Polluted Gowanus Canal Could Be Revolutionary War Treasure Trove

NBC New York ^ | Mar 17, 2011 | IDA SIEGAL

[Pharmboy]

Although I never knew that, I sure can—as an old Brooklyn boy—understand it.

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Antiquity Journal  & archive  Archaeologica  Archaeology  Archaeology Channel  BAR  Bronze Age Forum  Discover  Dogpile  Eurekalert  Google  LiveScience  Mirabilis.ca  Nat Geographic  PhysOrg  Science Daily  Science News  Texas AM  Yahoo  Excerpt, or Link only?	Thanks GeronL and Pharmboy. Blast from the Past. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·

[blam]

"Up until the early 2000’s the harbor masters would tell any ships with barnacle problems to move to the Gowanus Canal overnight. The water was so toxic it would kill the barnacles in under 8 hours. It’s not easy to kill barnacles..."

Whew. That's amazing.

[Pharmboy]

Back in the 50s and 60s, that canal was the most hideous shade of green I’ve ever seen.

[Tanniker Smith]

I know where they were buried: in my backyard and in the yards around me. There used to be a plaque around the corner (stolen a couple of times). About 15-20 years ago, a prof from Brooklyn College dug on 3rd Ave and guessed that they were a little farther East of that.

My Dad's Rose-of-Sharon bushes bloomed 11 months out of the year and he grew the biggest tomatoes and cucumbers you've ever seen.
Oh, and my cellar was creepy and haunted, but I was six and that might've been unrelated.

[Tanniker Smith]

In the 70s as well.

[Pharmboy]

Yep...they’re all around there for sure. I attended the 225th anniversary back in 2001 with some of my kids. John Gallagher, author of The Battle of Brooklyn, presided. Pipers and all...it was touching. On 3rd Ave.

[Pharmboy]

Well, you may very well be right. The area was swampy at the time and likely little other than the metal parts will remain. We can hope, though...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland PING!

[ZULU]

Thanks for the ping Pharmboy. This is a great post!!!

[AnalogReigns]

“bacteria ate the cloth about 200 years ago. Never mind.”

Actually weird things happen in very muddy waters. I believe parts of the cloth uniforms of the men from the Confederate submarine Hunley may have survived 150 years under water—as it was totally filled with oxygen-poor sediment. One never knows what might be in the toxic muck at the bottom of a canal.

[the OlLine Rebel]

This is very interesting; I hope the EPA doesn’t screw it all up, in the name of their god, Mother Earth.

The 200/300/400 were incredible. They were not militia but “State Line” (part of why “Line” in the psuedonym; nor were the famous DE militia) troops. They were fully trained unlike most, even “Continentals”, and had only just gotten to the frontlines for the 1st time in the war some 2 weeks prior.

They were positively legendary at 1 time, but like most RevWar aspects, have been forgotten. Including George Washington to some extent - absolutely worshipped at the time and for some 100 years, then waning down to reviling.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks to the OlLine Rebel for the correction above on my earlier post. I had mistakenly thought that the Maryland 400 were militias who traveled to NYC for its defense; not so, as they were Continental Army, as you can see from its history below.

I felt that this correction was important enough for a general re-pinging of the list. Apologies for the bother.

Your Humble and Obdt. Svt.,
P_____y

From here

UNIT LINEAGE

Authorized oon January 14, 1776 in the Maryland State Troops as the Maryland Battalion.
Organized in spring of 1776 at Baltimore and Annapolis, to consist of 9 companies from northern and western Maryland.
Assigned on July 6, 1776 to the Main Continental Army.
Assigned on August 12, 1776 to Stirling's Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army.
Adopted on August 17, 1776 into the Continental Army.
Relieved on August 31, 1776 from Stirling's Brigade and assigned to McDougall's Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army.
Maryland Independent Companies attached on September 19, 1776.
Relieved on November 10, 1776 from McDougall's Brigade.
Assigned on December 10, 1776 - January 1777 to Mercer's Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army.
Reorganized and redesignated in January 1777 as the 1st Maryland Regiment, to consist of 8 companies.
Assigned on May 22, 1777 to the 1st Maryland Brigade, an element of the Main Continental Army.
Reorganized on May 12, 1779 to consist of 9 companies.
1st Maryland Brigade relieved on April 5, 1780 from the Main Continental Army and assigned to the Southern Department.
Relieved on January 1, 1781 from the 1st Maryland Brigade and assigned to the Maryland Brigade, an element of the Southern Department.
Furloughed on July 27, 1783 at Baltimore.
Disbanded on November 15, 1783

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Thanks for the ping! Very interesting...

[Pharmboy]

You are most welcome. And just a few comments on some of the names mentioned in the regiment's history:

Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, NJ, named for him as are other towns.
The McDougall named is the one that McDougall St in NYC is named after.
Mercer died a hero's death at Princeton and has a street in NYC as well as many counties in the US named for him

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I had a cousin who lived on Mercer St. in Phillipsburg many years ago.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Nice site! I haven’t checked out new Rev sites in years. So nice to have run-downs of the units (if possible) as the RevWar was so very confusing and disorganized (if you will).

I actually just re-read that there was a call to have militia from all over the state in 1775; unclear whether they actually achieved this and then simply had the legislative body co-opt them and start paying and planning to train them (Jan ‘76). The writing wasn’t clear on what happened with these “militia” from 1775.

[ETL]

Thanks once again for posting these fascinating threads on US history.

Here's an aerial shot of the Canal from Wiki...

[ETL]

You might want to use your browser’s zoom out feature to get a better view.