This inert shell is a US 2.9 inch Parrott shell engraved by Gettysburg resident Edward Woodward. Mr. Woodward was a local gunsmith who, with the growth of tourism after the fighting at Gettysburg, opened a shop selling bullets, shells and other battlefield relics. He was known for having made desk sets and for engraving shells and cannonballs found on the battlefield.  Some items were engraved with the exact location where they were found while others were marked “Gettysburg” and the date “1863”. The first known items made by Woodward were dated September 1865 and given to veterans who visited the battlefield.

This shell has a wonderful smooth body that has been lightly cleaned and coated with a preservative to protect the iron surfaces. The cleaning and preservative were necessary due to light rust that had formed on the shell due to moisture. The iron sabot at the base of the projectile is still intact and shows the effects of having been fired. Still present in the nose is the zinc percussion fuse plug.

Engraved on one side of the body beginning just below the nose is “PERCUSSION SHELL FROM GETTYSBURG 1863.” The engraving is strong and very readable. These engraved shells are quite rare and highly desirable. This is the first one we have had in some time and it is one of the nicer examples we have seen.

This item came from a GAR Hall in Connecticut that suffered some damage in hurricane Sandy.

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