US Model 1855 Socket Bayonet - Hook - Wood Growth Remnant
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Item: US Model 1855 Socket Bayonet Stamped "US" - Hook with Wood Growth Remnant
Construction: Iron
Condition: Excavated, solid shape. Approximately 10-1/2 inches of the blade is missing with the remaining 7-inch blade portion bent to form a hook. The 3-inch socket with locking ring and screw still solidly attached. Found on the one side is a solid section of wood growth from a tree or shrub which grew around and just inside one side the socket. Stamped on the blade are the letters visible "US". The iron has moderate surface pitting. It appears to have been treated with electrolysis so as to stabilize the iron. A partial locking ring with screw is present and fixed in place. There are no repairs.
Recovered: Unknown
Approximate size: 8-1/8 inches overall length.
Reference: Similar examples of reshaped bayonets are pictured in:
- "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of the Civil War 1861-1865" by Stanley S. Phillips on page 164, item 3.
- "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of The Civil War Supplement One" by Stanley S. Phillips on pages 61, 62, & 64.
- "Civil War Artifacts" by Howard R. Crouch on page 154, figure 5.
- "Gettysburg Battlefield Relics & Souvenirs" by Mike O'Donnell on page 82, item 3.
- "The Hammond Civil War Collection" by Mike O'Donnell & Howard Crouch, page 130, item 6.
See above page in additional images.
Comments: Bayonets bent into hooks have been recovered from battlefields and surrounding areas as it is believed they were used to remove bodies of the dead for burial. Other uses may have included hanging cooking pots over a campsite fire. It was acquired directly from the family of the local Virginia digger and will be an excellent addition to any excavated Civil War bayonet, firearm, or general relic collection.
- Product Code:
- PC12116
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