The Enfield bullet was found with these two pieces. Some tears on backside. Held together by twisted iron.

James Henry Denny was a 25 year old surgeon who enlisted on Nov. 9, 1863 as assistant surgeon in the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He had been captured and taken Prisoner near Plymouth, NC. on April 20, 1864. He was released on October 6, 1864.  Denny mustered out on September 3, 1865 at Wilmington, NC.  His home was Boston.  He died in Vienna, Austria in 1910.

A great, and interesting identified bullet collection from a Civil War surgeon.