National Civil War Naval Museum hopes to arrange and display armor from ironclad's fantail by the end of March. The complex piece -- damaged by an arson fire in 2020 -- was built to protect CSS Jackson's rudder, propellers

Fantail before arson fire, Brandon Gilland with armor, charred wood, explainer on design (Picket photos)

A fire set by Union cavalrymen in 1865 and a second lit by an arsonist in 2020 took away the dignity – and much of the wood – from a remarkable section of the Confederate ironclad CSS Jackson.

But the blazes could not erase the story of the fantail crafted for the vessel, whose remains are on display at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga.

The arson fire dashed hopes of conserving the fantail, the precisely built curved rear deck that protected the vessel’s rudder and propellers. It sat for years, lying upside down, in a pole barn outside the museum. Officials had hoped to move the component inside and build a pie-shaped replica.

The arson changed all that.

Crew of the CSS Jackson (Muscogee) aboard vessel on Chattahoochee River (Wikipedia)

Museum officials moved to the idea of using the surviving armor and replacement wood for a recreation that would highlight the artifact’s complexity and contours. No dice. That option ultimately proved too costly and unfeasible.

“Each piece looked like it was almost cut to fit. There are all kinds of sizes and shapes,” museum director Brandon Gilland told the Picket. In other words, it would take big bucks and precise knowledge and skills to fashion new pieces.

Now there’s a new approach.

The fantail after it was removed from the Chattahoochee River in 1961 (NCWNM photo)

To mark its 25^th year in a large building situated on Victory Drive and near the Chattahoochee River -- where the Jackson was built -- the museum will shortly begin a less ambitious project to display the 30 or so pieces of fantail armor, said Gilland.

“That fantail has been nagging at me for a while,” he said.

Volunteers, using equipment to lift the 400-pound sections, will arrange them in a half-moon shape. Beneath the armor will be cedar or some other material.

The finished product will likely end up flat on the floor next to the Jackson’s stern, though Gilland would like for the fantail to be slightly elevated, if possible.

They can't use the original wood, because the 1865 and 2020 fires basically ruined them

The goal is to have the modest display ready for the March 21 RiverBlast, an annual event that includes cannon firings, living historians, food, family events and more.

Since the surviving armor was treated about five years ago, the sections have sat in rows along the Jackson. Bolts and other fasteners are in crates, awaiting new life. Charred wood lie on pallets, also near the stern

I held a bolt and a couple fasteners and asked Gilland whether they could be reused. Perhaps some of the bolts, he said. To demonstrate, he placed a bolt in a hole in one piece of iron armor (Picket photo, above).

That momentary connection seemingly brought the project to life.

Structure proved to be more complex than thought

CSS Jackson flag captured by 4th Division, U.S. Cavalry (The American Civil War Museum, Richmond, Va.)

Remains of the Jackson and the twin-screw wooden ship CSS Chattahoochee are the star exhibits of the museum. Both were lost in April 1865 at war’s end -- the Jackson set afire by Federal captors and the Chattahoochee scuttled by its own crew.

They were recovered from the Chattahoochee River in the early 1960s. Neither saw action.

The fantail was the half-moon shaped rear deck of the CSS Jackson, which was never fully operational. The section of armor and timber is a remarkable example of design and construction prowess. 

After the 2020 fire, the upside-down fantail was the first to receive conservation attention. Each beam was documented. Using a process called photogrammetry, the archaeologists took hundreds of images of each layer in order to better understand the structure. (Gilland says the section with green labels at right may be the least damaged from the 2020 fire; Picket photo)

Jeff Seymour, director of history and collections at the museum at the time of the arson blaze, wrote about the ironclad’s fantail:

“As each level emerged, we were able to see elements of this vessel that no one has seen since 1864. As each level surfaced, several questions about how the Jackson was constructed were answered, but many more questions developed. Simply, this structure is much more complex than we thought heading into this project."

Seymour called the fantail “a very unique piece of naval architecture” that’s believed to be the only Civil War example out of the water. Because the rear deck was curved, builders had to customize the length of the armor and timber. (Seymour now works at the Erie Maritime Museum in Pennsylvania.

