I am posting this query for William Norman, a graduate student at
Monmouth University.  William is interested in locating Revolutionary
War era musket balls which were manipulated in order increase
lethality.  He is familiar with the examples Calver and Bolton recovered
in their NYC excavations, including the famous musket ball with a nail
driven through it.  He also has examined some split musket balls from
Monmouth Battlefield, and knows about the mutilated musket balls found
by Hanson and Hsu at Fort Stanwix.  Letters from General Howe and George
Washington referring to musket balls altered to increase lethality also
exist.  William's hope is to determine how widespread this practice was,
the ways in which musket balls were altered, and the social reasons for
this practice.

He, and I, appreciate your help.

Rich Veit