Unspent cartridge from John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry
date: label: Date
content: 1859
name: label: Created by
content: Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, American, 1850 - 1881
label: Subject of
content: John Brown, American, 1800 - 1859
label: Subject of
content: Francis Jackson Meriam, American, 1837 - 1865
notes: label: Description
content: An unspent .52 caliber Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company cartridge from the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. The cartridge consists of a Minié ball and a cartridge case made from paper and thread.
label: Description
content: The cartridge was kept at the Kennedy Farmhouse that served as the headquarters for the raid. When the raid failed, the three men guarding the headquarters and its store of weapons and ammunition fled. This cartridge was carried by Francis Jackson Meriam.
label: Description
content: The cartridge was stored in a tobacco tin (NMAAHC 2023.84.2).
place: label: Place used
content: Washington County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Antislavery
label: Topic
content: Resistance
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1815-1861
label: Topic
content: Violence
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Weapons and Ammunition
label: Movement
content: Abolitionist movement
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2023.84.1
objectType: label: Type
content: Minié balls
label: Type
content: cartridges
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: lead and lead alloy with paper, gunpowder, and thread
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (cartridge): 2 9/16 × 1/2 × 1/2 in. (6.5 × 1.2 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (bullet): 1 × 1/2 × 1/2 in. (2.5 × 1.2 × 1.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (cartridge case): 1 9/16 × 1/2 × 1/2 in. (4 × 1.2 × 1.2 cm)