When I saw the fantail in 2019, before the arson fire, the artifact and the Chattahoochee’s engine components were in the pole barn outside the museum, exposed to the elements and slowly deteriorating.

I marveled at the fantail, which was charred in places from the 1865 fire. But the wood was in place and you could see how it was fashioned from layers of longleaf pine and other material.

Remnants of the pole barn after the 2020 fire; the roof is no longer there  (Columbus Fire and EMS)

The June 2020 arson, which has not been solved, charred the fantail’s timbers to their core, also destroying the piece’s shape. The Chattahoochee’s wrought iron and cast iron engines, the iron plates from the Jackson’s armor and the iron plating to the fantail survived, though they were exposed to the thermal heat.

To this day, dozens of pieces of armor belonging to one side of the Jackson are in the fenced area, poking through weeds and burned wood. Why not move them inside and conserve them? There’s no money to do that currently, said Gilland.

Video shows how the fantail was put together

The naval museum has the benefit of post-fire conservation work done several years ago by Terra Mare Conservation to serve as a guide.

The company treated and tagged the armor, digitally mapped the fantail and produced a fascinating video showing how it was designed and put together. Visitors can stand near one of the Jackson’s propeller and watch the looped production

Gilland expects the work to cost about $2,000, compared to at least $25,000 for a full recreation. Museum officials several years ago cited a much higher figure to do a full-scale recreation.

Fund-raising for the fantail work was part of a larger effort, most of which has been completed, including a few new exhibits, said Gilland.

Robert Holcombe, a naval historian and former director of the museum, previously told me besides the CSS Georgia in Savannah, the fantail may have been the only piece of wood from a Confederate ironclad with iron plating still attached.

Homemade behemoth had an inglorious end

Museum visitors can gaze at the hull of the flat-bottom ironclad from a viewing platform and on the floor (Picket photo below).

 A section is missing, but you get a good views of the vessel’s enormity – it was about 222 long and 57 feet across. Above the CSS Jackson’s hull is ghosting framework intended to show how the warship appeared above the water line. The rudder is missing.

The Jackson (originally named the Muscogee) was designed to protect Columbus – a critically important industrial center for the Confederacy -- from Union navy marauders and blockaders. Construction on the Jackson began in early 1863. It was built entirely in Columbus.

The Jackson’s casemate had a 35-degree slope and featured nearly two feet of wood and two layers of plating, mostly manufactured at the Scofield and Markham mill in Atlanta.

The vessel, armed with six Brooke rifles (two of which rest outside the museum), was finally launched -- after earlier unsuccessful attempts -- on Dec. 22, 1864, to local fanfare. 

Fantail bolts and fasteners were cleaned and place in boxes (Picket photo)

The two engines and four boilers – manufactured in Columbus – were not operational when the city fell, and there’s a question about how well they would have performed, anyway. At best, the Jackson would have done about 5 knots.

The ship still needed armor and was unfinished when the Federal cavalry arrived on April 16, 1865.

“The following day the nearly completed ship was set ablaze and cut loose by her captors,” a panel at the naval museum says. “After drifting downstream some 30 miles, the Jackson ground on a sandbar and burned to the waterline.”

This view shows differing lengths and widths for armor (Picket photo)

Brandon Gilland points to area to where armor will be displayed (Picket photo)

Holly Wait led the National Civil War Naval Museum for 10 years. Her 'transformative' leadership, grit and humor will be remembered Thursday at celebration of life

Holly Wait lifts ribbon-cutting scissors and a glass after CSS Chattahoochee work (Terra Mare Conservation)

Holly Beasley Wait’s friendliness, good cheer and distinctive laugh were her calling cards, whether when talking to a stranger or working with colleagues at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga.

When challenges came along, the museum’s executive director exhibited another side of her character: determination.

Such was the case when tragedy struck in June 2020. An arson fire roared through an outside storage area, severely damaging a unique component of the CSS Jackson and scorching the engines of the CSS Chattahoochee, the other key attraction at the museum in the river city.

Former curator Jeff Seymour remembers feeling devastated. But Wait’s mettle and leadership came to the fore, he recalls.

“She brought the team together and said, ‘We are going to get through this and go to the next step.’”

Wait, who was always thinking of the next step in improving the museum’s collection and outreach to the community, died Feb. 19 at a local hospital. Her unexpected passing has jolted the institution’s staff.

