Fort Sumter visitor spies part of Civil War cannonball exposed in parade ground. How it got there and its back story remain a mystery

A keen-eyed visitor at Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, noticed a corroded cannonball protruding from the lower parade ground, prompting a bomb squad to be brought in, officials said on Tuesday.

 

The discovery occurred Saturday. The area was closed off and the last scheduled tour boat canceled, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park said in a Facebook update. Normal operations at the famous Charleston, S.C., venue resumed Sunday.

 

The park said artifacts occasionally surface. “While digs have occurred on site, foot traffic, weather, erosion from elements, etc. can cause resources to be uncovered,” officials said in response to a question over how the shell just now was seen.

 

“Only a small part of the ordnance was visible, making it easy to miss.” (Both photos: City of Charleston police)

 

Brett Spaulding, chief of interpretation at the park, told the Picket in an email that the visitor contacted staff who contacted Charleston police, which sent its explosive devices unit.

 

“We do not know what type of ordnance it is. The ordnance was heavily corroded. The explosive technicians who examined suspected it was solid shot, but the final determination is made by military EOD,” Spaulding wrote in response to Picket questions. “The Air Force took the ordnance back to their facility to be x-rayed. We don't know what will happen after that. If they suspect black powder is present, it will be destroyed. We do not have the training to handle found ordnance.”

There were no injuries or damage to historic structures with the cannonball’s removal by experts with the military’s Joint Base Charleston.

 

Spaulding said officials don’t have any documentation that would provide clues to how the shell came to be buried in the parade ground, when that occurred and whether it had been fired. It’s possible it was on site for 160 years, but he warned against speculation.

 

Confederates bombarded the fort in April 1861, leading to its surrender. Union forces pounded away at the Rebel fort defenders for the remainder of the conflict. Officials said they are uncertain whether the shell was Confederate or Union. No measurements were made on site.

 

“The US Air Force will make further decisions as to what will happen with the cannonball. We hope to get a disposition report from them at some point,” Spaulding said, adding it was up to the military branch to identify the weapon.

 

Tuesday’s Facebook post said it is important for visitors to be aware of their surroundings and “look for even the tiniest of details.”

Furthermore, they should alert rangers of any such finds.

When asked whether there have been other such incidents, Spaulding told the Picket, “There are three solid shot rounds imbedded in the left face of Fort Sumter that visitors can see.  There is certainly a possibility of other discoveries, but we are unaware of any documentation that provides any information.”