Artillery Vent Pick / Priming Wire - Original Civil War - For Field Cannons

Description

This iron artillery vent pick (or priming wire) was used to pierce the powder bag through the vent hole of the cannon.
It is just over 16 inches long, which is typical of those used for smaller field cannons.  It has very minimal pitting around the loop, and no rust.
One of the photos shows the vent hole on the top of a 12 Pound Field Howitzer where this pick would be inserted.  This cannon is at the Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where one of the longest and most devastating sieges of the Civil War occurred.
A great piece of Civil War Artillery history!