The museum at 1002 Victory Drive will host a celebration of Wait’s life at 6 p.m. ET Thursday (March 6). The funeral for the public historian, who was 64, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday (March 8) at Miles-Odum Funeral Home Chapel in her native Waycross, Ga.

Wait was at the helm of the National Civil War Naval Museum for nearly 10 years.

“Holly's leadership … has been transformative,” the museum says. “She successfully navigated the institution through financial challenges and expanded its national reach. The National Civil War Naval Museum survived the pandemic because of her leadership. The museum's visitation numbers have reached their highest levels under her leadership. Her innovative programming and vision have broadened the museum's appeal, welcoming diverse audiences to engage with and learn from its exhibits.”

Wait worked with the Navy to create an exhibit displaying artifacts from the CSS Georgia, a floating battery that defended Savannah during the Civil War (Propeller in photo, left). The museum acquired letters written by a Federal engineer describing the blockade of Charleston, S.C.

The executive director and staff organized countless lectures and a 2016 symposium, “Wrecks, Recovery & Conservation.” The speakers featured preeminent conservation experts who have been tasked with helping bring the stories of the CSS Georgia, USS Monitor and the submarine H.L. Hunley to the public.

Among them was renowned conservator Paul Mardikian, who has worked on numerous projects, including the Hunley and CSS Alabama.

Mardikian and Claudia Chemello, who formed Terra Mare Conservation, cleaned and treated the Chattahoochee’s engines and the Jackson’s fantail after the fire.

“Claudia and I remember Holly for her wonderful spirit, great sense of humor and infectious laugh,” Mardikian wrote the Picket in an email. “She was never fazed by a challenge and was a true advocate for conservation. Both she and … Jeff Seymour showed remarkable strength and resolve after the devastating fire that destroyed much of the CSS Jackson's fantail.”

Wait (center), Paul Mardikian (second from left), Claudia Chemello and Jeff Seymour, to Wait's left, during discussion about the CSS Jackson's fantail (Terra Mare Conservation)

The engines are now on display next to the hybrid Confederate gunboat.

The giant remains of the CSS Jackson, also constructed in the Chattahoochee River, are the star attraction of the museum.

Portions of the surviving fantail wood and armor plates are stacked below, awaiting possible recreation of the section of armor plating that protected the rudder and propellers of the ironclad. An engineer created a digital record that will guide a possible reconstruction. Funding has not been procured.

Wait helped ensure the success of the annual RiverBlast Festival, which features firing of a 7-inch Brooke rifle, and a host of events -- including car shows, barbecue tastings and paranormal tours -- that broadened the museum’s mission.

In recent years, the venue expanded its support of more voices in its lecture lineup, ensuring the service of African-Americans during the Civil War received its due.

Seymour, now curator at the Erie Maritime Museum in Pennsylvania, said Wait’s deep experience in nonprofits and museum led efforts to build attendance and financial stability, especially when the local government reduced funding.

“She would work diligently to make sure the books were balanced. We looked at new ways to fund exhibits,” he said. “Anything to become more visible.”

Wait relied heavily on her staff, according to Seymour. “She did not make decisions out of the blue, and we discussed things at length before anything moved.”

Among the initiatives Wait championed are two social media fixtures: “Curator’s Corner” and another YouTube channel focusing on Navy lingo over the years.

“The museum thrived under her leadership, but Holly was so much more. Holly was the kind of person everyone instantly loved,” her obituary says.

“I don’t think the next person will be able to fill her shoes,” says Seymour.

CSS Jackson fantail (left) before the fire, which charred historic and modern vessels (Picket photos)

The museum has not announced an interim director as it navigates the days ahead.

“Her leadership has yielded many benefits already, but the greatest rewards are yet to be seen, as she has initiated numerous projects that are still developing and expanding,” it said of Wait.

Wait had degrees from Valdosta State University and Florida State University and served at institutions in Georgia and Florida for more than three decades, including the Jekyll Island Museum, the Museum of Florida History, the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, Okefenokee Heritage Center and Beaches Area Historical Society.

Before moving to Columbus, Wait was director of the Pearce Museum, a Civil War and Western art museum at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. She published four volumes of original Civil War letters.

