Hurricane Matthew Unearths Dangerous 150-Year-Old Civil War Relics

While Hurricane Matthew bombards the coast with relentless rain and whipping winds, it’s also [...]

By Brent McCluskey

While Hurricane Matthew bombards the coast with relentless rain and whipping winds, it's also uncovered an intriguing piece of Civil War history.

On the beach of Folly Island, South Carolina, at least a dozen cannonballs appeared in the sand. Folly Island was a key staging area for Union Troops preparing to attack Fort Morris, and now remnants of the battle have been discovered.

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(Photo: Gizmodo)

It's not the first time Civil War-era relics have surfaced in the area. In 1987, a black regimental cemetery was discovered during a construction project, and in 1987 Hurricane Hugo unearthed other military artifacts.

Unexploded ordinance, while fascinating, is dangerous. In 2008 a Virginia man was killed while restoring a Civil War-era cannonball in his driveway.

Unfortunately, the newly-discovered cannonballs pose too great of a threat to serve any historical purpose, and will therefore be detonated by local police as soon as possible.

"Our technicians are unable to access the [ordnance] at this time due to the approaching high tide," police told WCSC-TV. "Once the tide has receded, our EOD technicians will evaluate the stability of the ordinance and render it safe, if necessary."

Hurricane Matthew has left a trail of destruction and death in its wake, but this fleeting discovery offers momentary reprieve during the chaos.

[ H/T Gizmodo ]

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