Posted on 01/29/2006 11:01:42 AM PST by lunarbicep
University of Georgia archaeologists have been puzzling over finding an apparent manmade object buried in a historic Civil War cemetery.
Ground-penetrating radar on parts of Myrtle Hill Cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, found a reflection that did not look like a grave during a scan of two Civil War grave sites earlier this month.
"There definitely is something manmade there, something big and metal," said Sheldon Skaggs, a member of the archaeologist team. "Now we have to determine what it is."
Rumors have existed since the 1960s over what happened to two large cannons after the Civil War. No records have been found that indicate they were removed from the city.
Hugh Durden, commander of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans, said the large cannons, which could fire shells three times larger than standard cannons of the time, could have been stashed underground to protect them from capture.
"This could be treasure for Rome," Durden said. "It also could be somebody's old trash dump, but I don't think so. This is a major mystery."
The university team plans to follow up the find with a magnetometer or a radiometer for more explanation before attempting to excavate the site, Skaggs said. Rome officials would have to allow the second survey and the excavation.
During the Civil War, the city was home to two major hospitals and the famous Noble Brothers cannon foundry. Another large factory created carriages to haul cannons, Mississippi rifles and other items soldiers needed, Durden said.
"This is fun. It's exciting. It's the kind of thing Indiana Jones movies are made of," he added. "If we were to find something, it would show people just how important Rome was in the War Between the States."
In June 2004, the 32-acre cemetery was in the news when two teenagers were charged with vandalizing it. About 85 monuments had been damaged. Several markers were tipped over, others were broken and the walkway to the plot of Ellen Louise Axson Wilson _ President Woodrow Wilson's first wife _ was damaged, police said.
There was a sequel? I thought the other Civil War books he wrote were along a different path, not necessarily on the same timeline. But they aren't bad at all.
I thought the WWII stuff was better, somewhat because it's a little easier to miss anachronistic stuff when the book is more recently based, but also because it's a tad more sci-fi and later in his writing. I think he has improved as he has written more.
He also wrote one about Elizabethan England being subjected to Spanish rule, with Shakespeare as its main character. Probably his best--it's called "Ruled Britannia."
'Guns of the South' was a stand-alone novel. The series that begins with 'How Few Remain' is a separate look at an alternate ending to the war, and subsequent events. It does not involve time-travelling Afrikaaners with hundreds of thousands of AKs.
The point of divergence in the series is that Lee's orders for the Battle of Antietam are never lost- and the battle proceeds as Lee intended. The South succeeds in secession, and there is an uneasy peace across the North-South border. When the First World War breaks out in Europe, battle lines are drawn again between the North and the South. It's an interesting read.
"How Few Remain": that's the novel I assumed was the sequel to "Guns..." Thanks for the clairification and brief review. Looking at my "Few.." paperback I now see I never finished it! I may have to re-add this to my read list.
Re Civil War and time travel, etc, another book along the same vein and on my top 10 list is "The Lincoln Hunters" by Wilson Tucker. One of the few books I'd love to see made into a movie.
I found an excerpt from HFR, I am enjoying it quite a bit.
http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/howfewremain.html
Oh, no, I've read `em, I just didn't remember the divergence in the beginning, which was quite a few books back. It was our other Freeper buddy here that thought the "How Few Remain" series was a sequel.
Anyway, that series is a good read. Have y'all read the Gingrich stuff? I've been avoiding it, but I'm willing to read reviews from other Freepers on the subject...
I'll give that "Lincoln Hunters" book a shot. Sounds interesting.
Either of y'all read Clive Cussler's "Sahara?" Interesting Civil War subtext...if a bit farfetched.
I read the first two of the books in the 'How Few Remain' line, but hate waiting for the next one to hit the stores, so I went on to other things. I may have to revisit the series now that (I suppose) it has been finished.
Gingrich? As in 'Newt'? I wasn't aware that he was writing. I have a lot of books in my 'reading queue', so I will also wait to see if anyone reviews it here. I used to read about a book a week- I am heading back to that.
I think it was an early early early MOAB.
Been there many times. Deo vindice!
http://209.41.184.21/partners/680/public/news694669.html
Here's a followup to the article from last week. The archaeological team is returning this week with the proper equipment.
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