“Notably at every museum she has dramatically improved both visitation and revenue, as well as upgrading their collections and facilities,” reads her obituary.            

Wait is survived by her husband John Wait, a brother and a stepson and stepdaughter.

Holly Wait takes a chisel to the CSS Chattahoochee engines after fire (Terra Mare Conservation)

Here’s what others who knew Wait and participated in programs at the naval museum said about her contributions. Some responses have been edited for brevity:

LAURA DAVIS, assistant professor of history at Columbus (Ga.) State University

Holly Wait was a dedicated and passionate public historian who not only helped guide the National Civil War Naval Museum through COVID-19 and other trying times but was the beating heart of the institution. She helped expand the museum's collection and programming, educating visitors on the importance of naval history. My students always loved visiting with her and I will forever be grateful for the warm welcome she provided me when I first moved to Columbus and shortly thereafter joined the board. Her spirt, determination and energy will be missed.

WILL HOFFMAN, director of conservation and chief conservator at The Mariners’ Museum and Park, which houses USS Monitor

I met Holly in 2016, when she organized the “Wrecks, Recovery & Conservation” symposium at the National Civil War Naval Museum. From my interactions with her over the years, it was clear that she was passionate about her work, museum and goal of ensuring that the stories of Civil War naval sailors will continue to be told. (Picket photo at 2016 program, left)

JAMES WELLBORN, associate professor of history, Georgia College and State University

I only recently had the pleasure of meeting Holly, when she invited me to give a summer lecture in August 2024. Throughout that process and in attending several summer lectures beforehand, Holly was incredibly welcoming and gracious with her time and incredible historical insights and perspectives. Such collegiality and congeniality is the mark of a truly genuine soul. She was a true champion of public history and will be sorely missed, not only at the National Civil War Naval Museum where she did such incredible work but in the broader field of public history. 

MICHAEL K. SHAFFER, Civil War historian and author

Since she joined the museum, I had the privilege of collaborating with her on several lectures I delivered there in Columbus. As a fellow author, Holly shared several valuable resources with me, which I incorporated into my writing. I will deeply miss her. Rest in peace, my dear friend!

The museum has established the Holly B. Wait Endowment Fund to support its mission. You can learn more here.

At James Longstreet's grave in Georgia, taking measure of a man whose reputation gets stronger with time -- and through a new biography

Longstreet's grave on Sunday, birthday cake later at the Piedmont Hotel (Picket photos)

With a copy of the new biography of James Longstreet in tow, I drove Sunday to Gainesville, Ga., for the annual memorial service honoring the Confederate general.

I’ve been to Alta Vista Cemetery before (though I don’t remember it being as chilly) and I was long familiar with (and have written about) Lt. Gen. Longstreet’s controversial life – his performance at Gettysburg and, later, support for Reconstruction, black suffrage and the Republican Party.

When I visited and interviewed people about the Southern pariah nearly 15 years ago, his story was little-known to most Americans. Yes, the novel “The Killer Angels” and the film “Gettysburg,” coupled with scholarship by historians, helped to usher in a reassessment of the general.

But I think America’s current political divide – a take no prisoners philosophy – and its racial reckoning since Charlottesville and Charleston have made for perfect  timing for Elizabeth R. Varon’s “Longstreet:The Confederate General Who Defied The South.” In the past couple months, I have noticed more articles about Longstreet than ever before. Varon’s biography, which I read over the holidays, has generally been well-received.

A small gathering Sunday at Longstreet's grave in Gainesville, Ga. (Picket photo)

On Sunday, I stood near a dozen other people – many members of the Gainesville-based The Longstreet Society -- circling the family plot. While an impressive monument mentions the general’s Confederate service and an iron Southern Cross of Honor is positioned nearby, it’s notable a U.S. flag flies above the grave and violinist played the National Anthem during the brief service –- 120 years after the man’s passing.

Society president Richard Pilcher gave a brief summary of the general’s life, mentioning his military prowess, public service and courage away from the battlefield – working for reconciliation after the war. “Many Southerners considered him a traitor to the cause, and blamed him for the Confederacy’s defeat,” he said.

