From the Jan. 31st Wilmington (NC) Star-News "Civil War wreck to get anniversary attention" by Ben Steelman.
A coalition of local historians and archaeologists is banding together to celebrate the heritage of the blockade-runner Modern Greece. The 520-ton steamer was chased ashore off Fort Fisher, NC, on June 27, 1862, and was a total loss. Some of the ship's cargo was recovered by Confederates on shore. It was thought to have been completely destroyed and disappeared from history until a spring 1962 storm uncovered the wreck in 25 feet of water and just 300 yards offshore.
That's two major anniversaries taking place 150 years and 50 years ago.
That summer, 50 years ago, divers from the US Navy and North Carolina State Department of Archives and History began two years of recovering a treasure trove of artifacts from the wreck.
This diving eventually led to the creation of the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch.
The British-owned vessel (by the way, happy anniversary of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II who celebrates her 60th year of being the monarch today) was in-bound carrying a cargo of Whitworth cannon, Enfield rifles, bayonets, bullets, hand tools, cutlery, medicine and other items intended for Confederate forces.
You can always tell which way a blockade-runner was heading, in or out, depending upon what it was carrying. Outboard-bound ones would be carrying items like cotton and tobacco.
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
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