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  • USS Columbia?

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ID:	403135 So I made a last minute decision to take a day off from work and head to the NC coast. My plan was to try and catch some Speckled Trout, as well as do some metal detecting. My first day after failing to catch any trout I detected all the way up to the inlet and only found one cent and an earring. That evening after another not successful fishing attempt I went back out with my detector and the change was starting to show up I went the opposite way down the beach. I then got a lower signal and dug OH MY a roundball NO WAY! This is Wrightsville Beach probably the most detected place in NC. It's also our most crowded beach. The next day I got up early and fed the Lizard fish live shrimp trying to catch a Trout. Nothing happening again yea heading back to beach. I wasn't but a few yards from the beach access and got another lower signal dug it and another round ball! WHAT is going on here. Put it in my pocket and immediately another showed up. I then got some deep signal's and started pulling out mangled iron chunks. By this time I had to meet my folks for lunch I've never eaten so fast. I returned after lunch and immediately found half of a hollow cannonball! Yea a CANNONBALL!! I couldn't believe it! I put my headphones back on and there it was a scattering of case shot. I ended up finding 27 of them. After that I started working circles around the spot and ended up finding copper mangled shards, and mangled iron chunks. Dug the better signal's and was still finding iron all around when I decided to go back to center of spot. I got a deep signal and dug forever and eventually hit something huge! With just my sandscoop. I ended up two huge parts of something? Yea I found something crazy! I contacted Ft. Fisher which was a fort in the Civil War that protected the port city of Wilmington. This was the last port of the Confederacy to fall to the Union Army. Ft. Fisher was described as the southern Gibraltar. Because of Ft. Fisher Wilmington's defense were the heaviest In the Confederacy. Ft. Fisher put me in touch with the Office of State Archeology Underwater Archeology Branch. I sent the pictures and my contact a famous archeologist who is in charge of the recovery and preservation of The Queen Ann's Revenge Blackbeard's ship. He was able to ID most of my finds. The two biggest iron objects are probably the "palm" and tip-of the "shank" of a smaller stocked-anchor. The copper fragments are most likely parts of a copper sabot from a rifled cannon, probably "Parrott Shell" He believes that these artifact's were deposited on the beach during a sand renourishment project. The sand from this renourishment project coming from Masonboro inlet. He told me that when beach renourishment is done here 24-pounder smooth bore ordinance occasionally shows up (5.8" dia). The size of shell the USS Columbia used as well as others. Case shot was a favorite antipersonal projectile of the Union army. The roundballs are most likely from a cannonball of case shot probably the one I found. Yea I got a lot of research to do. The first thing I did was look up shipwrecks in Masonboro inlet and wow the USS Columbia the third ship of this name lies there. The only one in the actual inlet where dredging occurs but some laying just outside the inlet. These are blockade running ships. The USS Columbia ran aground here on July 1863. This ship was made in Scotland and sold to the Confederate navy. On its maiden voyage as a blockade runner it was captured by the US navy and became the USS Columbia. After it ran aground it tried to get help from two fellow blockade ships. The Confederate's on shore saw this and bombarded the ship and the two rescue ships with artillary. The Columbia fired back but was forced to surrender. Are my artifact's from this ship I'm not positive but it is the best candidate? I also found a 1908 Barber Quarter on the beach yea probably the best beach I'll ever have! For my beach trip finding these artifact's was my second favorite part of the trip my favorite was meeting Utilized Flake and seeing his collection thank you so much for the show! Get out there everyone you never know what you might find!
    N.C. from the mountains to the sea

  • #2
    N.C. from the mountains to the sea

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    • #3
      That is the type of find that turns my crank.
      Bruce
      In life there are losers and finders. Which one are you?

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Yea crazy I found this here thinking I might find a ring or something recently lost. I never even thought about something this old!

    • #4
      Man you were out on that beach at the right to find that amazing stuff, congratulations
      South East Ga. Twin City

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
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        Yea total luck this beach is full of people with detector's.

