Civil War Artillery Shell Discovered in Downtown Charleston

From the February 7, 2020 Fox News.

Am artillery shell was discovered this past week in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.  It was found by a construction crew at Gillian Street, which is in the heart of the historic district.  Roads were closed for two hours in the area while  a U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance team removed the shell.

They exploded the shell elsewhere.

An important Confederate port during the war, the city underwent a lengthy siege by Union forces before surrendering in 1865.

Many comments concerning this, with a lot of people wishing that instead of exploding the shell, it should have been made inert and given to a museum.

Others said they could have called it a Confederate monument and let BLM or antifa take care of it.

Very Funny.  --Old B-Runner

Be Careful Digging in Your Backyard

From the January 7, 2018, U.S. News & World Report  "St. Augustine Man finds Civil War-era Mortar in Yard."

Well, a mortar or cannon shell actually.

Digging in his backyard a man found a Civil War explosive.  He was digging a grave for his dog and found a cannonball with two ports sliding out.

He told the St. John's County Sheriff's Department who called a bomb squad to deal with it.

St. Augustine Lighthouse archaeological conservator Andrew Thompson says there was no Civil War action in the area in which it was found.  He thinks it might have belonged to a collector who discarded it. (I kind of doubt that.)

After it has undergone tests, it will be offered back to the finder or to a museum.

Like, BOOM!!  --Old B-Runner

Navy Salvages Two Cannons From CSS Georgia-- Part 1

From the July 23, 2015, Marine Log "Navy salvages cannon from wreck of Confederate ironclad."

Well, at least the Confederate ironclad was not flying that flag (although entirely correct since the main flag under attack is the Confederate naval jack) so it so far has not offended certain groups.

The U.S. Navy is providing salvage assistance to bringing up what is left of the CSS Georgia, and that includes bringing up its four cannons.

In 1866, most of the ship's railroad armor was salvaged using underwater charges which shattered the Georgia's wooden hull.

To date, Navy divers have located and recovered 128 pieces of unexploded ordnance.

Bringing them Up.  --Old B-Runner

Divers Facing Challenges in CSS Georgia Salvage-- Part 2

Continued from July 11.

A 20-man team led by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Potts, commander of MDSC-23, will remove all unexploded ordnance from the Savannah River bed.  Explosive ordnance disposal divers from Mobile Unit 6 Detachment, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, will then place the ordnance (shells) in handling fixtures specially designed for the mission.  The ordnance will then be turned over to Marine Corps EOD technicians.

Potts' team will then salvage the smaller, more manageable artifacts such as the forward and aft armor casements; engine remnants including boilers, shafts and propellers; and four cannons.  It will conclude with the removal of the armor plating.  They expect to finish the salvage work by September.

--Old B-Runner