Mortar Shell In Civil War Museum Tells The Tale Of The Unique 7th Connecticut

VERNON, CT — There's an exhibit at the New England Civil War Museum and Research Center that shows vividly how powerful some of the weapons were during the conflict — and how unique one Connecticut unit was.

It's a 10-inch mortar shell, taken as a souvenir after a battle involving Connecticut troops.

The shell weighs 88 pounds and was filled with black powder and a "bursting charge," that was set to ignite a few seconds after being fired from a mortar cannon, museum officials tell us.

Mortars were fired at a much steeper trajectory than traditional cannons and the shells were aimed to drop vertically onto their targets, often over the walls of forts and onto vulnerable areas, museum officials tell us.

Soldiers of the 7th Connecticut Volunteers were specially trained to operate the mortars and the unit helped lay siege to Fort Pulaski near Savannah Harbor in the spring of 1862. During the the 112-day siege, the 7th Connecticut bombarded the fort for 30 hours until the Confederate forces finally surrendered.

As a token of the battle, members of the unit brought back a shell from the battle and presented it to Connecticut Gov. William Buckingham, museum officials said. He was governor throughout the war.

The New England Civil War Museum and Research Center is located on the second floor of Vernon Town Hall is a fully preserved Grand Army of the Republic hall, where Civil War veterans met. Click here to learn more about the museum and its hours.