Made of coarse, well-twisted woolen yarn and fashioned into a bag, the sponge was attached to a sponge head which was, in turn, fastened to a wooden staff. In field artillery, the sponge was usually attached to the opposite end of the rammer staff. For some mortars and Columbiads, the sponge was attached directly to a staff without a sponge head. The sponge was used to extinguish any burning embers in the bore and to help clean the weapon of powder residue. The artillerist responsible for sponging the cannon was to insert the sponge and twist it three times clockwise and three times counter-clockwise.

This sponge measures roughly 7” tall x 8” in diameter.  In very good condition.  [jet]

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