Current:Home > FinanceCivil War cannonballs, swords and unexploded munition discovered in South Carolina river -WealthRoots Academy
Civil War cannonballs, swords and unexploded munition discovered in South Carolina river
View
Date:2025-04-16 12:49:54
Hundreds of Civil War relics were unearthed during the cleanup of a South Carolina river where Union troops dumped Confederate military equipment to deliver a demoralizing blow for rebel forces in the birthplace of the secessionist movement.
The artifacts were discovered while crews removed tar-like material from the Congaree River and bring new tangible evidence of Union Gen. William T. Sherman's ruthless Southern campaign toward the end of the Civil War. The remains are expected to find a safer home at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in the state capital of Columbia.
Historical finds include bullets, cannonballs and even swords, CBS affiliate WLTX reports.
Also discovered was a wheel experts believe belonged to a wagon that blew up during the two days of supply dumps. The odds of finding the wagon wheel "are crazy," according to Sean Norris.
"It's an interesting story to tell," said Norris, the archaeological program manager at an environmental consulting firm called TRC. "It's a good one - that we were able to take a real piece of it rather than just the written record showing this is what happened."
One unexploded munition got "demilitarized" at Shaw Air Force Base. Norris said the remaining artifacts won't be displayed for a couple more years. Corroded metal relics must undergo an electrochemical process for their conservation, and they'll also need measurement and identification.
Dominion Energy crews have been working to rid the riverbed of toxic tar first discovered in 2010, at times even operating armor-plated excavators as a safeguard against potential explosives. State and local officials gathered Monday to celebrate early completion of the $20 million project.
"We removed an additional two and half tons of other debris out of the river. You get focused on coal tar and yes we took care of the coal tar but you also had other trash," Keller Kissam, Dominion Energy President said, according to WLTX.
South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster said this preservation is necessary for current generations to learn from history.
"All those things are lost on us today. They seem like just stories from the past," McMaster said. "But when we read about those, and when we see artifacts, and see things that touched people's hands, it brings us right back to how fortunate we are in this state and in this country to be where we are."
Previously found war relics
Relics from the Civil War have been discovered in South Carolina before. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew unearthed Civil War cannonballs from the sand on Folly Beach. A similar discovery was made by a couple on the same beach three years later after Hurricane Dorian.
Last year, in neighboring Georgia, 19 cannons were found in "amazing condition" in the Savannah River. Experts said the cannons likely came from British ships scuttled to the river bottom during the American Revolution.
In 2015, wreckage of the Confederate warship CSS Georgia was raised to the surface of the Savannah River. The vessel was scuttled by its own crew to prevent Gen. Sherman from capturing the massive gunship when his Union troops took Savannah in December 1864.
- In:
- South Carolina
- Civil War
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Russian court extends the detention of a Russian-US journalist
- Judge to consider recalling death sentence of man who killed 12-year-old Polly Klaas
- Missing Maine man was shot, placed in a barrel and left at a sand pit, police say
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- 1 Malaysian climber dead, 1 rescued near the top of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain
- Not guilty plea for suspect in killing of nursing student found on University of Georgia campus
- Former NBA Player Drew Gordon Dead at 33 After Car Crash
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- With 'Babes,' Ilana Glazer wants to show the 'hilarious and insane' realities of pregnancy
Ranking
- Small twin
- Historic Saratoga takes its place at center of horse racing world when Belmont Stakes comes to town
- Bird flu reported in second Michigan farmworker, marking third human case in U.S.
- Officers deny extorting contractor accused of sexually assaulting women for years
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Trump’s case casts a spotlight on movement to restore voting rights to those convicted of felonies
- Nurse fired for calling Gaza war genocide while accepting compassion award
- Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Are True Lovers at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Show
Recommendation
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Trump was found guilty in his hush money trial. Here's what to know about the verdict and the case.
Mayoral candidate murdered, another wounded days before Mexico elections
New Hampshire refuses to reinstate license of trucker acquitted in deadly crash
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Ford recalls 109,000 Lincoln Aviator vehicles: Cellphones could cause issue with rearview camera
IRS Direct File is here to stay and will be available to more Americans next year
South Africa heading for ‘coalition country’ as partial election results have the ANC below 50%