*** NOTE *** A number of these sold at the Chicago Civil War Show, so I have only a few left. Order now!

Here we have a .58 caliber Union three-ringer with a twist. It was unearthed near Mesilla, New Mexico where Fort Fillmore was established in the 1850's. The bullet has a grey-lead patina which is common for ones dug in NM and AZ. It is in almost perfect condition with no pushes and maybe one very old, almost imperceptible nick. I have several of these recovered from the same site. If the one pictured sells, I can still send you one just as nice or your money back.

Keep in mind that small purchases (like 1-5 bulllets or a few buttons) can be shipped in padded mailers for a very low, First Class price.

Fort Fillmore was a way station for settlers headed to California. It was home, in the 1850's, to the First and Second Dragoons, 8th Infantry and a Regiment of Mtd. Rifles. Eagle "D" and "R" buttons have been unearthed at the site. Troops conducted operations agains Apache warriors who periodically attacked wagon trains. In the mid-50's, a young officer by the name of George Pickett was stationed at the fort. General Ambrose Burnside was also there temporarily, but as part of a well-drilling project.

When the Civil War broke out, federal forces abandoned the facility after setting it afire. They had previously mounted a failed attack on Confederate forces stations in nearby Mesilla. 500 retreating Union troops were eventually capture by the Confederates. In 1862, Union forces returned to the area and defeated Rebel units who approached them from Santa Fe. The federals closed the fort in 1862 and it was never used by military forces again. An inspection in 1869 found only a cemetery and a few burned-out buildings remaining at the location. The cemetery still stands there today.