Confederate Caltrop?

[fredsmth36]

Hi, newbie here with question as to whether this appears to be a Confederate Caltrop? or something else. It was found where a small battle occurred. Thanks!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[creskol]

Definitely not a caltrop. A larger photo would help with the id, as well as some dimensions.

 

[vhs07]

What was a caltrop used for in the civil war? I thought they were used to flatten tires?

 

[Diggit]

What was a caltrop used for in the civil war? I thought they were used to flatten tires?

Caltrops were originally developed by the Romans for use against horses, they were used for the same thing in The Civil War (to wound horses or stop cavalry)
The MODERN "caltrop" is the same type of device, but used to stop cars by flattening tires as you stated.


The late Roman writer Vegetius, referring in his work De Re Militari to scythed chariots, wrote:

"The armed chariots used in war by Antiochus and Mithridates at first terrified the Romans....
The Roman soldiers rendered them useless chiefly by the following contrivance: at the instant the engagement began, they strewed the field of battle with caltrops, and the horses that drew the chariots, running full speed on them, were infallibly destroyed.
A caltrop is a device composed of four spikes or points arranged so that in whatever manner it is thrown on the ground, it rests on three and presents the fourth upright."

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

looks like 3 rivets what for I dont know

 

[creskol]

Caltrops were originally developed by the Romans for use against horses, they were used for the same thing in The Civil War (to wound horses or stop cavalry)
The MODERN "caltrop" is the same type of device, but used to stop cars by flattening tires as you stated.




The late Roman writer Vegetius, referring in his work De Re Militari to scythed chariots, wrote:

"The armed chariots used in war by Antiochus and Mithridates at first terrified the Romans....
The Roman soldiers rendered them useless chiefly by the following contrivance: at the instant the engagement began, they strewed the field of battle with caltrops, and the horses that drew the chariots, running full speed on them, were infallibly destroyed.
A caltrop is a device composed of four spikes or points arranged so that in whatever manner it is thrown on the ground, it rests on three and presents the fourth upright."

In years of research, I haven't been able to find any written documentation that even remotely suggests that caltrops were used during the Civil War.
Do you have a reliable source that I can turn to that substantiates your assertion? (other than mis-identified stonejacks, or "jacks")
Thanks for your help.

PS: for a lengthy, but informative discussion on caltrops, please see this older T-net post:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/229506-trying-find-out-what.html