Of the people I spoke with at the cemetery and at the society’s headquarters about a mile away, only a couple had read much of Varon’s book, which dubs Longstreet “Confederate Judas” in the prologue. But they know the general’s story – and have been his defender for a generation. (Sharon Johns plays during the memorial service at Alta Vista, below)

Longstreet lived in Gainesville the last 30-plus years of his life, filling federal jobs, writing his memoirs, defending his war record and lobbying for the reunification of North and South. The society has held the memorial service for 29 consecutive years.

Member Doug Smith, a lifelong resident of the area, at the service read Theodore Roosevelt’s famous passage about bravery – the kind Longstreet demonstrated as he defended himself when he was assailed by Southerners who deemed him a turncoat for supporting former enemy Ulysses S. Grant and Reconstruction.

Longstreet, who supported slavery before and during the conflict, did an about-face on race and famously led black and white troops in New Orleans during a violent white uprising in the 1870s. And while he was not a racial egalitarian, Longstreet pushed for black suffrage in the decade after Appomattox (He was not an active civil rights activist in his last years.)

The worthy man, Roosevelt wrote, is he who fights for something despite the pain, willing to fail “while daring greatly.”

I spoke with Smith afterward at the historic Piedmont Hotel, the society’s headquarters. Longstreet operated the hotel and lived there for a time, welcoming those who took a buggy from the rail depot a couple blocks away. He famously served them Southern fried chicken, according to legend.

“You could be flawless if you sat on the couch every day,” Smith told me, providing his perspective on Roosevelt’s words and their application to Longstreet.

As members and visitors enjoyed birthday cake (Longstreet’s birthday is January 8), Smith told me he learned nothing as a child about the general. Southern leaders and educators had brushed Longstreet aside, and veneration for his valor was out of the question.

“I never heard of him one bit until the Gettysburg movie came out,” Smith said of the 1993 film that starred Tom Berenger as Longstreet.

The movie focused heavily on the Gen. Robert E. Lee-Longstreet relationship during the battle. The latter, who Lee called his “old war horse,” lobbied for a more defensive posture.

Longstreet in postwar years voiced his opinion that Lee should not have launched the disastrous Day Three attack at Gettysburg. Advocates of the romantic Lost Cause myth lashed out at him, and said he failed Lee at Gettysburg by delaying the execution of orders.

But many Confederate veterans lionized him and he was popular at reunions, including a notable gathering at Gettysburg in 1888.

The society’s museum mostly covers Longstreet’s military service, his family and the hotel. Pilcher estimates about 60 percent of the interest in the general is about his Civil War record.

Longstreet supporters, like those I spoke with Sunday, defend his actions at Gettysburg. Interestingly, one portrays Lee at various events, such as he did Sunday.

“I love Lee, but Lee made a mistake at Gettysburg,” Raymond E. Loggins, dressed in uniform (left), said on the porch of the remaining portion of the hotel.

Smith said Longstreet was a pragmatist and believed it made sense for the South to accept defeat and move forward. As for the general’s motivation?

“The war is over. We lost. Get over it. I’ve got to make a living,” Smith theorized, who has read portions of the new biography.

Even after reading Varon’s book, I still don’t know exactly why Longstreet took the path he did after the Civil War. Was it because of his deep friendship with Grant? Was it by taking federal jobs in Republican administrations, as he did, he would be exempt from foes firing him if he held a local position? Or, maybe he wanted the South to lower its head and do what it was needed to be full equals.

We may never know, and a framed piece of text at the museum, entitled “PRESENTISM,” goes to the difficulty of understanding the thoughts of people who lived 160 years ago.

Only the first floor of the old Piedmont Hotel survives (Picket photos)

“Presentism is an ugly virus invading journalism, history, religion and other fields,” the message reads. “It is the idea that we should apply the modern world’s moral and ethical standards to judge people of the past who had different standards. And, if people from our past are found wanting in the judgment of the present, the virus would eradicate their names and their memorials from the world.”

Of course, many Americans vociferously disagree when it comes to the Confederacy, saying actions speak louder than words. Civil rights activists, according to CNN, say monuments are racist and offensive because they honor those who promoted the enslavement of Black people.

