Do cannonballs explode?
Most cannonballs did not explode. However, the ones that did were known as “carcass shot” and were basically hollow and filled with gunpowder.
How did Civil War cannonballs work?
Cannonballs were solid, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used to target fortifications and enemy artillery. … As the enemy got closer, gunners would switch to canister or grapeshot. The crew would load the gun with a coffee can-sized container filled with small metal balls.
