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Model 1861 Ketchum

History of 1861 Ketchup

Grenades were used in combat as early as the Byzantine Empire (395-1453), so by the time of the American Civil War (1861-1865) they were not a new invention - only a few were used on the modern battlefields of the time. Both sides of the conflict ended up using some type of infantry grenade, with the Confederacy valuing the more traditional spherical shape, while Union forces relied mostly on the "ketchup" type.

The Ketchum grenade was developed by William F. Ketchum of Buffalo, New York (its patent was granted in August 1861) and entered service with the Union Army shortly thereafter.

Mr Ketchum developed a complete grenade system consisting of three main components. It was designed so that the accuracy and explosion of the gun was ensured by a stabilized fin. The fins are attached to the shaft of the dart-like weapon - effectively mimicking a modern "lawn dart". The overall design places the "body" of the grenade in front of the "neck" of the tube, followed by the stabilizing fins at the rear. At the "nose" of the grenade is a pressure plate with a fuze assembly, and the impactor is deployed in this casing, ready to make contact during landing.

Black powder filled the shell of the corpse. This tube connects the casing to the four-blade tail (the entire tail is made of wood), so when the grenade is thrown, the grenade lands on its heavier body/nose end.

Grenades are manufactured in three main weight classes: 1lb, 3lb and 5lb to accommodate variation and effect.

In use, Ketchum (like other early forms of grenades) gave attackers different results. It's largely ineffective because the dart-like projectile requires a fairly precise landing on its nose to detonate.

This means that the arrow either falls harmlessly to the ground, or is intercepted by enemy forces waiting for it to arrive - both of which usually prove to be detrimental to enemy units that have encountered the weapon in previous engagements. This results in the grenade being simply picked up and thrown back to the attacker!

Additionally, its range is limited to the throwing abilities of each unit - requiring attackers to get into dangerously close quarters before dropping grenades at well-burrowed defenders.

Ketchup is known to have been used in the sieges of Vicksburg (May-July 1863) and Petersburg (June 1864-March 1865), among other notable and minor engagements . Not an outright success, but it gave more firepower to the standard Civil War-era shooter.