Local News

Civil War-era cannonball found in Mansfield home

The cannonball was counterchaged and exploded safely by Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad.

The cannonball found in a Mansfield home. Massachusetts State Police

By Madeleine Aitken

1 minute to read

The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad responded to a residence in Mansfield on July 7 to investigate a suspicious object found on the property that turned out to be a cannonball.

A Facebook post by the Massachusetts State Police reported that troopers Scott Irish and Steve Sicard of the bomb squad x-rayed the object, a severely corroded metallic ball about 4 inches in diameter, at the Charlene Drive home.

They found that the interior was non-homogeneous matter, which is how cannonballs are made. “The x-ray image was consistent with cannonballs that have an interior void space filled with whatever explosive material was used by its manufacturer,” the post said.

Like a Cannonball:

Irish and Sicard determined that the cannonball dates back to the Civil War era and could be live, “based on that finding, as well the Troopers’ experience and additional research.” Working with the Mansfield Police and Fire departments, they chose a safe disposal site in town and countercharged the cannonball. The ball exploded, confirming the troopers’ earlier belief that it was live.

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Though the cannonball posed a threat, the way it was treated and disposed of ensured no one was hurt, state police said.

This isn’t the first time in recent years cannonballs have popped up unexpectedly. In Russell, Mass., a cannonball discovery last April raised questions about its origin and the history of the area. A Civil War cannonball was found in Maryland last March, and 194 were found on the beaches of Perdido Key, Fla. following Hurricane Ida last September.

See the full Facebook post here:

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