Bomb squads safely dispose of Civil War ordnance found on Folly Beach

postandcourier.com ^ | 10/10/2016 | glenn smith

[BenLurkin]

Military and law enforcement bomb squads safely disposed of 16 unexploded Civil War-era munitions Sunday on Folly Beach after the ordnance was uncovered as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

Members of the United States Air Force Explosive Ordnance Team worked with Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and Charleston police bomb squad personnel to remove the munitions from the beach near the end of East Ashley Avenue. Joint Base Charleston released images from the operation Monday.

[Tijeras_Slim]

This stuff is even older than you are! ;)

[Squantos]

But not as dangerous .....:o)

[MUDDOG]

Probably Yankee cannonballs.

Folly Beach is an island the Yankees used to try to retake Fort Sumter.

[vetvetdoug]

Impact shells are dangerous. Paper fuse and solid shot not so very dangerous. The solid shot is dead weight and on the paper shells once the gunpowder is removed they are safe.

[captain_dave]

Cannonballs are solid shot. The author probably meant to write “shells”, which are hollow balls filled with gunpowder and sometimes shot, set to explode with a fuse. They only had gun powder then. So it’s doubtful these were dangerous.

[FreedomPoster]

Ping

For all, it’s worth noting that many European local governments have EOD teams. They’ve fought a lot of big wars over hundreds of years.

[SkyDancer]

Shot it back at Ft. Sumter?

[Hardastarboard]

If you haven’t already read it, find a copy of “Aftermath: The Remnants of War: From Landmines to Chemical Warfare—The Devastating Effects of Modern Combat” by Donovan Webster. One of the most fascinating books you will ever read. He addresses the exact issue you mention (among others), which is the stunning quantities of unexploded ordinance remaining from WW I.

[sig226]

I;ll probably get a bunch of replies that say,"We know," but I post this for the benefit of people who don't know.

Those shells can still kill.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/05/02/virginia-man-killed-in-civil-war-cannonball-blast.html

[Lurker]

LOL.

[PLMerite]

“Folly Beach is an island the Yankees used to try to retake Fort Sumter.”

Is that where the “Folly” comes from?

[MUDDOG]

According to wikipedia,

"The name Folly comes from an Old English term meaning 'dense foliage.' "

Who knew?

Interesting history.

[FreedomPoster]

French farmers, among others, are all the time plowing up UXO from WWI and other wars.

Interesting looking book.

[jughandle]

Neat stuff. We go to Folly Beach when we visit in-laws near Charleston. There also were various sized cement-like pieces washed up all over the place.

[mass55th]

Folly Island was the Headquarters for the Union forces under General Quincy A. Gilmore. Both the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Infantry units were camped on the southern end as well as New York units. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts crossed from Folly Island (Fort Green - northern end) over to Morris Island, which is just a spit away. The Morris Island Lighthouse sits in the inlet there. I regularly visited friends who lived on James Island, and would drive over the causeway to Folly, park my car, and walk down to the end of Folly to the inlet. There were remains of a Coast Guard Station back then.

Back in 1987, the bodies of Civil War soldiers were found on Folly Island. Most of them were from the 55th Massachusetts. Relic hunters had been given permission by the builders to search the area prior to construction being started. Here is a video about the discover and excavation:

Civil War African-American Soldiers from the 55th.Massachusett's on Folly Beach, S.C.

I have a copy of the field report completed on the recovery of the bodies by the University of South Carolina's Department of Archaeology (Columbia). The bodies were all reburied in the National Cemetery in Beaufort, S.C. The site of the 1863 winter camp was excavated from 1987-89, and a field report was completed by my friend Steven Smith from the University titled "The Best Ever Occupied...:Archaeological Investigations of a Civil War Encampment on Folly Island, South Carolina."

[BenLurkin]

I teresting

[Hardastarboard]

I read about a French farmer who used a bomb he found for an anvil for like 25 years until he hit it wrong one day. That story may have been in the book, can’t remember.