An old military weapon found in Hernando County Monday night is now at MacDill Air Force base.

  • Weapon found outside Spring Hill home
  • Not the first Civil War-era find in the county
  • Weapon will be used at MacDill for training purposes

Representatives from the base tell us the weapon, initially thought to be an explosive, turned out to be non-explosive and was from the Civil War era.

Monday night, Hernando County deputies were called to a home on Oakridge Drive in Spring Hill after a resident found the relic in their front yard. Bomb squads were called in as a safety measure, and the item was taken to MacDill Air Force Base.

This isn't the first Civil War era item found in Hernando County. At the May Stringer House, curators have several other items that have been found in recent years, all part of the county's rich military history.

There are dozens of civil war items in the military room at the May Stringer house, some donated by families in the community, others discovered in their own backyard.

"This cannon ball was found over just off 19 on Shoal Line Blvd. this was found in 2005,” Hernando County Historical Museum Association President Mary Sheldon said, pointing to a cannon ball in one of the Stringer house's displays.

A display of cannonballs and other American Civil War-era relics found in Hernando County, on display at the May Stringer house. (Kim Leoffler, staff)

Sheldon said that location was along the route troops took in the area during the Civil War.

"Union ships came into the Anclote River and troops disembarked, made their way up (north) through Pasco and Hernando County, and they got as far as about two miles from Brooksville and then decided for unknown reasons to head back to Bayport, where ships picked them up again.," Sheldon explained.

There were several skirmishes during that time, something the association depicts during the Brooksville Raid re-enactment they have each year.

But Sheldon said the discovery of this new weapon is a very intriguing find.

"It is exciting because it's another little piece of our history," she explained.

MacDill representatives said they plan to hold on to the weapon to use for training.