caused to commence in the front part of its
expanding portion and to be gradually continued toward the rear as
herein set forth.

So much for the _explosive_ ball "_sent by the Confederates_."

In the same volume of the Patent Office Reports will be found also the
following:

No. 36,197--Ira W. Shaler, of Brooklyn, New York, and Reuben Shaler,
of Madison, Connecticut, assigned to Ira W. Shaler
aforesaid--_Improvement in Compound Bullet for Small Arms_--Patent
dated August 12, 1862.

This projectile is composed of two or more parts which fit the bore
of the barrel and so constructed that the forward end of each of the
parts in the rear of the front one enters a cavity in the rear of
the one before it, and is formed in relation to the same in such a
manner as to separate from it after leaving the barrel of the gun
and make a slight deviation in its line of flight from that of its
predecessor.

Claim--The projectile hereinbefore described, made up of two or more
parts, each of equal diameter, constructed as set forth so as to
separate from each other.

No illustration of this projectile appears in the illustrated volume of
patents; but an official drawing of it from the Patent Office lies
before me. The ball is slightly different from figure B (_supra_), in
that it is here perfect, and figure B gives but two parts of the
missile.

So much for the _poisoned_ ball "_sent by the Confederates_."

Any person ought to know perfectly well that it was not necessary to
invent or construct a rifle ball especially adapted to carry poison,
when the common minnie ball itself, dipped into liquid poison and
coated, as ball cartridges are usually finished, with wax or tallow,
would have effected the same purpose.

To what extent the bullets of Williams and Shaler were used during the
late war by the United States troops, the following official
communication from the War Department at Washington, under date of
September 16, 1879, will show:

Sir--In reply to your letter of the 9th instant to the Secretary of
War, I have to inform you that during the late war a great many of
the bullets patented by Elijah D. Williams and about 200,000 of
those patented by Ira W. Shaler were used by the United States.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,
S. C. LYFORD, _Acting Chief of Ordnance_.

In the _fourth_ place