Mississippi Man Finds More Than 200 Civil War-Era Cannonballs on His Property

The artifacts date back more than 160 years

NEED TO KNOW

• A Mississippi property owner discovered more than 200 Civil War-era cannonballs while preparing his land for commercial development
• Local museum officials believe the ammunition may be linked to the 1862 Battle of Blackland or Battle of Booneville
• The recovered cannonballs will soon go on display at the Rails and Trails Museum, and experts believe more artifacts may still be buried nearby

A Mississippi man recently made a remarkable discovery on his property: more than 200 Civil War-era cannonballs.

Harold Knight of Booneville, whose land sits along Highway 45, said everything started when he found a single cannonball on his land while he was preparing it for commercial development, according to local outlet WTVA.

Curious about what else might be hidden underground, he opened the area to members of the public with metal detectors.

The searches quickly revealed far more than anyone anticipated, including more than 200 cannonballs dating back more than 160 years, as well as several types of Civil War-era ammunition.

While speaking to the outlet, Jim Lamb of the local Rails and Trails Museum in Booneville said that the ammunition included grapeshot, canister shot and case shot.

While researchers are still searching for additional artifacts that could help explain exactly how the ammunition came to rest on the property, Lamb said the location offers an important clue.

“Based on what we’ve seen and the location, these are either connected to the Battle of Blackland or the Battle of Booneville, which is about a mile and a half to the east of us, so we are smack dab in the middle of two battles,” he said.

Both battles took place during the summer of 1862.

According to Lamb, the Battle of Blackland involved artillery exchanges between Union and Confederate troops, making it possible that the ammunition originated from those engagements.

He added that additional Civil War artifacts may still be buried throughout the surrounding area.

The cannonballs recovered from Knight’s property are expected to go on display at the Rails and Trails Museum in the coming weeks.

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