Original lead bullets excavated from the Manassas Battlefield in Virginia. The lead ammunition at left are all Federal issue; a .44 round for the Colt or Remington revolver, a .52 Sharps carbine generally used by the cavalry branch of service and a .58 round for the Springfield rifle or other imported arms of that caliber. In 1862 the diameter of the .58 was decreased by a fraction to accommodate the .577 Enfield Rifle also. The lead ammunition at right are all Confederate issue; a .69 caliber round ball for the smooth bore musket, a .54 Richmond Sharps carbine and a .58 Gardner for a rifle. The .54 Sharps and the .58 Gardner were both made at the Richmond Arsenal in Virginia. The Sharps carbines were used by the cavalry. They all used a paper cartridge which has not survived in the ground. The white color or patina is due to oxidation in the ground.

The battle scene was reprinted from a hand colored steel engraving done in the 1870’s.

The Battle of First Manassas was fought on July 21, 1861, was the first major battle of the Civil War  Largely untrained Federal troops under General Irvin McDowell marched to Centreville and then to Manassas Junction, where McDowell hoped to cut the railroad running into the Shenandoah Valley. Having failed Confederate troops under General Joseph E. Johnston rode the rails from the Valley to Manassas, where they united with General Beauregard's army and met McDowell along Bull Run on July 21. The battle was marked by confusion, with Union and Confederate troops wearing similar uniforms and flying similar flags. When it looked as if the Union troops might prevail, Virginians under the command of Thomas J. Jackson rallied on Henry House Hill, where he earned his famous nickname "Stonewall." The Union army was routed and returned to Washington D.C..

The display comes as shown mounted in an 8” x 12” Riker style case.

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