Unexploded Civil War artillery shell discovered at Gettysburg National Military Park

A Civil War artillery shell was found Wednesday at Gettysburg National Military Park, according to a news release.

The unexploded ordnance was found on the battlefield in the area of Little Round Top, said Jason Martz, a spokesman for the park service. It dates to the Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought on July 1-3, 1863.

Crews have been working to rehabilitate that area of the park, and it remains closed to the public.

The 55th Ordnance Disposal Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team from Fort Belvoir, Virginia safely removed the shell and destroyed it off-site, the release states.

The team gently washed off the mud so that it could be photographed, the release states.

Little Roundtop remains closed as crews work on a project that will address erosion, parking, overcrowding, and safety concerns.

The plans involve making Little Round Top more accessible for people with disabilities, reconfiguring the parking for buses and cars, making crossings safer for pedestrians, and using ecologically friendly materials to help prevent water runoff in the large gathering spaces.

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It also will address the soil that has been falling away on the east side of "the castle" − the 44th New York Infantry Regiment's Monument. If it were allowed to continue, it could damage the underpinning of the 1893 memorial, Martz has said.

Union and Confederate soldiers fought for three days in Gettysburg in July of 1863. It is one of the best-known battles of the American Civil War.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Civil War artillery shell, unexploded, found on Gettysburg battlefield