    • #5
      Outstanding day swinging the detector
      Wyoming

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
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        Thanks beatup1354!

    • #6
      This is awesome! All of those caseshot... wow!
      "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Funny thing there was a guy looking for sharks teeth right next to me and found a nice one and held it up grinning. I smiled back knowing he has no clue what I just found.

    • #7
      Sabot as well...man...
      "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Yea I had no clue what it was at the time.

    • #8
      Neat story - I'd say you had much better luck than the Columbia (losing two crews, and the ship on their maiden voyages!). How many shot did you find altogether? I was thinking that this could make an interesting display with a turned sabot:

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      Pic is from this on-line book
      Civil War Artillery Projectiles 'The Half Shell Book'


      Interesting Post Sugaree!
      If the women don\'t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        I found 27 yea I need to display it nicely! Thanks for the idea!

      • Olden
        Olden commented
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        Should you go with the stacked shot a clear acrylic tube could replace or make viewable cutaways in the tin
        Buy 6"-OD x 5.75"-ID x 11 7/8"-long clear extruded plexiglass acrylic tubes at eStreetPlastics.com! A variety of thickness and size options are available including cut to size clear extruded acrylic tubes!

      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        I really like that form of display probably will order one of the tubes. I went through my bottle collection to put them in definitely wasn't working thanks!

    • #9
      That’s a good day did anyone see you digging like a wild man? What is a Sabot I don’t have a clue as to what it is or what it was used for. Interesting
      NW Georgia,

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    • #10
      Outstanding day/finds!!!
      Professor Shellman
      Tampa Bay

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks Tom!

    • #11
      Really cool stuff from 150 years ago!! I enjoyed meeting you and sharing the excitement on the killer finds! Glad Mr Henry helped you out on IDs! It's hard to imagine how important Wilmington was at the end of the war, because now it seems like a hidden gem of a beach town. I love the history of the area, especially the stories of massive bombardments on fort Fisher! I wonder how many NA artifacts were blown to smithereens during those shellings...but I digress. Really cool finds again Marshall!
      North Carolina

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Yea I've been obsessed with the history of the Wilmington area last few days. Some cool things I have learned. There was a blockade runner named the Fanny and Jenny that ended up in front of what is now Crystal pier on Feb 10 1864. The peir was actually built there because of the wreck and the good fishing around it. The wreck was actually dynamited in 1938 to extend the peir. There is a legend that the ship contained a golden sword for Robert E. Lee that fell overboard during the sinking of the ship. There are actually two more Blockade Runner ships resting on the bottom between Crystal peir and Masonboro inlet. The Emily of London and the Dee. Can't wait to get back down there and fish sometime. Still thinking about how awesome it was to hold that bannerstone thanks again!

    • #12
      That's an awesome day. Made the trip worthwhile! I just love NC beaches. So much history sunken off the shores of the Carolinas.
      South Carolina

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Josie I would have been happy with just the Barber Quarter couldn't imagine finding anything like this! Sure has fired my interest in the War Between The States back up. History is all around us just got to look for it!

    • #13
      Fantastic Relics. Love that CW stuff . Great post and history lesson. Thanks for sharing

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks Sage hen jack!

    • #14
      Wow Marshall I missed this post. Awesome man good for you.. congrats on the cool finds
      SW Connecticut

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks Red!

    • #15
      Great stuff. I have found a few civil war items on the river, and one of my nicest great white teeth off Wrightsville. Thanks for sharing
      North Carolina

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      • Sugaree
        Sugaree commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks Carolina Hunter my wife's cousin is a surfer at WB he just found a huge Great White tooth laying next to his board not even trying. I've been reading a lot about Wilmington's role in the War lately fascinating to me. Would love to see the Civil War items you found. Gonna go back next week and see if there is anything else there doubt it but gotta try.
        Last edited by Sugaree; 12-19-2019, 06:35 AM.
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