The struggle to get here and put anything in print continues. But there is light at the end of this tunnel, and things are starting to lighten up. Activity around this place should pick up in the week or two. I’ll keep things brief tonight, just because I’m a bit out of practice.
On March 19, 1863, a ship was lost off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. On March 19, 1965, a shipwreck was discovered. It’s location was also off the coast of South Carolina.
And as you might guess, the ship lost and the ship found was one and the same. The CSS Georgiana was a small vessel by today’s standards. But by Civil War standards, she was a good size at 226 feet long and displacing more than 400 tons. She was also iron-hulled, built for speed, and packed a considerable punch. She was outfitted as a cruiser and given the job of raiding Union merchant shipping.
Unfortunately (for the Georgiana and the Confederates, not the Union), she never really got the opportunity to carry out her mission. She ran afoul of the Federal Blockading Squadron which was guarding the seaward approaches to Charleston. Sustaining heavy damage, Captain Davidson ordered the Georgiana abandoned, at which point she was scuttled in shallow water and subsequently burned by Union forces.
Fast forward exactly 102 years, when eighteen-year-old budding archeologist E. Lee Spence found the CSS Georgiana lying in just 5 feet of water. He was soon the president of his own salvage company and beginning the process of removing cargo from sunken ship’s hold. And according to the various sources I’ve looked through, Spence has recovered artifacts and cargo worth nearly $12 million. But so far, none of the gold bullion rumored to be on board has been recovered or found…worth another $12 million or so.
I’ve been poking around looking for a photo or drawing or sketch of the Georgiana, but so far nothing. If anyone can point me to one, that would be great!!
Couldn’t find a picture, but I did spot this blurb in the Feb. 28, 1863 edition of Harper’s Weekly.
ANOTHER STEAMER FOR THE REBELS.
THE steamer Georgiana, the tender of the Alabama, was in the harbor of Holyhead, England, and went to sea on the 24th of January, bound for Nassau. She had a formidable crew of rough-looking men of almost every European nationality. She mounts twenty-eight guns, and carries out a quantity of tea and other necessaries for the use of the crew of the Alabama. A letter from Holyhead says: “Her crew—rather numerous, by-the-way—were all bearded like pards, and reminded the by-standers forcibly of Cooper’s heroes. She is bound for America, and looks just the thing for running the blockade.”
Thanks for helping share the Georgiana’s history.
I just wanted to let you know that the wreck is not in just 5′ of water. However the highest point on the wreck is within 5′ of the surface at low tide. The shipwreck site is approximately one mile off the Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
I also appreciate Bob Mack’s information from Harper’s weekly. I had missed that item. I like the description of her crew. We actually found some of tea. At first I thought it was packing material, but as it dried out I recognized it my its distinctive smell. We also raised a couple of her naval style Blakely rifled cannons, thousands of Enfield musket “balls,” barrels of china, cases of medicines, surgical instruments, lots of ceramic jars and glass bottles, beer, pins, buttons, etc. All told, we raised over a million individual artifacts.
Today (March 19, 2013) is the 150th anniversary of her sinking.
Dive safe,
Lee
Dr. E. Lee Spence, Underwater Archaeologist
President, Sea Research Society
PS: You can read more about the Georgiana at: http://shipwrecks.com/2013/03/the-georgiana-shipwreck/