This extremely rare
excavated specimen illustrates the construction of the James canister. Note the iron
canister balls exposed by the partially missing tin plate. A James Canister Pattern I
sabot was used for the base. The placement of the tin sheeting over the lead sabot was an
attempt to keep the lead from fouling the grooves of the rifled cannon during firing. The
majority of James canisters have been recovered from Shiloh and Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
This unfired pictured example was recovered from the April 1862 battle of Shiloh,
Tennessee.
