Clean Civil War bullets and minies?

[wittzo]

My cousin was given several minie balls and bullets that were recently found in or near a creek bed by some other relatives. Hardly any of them showed any oxidation at all, they had some mud crusted on them. Several of them had what appears to be bite marks and some of them are flat or mushroomed like they were removed from a wound. Is it usual for excavated bullets to have no oxidation? It looked like someone could spray them off and shoot them, they were so clean. They were wondering if they could be faked, but why would someone fake bite marks and mushroomed round balls and minie balls?

We guess it might have been near a field hospital, where they dumped the body parts and other stuff, but we're still confused about the lack of oxidation. Maybe the clay or other sediment protected them?

I didn't have my camera with me, I'm going to try to take proper pics of them to post.

 

[arcticap]

Since water can soften that white encrusted oxidation that forms on lead, it can probably also keep it from forming in the first place.

 

[rio nueces]

Very interesting and unusual. I would metal detect around that area for sure.
Battle of Tupelo was near there?

 

[AlexanderA]

Could be bullets fired by modern reenactors/skirmishers. A friend of mine, a Civil War reenactor and a bit of a klutz, once took an original 1861 Springfield bayonet into the woods near Fredericksburg, Virginia, and promptly lost it. Despite going back and looking for it, he never found it. Someday it may turn up as a remarkably preserved "battlefield relic."

 

[rio nueces]

But teeth marks? Reenactors biting on bullets?
I'm confounded by the 'new' looks of the bullets, but I've read when 'biting the bullet' was a common medical practice.
I'd like to see pics.

 

[wittzo]

After looking online, I found it's not unusual for excavated CW bullets to have no oxidation. It depends on the conditions.

Some of the balls had crushed skirts, which was common. A .69 roundball and a .58 minie ball were flattened and mushroomed like they came out of a wound.

The intact minie balls don't appear to have any signs of being fired. One of the .69 roundballs has the threads of a patch impressed on it.

There are at least 4 different kinds of projectiles and other relics were found with them and in the area. The Battle of Harrisburg took place 4 miles from my house, my cousins aren't telling where they found them yet.

It would be odd for someone to walk out into a field (or creekbed) and dump out 2 lbs of Civil War style bullets and other relics and tools for the heck of it.

I'm about to be gone for a week to Boy Scout summer camp, when I get back, I'll take measurements and pictures and post them.

The term "biting the bullet" has two different origins. The most common was during surgery. The second one was from using paper cartridges. The soldiers would tear the cartridge with their teeth and hold the ball in their teeth or mouth.