An Unidentified Civil War Shipwreck Was Just Discovered in North Carolina

[rangerrebew]

An Unidentified Civil War Shipwreck Was Just Discovered in North Carolina

The blockade runner has been hiding at the bottom of the ocean for 150 years.​

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/news/a19800/an-unidentified-civil-war-shipwreck-was-just-discovered-in-north-carolina/

North Carolina Office of State Archaeology / Institute of International Maritime Research
By John Wenz
Mar 7, 2016
 

This weekend, a Civil War-era shipwreck was discovered off the coast of North Carolina. But authorities are scrambling to figure out which ship it might've been.

This much is known: it's a blockade runner of a type used by the Confederacy. Three of them were lost in the area and still haven't been found: the Agnes E. Fry, Spunkie and Georgianna McCaw. The steamship, discovered by the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology and the Institute of International Maritime Research in late February, is reported to be extraordinarily well preserved.

Subsequent investigations will reveal which runner it is. The blockade runners were supplied to the Confederacy by the British during the Civil War. More than 1,100 of the runners were captured by Union forces, and another 355 were destroyed. Other Civil War wrecks have been discovered in recent years, including the U.S.S. Monitor in 1973* and another Confederate ship discovered in Lake Michigan in December.

Of course, this shipwreck isn't as likely to be filled with loot as a Spanish ship discovered in December. But it could reconstruct a piece of history and provide a forensic glimpse into the war that nearly tore the U.S. apart.

[PzLdr]

Do they have any idea how it was sunk? I assume if Union naval gunfire, they'd have some idea. If a bad storm would they have an approximate date, and work back from there?

[rangerrebew]

Do they have any idea how it was sunk? I assume if Union naval gunfire, they'd have some idea. If a bad storm would they have an approximate date, and work back from there?

I don't think they have any idea at this point; its just a pile of lumber now.  I don't think they are allowed to investigate a CONFEDERATE ship are they?  If they do some baby somewhere will be born with a lightning bolt on its head.

[Bill Cipher]

image of the wreck:

[mountaineer]

Three of them were lost in the area and still haven't been found: the Agnes E. Fry, Spunkie and Georgianna McCaw.

They must have some idea when each was lost. Very interesting find, in any event!

[PzLdr]

I don't think they have any idea at this point; its just a pile of lumber now.  I don't think they are allowed to investigate a CONFEDERATE ship are they?  If they do some baby somewhere will be born with a lightning bolt on its head.

Yeah, they can investigate it. First thing, it's not a Confederate WARSHIP. So it's not considered a war grave. Second, since the Confederacy arose from a rebellion, which the South lost, the Confederacy would not be considered a foreign country, and the wreck would be considered American. For example, they've raised the C.S.S HUNLEY, which WAS a Confederate warship. Whatever remains they recovered was given a military burial. 

[EC]

 

Thank you for the clarification!

[rangerrebew]

Yeah, they can investigate it. First thing, it's not a Confederate WARSHIP. So it's not considered a war grave. Second, since the Confederacy arose from a rebellion, which the South lost, the Confederacy would not be considered a foreign country, and the wreck would be considered American. For example, they've raised the C.S.S HUNLEY, which WAS a Confederate warship. Whatever remains they recovered was given a military burial.

But that was before it was politically incorrect to see or say anything about the Confederacy. :nometalk:  I read there was even a protest in Gettysburg this weekend between people who wanted to ban the Confederate flag and those who thought those people could go to hell.