“Destroying these monuments and these memorials will not erase the legacy of slavery,” said Southern Poverty Law Center researcher Kimberly Probolus in 2022. “But abolishing these memorials is a first and essential step in combating the white supremacist values of the Confederacy.”

Dan Paterson, a great-grandson of Longstreet who lives in Virginia, was unable to attend Sunday’s memorial. But he told me beforehand he plans to read Varon’s book soon.

“I was aware of the book coming out for quite some time and my anticipation was guarded as it usually has been regarding Longstreet books over the years,” Paterson wrote in an email, adding he has enjoyed some biographies of the general.

“Given the monument destruction of the last several years, including grave desecration, I am a bit leery of the angle taken on any former Confederate commander, much less my ancestor,” said Paterson, who said he had ancestors who fought on both sides. He faulted the recent removal of the Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery.

“Taking down a reconciliation monument right before Christmas is not a good look.”

Regarding Longstreet, Paterson said: “It seems to me, from what I am told, he will probably be the only former Confederate not canceled. Those are the words of my son. who also added that the liberals/progressives are backing him up or his reputation, as it were.”

Rebounding after arson fire: CSS Chattahoochee engines have been conserved, are now inside National Civil War Naval Museum

[Updated Jan. 27]

Months after an arson fire tore through an outside storage area at National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga, engine components of the gunboat CSS Chattahoochee that survived the inferno have been conserved and moved inside, where they are exhibited near the vessel’s remains.

Curator Jeff Seymour, in a video posted last month to YouTube, gave a brief description of an ongoing conservation project involving the hybrid Confederate gunboat and the large ironclad CSS Jackson.

“This is a rare example of a steam engine … that still survives from the time period,” Seymour said of the Chattahoochee’s power system, which was built in Columbus and shipped downstream to Saffold, about 10 miles north of the Florida border, where the wooden boat was built.

Remains of the Jackson and the twin-screw Chattahoochee are the star exhibits of the museum and are inside the main building. Both were lost in April 1865 at war’s end -- the Jackson set afire by Federal captors and the Chattahoochee scuttled by its own crew. Neither vessel fired upon the enemy in their relatively short history. They were recovered from the Chattahoochee River in the 1960s.

For 20 years, the Chattahoochee piston heads and the locally made Jackson’s fantail were kept in a padlocked and fenced pole barn about 100 yards from the museum, awaiting funds that would make it possible to conserve and display them. A June 1, 2020, fire destroyed modern vessels and damaged the fantail’s wood.

The Chattahoochee’s wrought iron and cast iron engines, the iron plates from the Jackson’s armor and the iron plating to the fantail survived, though they were exposed to the thermal heat.

CSS Muscogee, later dubbed Jackson (Wikipedia)

The Jackson's fantail in 2019 (Picket photo)

The fantail was the half-moon shaped rear deck of the Confederate warship, which was never fully operational. The section of armor and wood protected the vessel’s propellers and rudder and is a remarkable example of design and construction prowess. 

A $10,000 reward was offered and federal agents were brought in to assist local authorities in the investigation.

Columbus Fire Marshal Ricky Shores recently told the Picket that the investigation is closed.

“However, if new information becomes available we will evaluate the status of the case,” he wrote in an email. “In short, we just don’t have anything to (pursue) at this point …No one has been charged as of yet.”

A view of the pole barn remains in January 2021 (Picket photo)

Jackson's rust-colored armor plating in destroyed pole barn (Picket photo)

Besides Civil War artifacts, the pole barn included modern craft and replica pieces. The Civil War items were long exposed to the elements and were slowly deteriorating.

The venue has a web page  that has kept the public up on the conservation of the engines and fantail.

Museum Executive Director Holly Wait said in an email, "The iron plating (and the wood) of the fantail were cleaned and conserved and are now inside the Museum.  However, because of the fire the fantail was dismantled piece by piece. We await more grant funding to build crates for the wood and recreate the iron fantail."

Conserved fantail plates in lower crates at left (NCWNM photo)

Charred remnants of fantail wood are on display (NCWNM photo)

The most-recent web update says Terra Mare Conservators and others began their formal work in early September, documenting, cleaning and treating the engines and fantail.

Seymour, director of history and collections at the museum, wrote: “Since the fantail was upside down, the wooden structure was the first part to receive attention. Each beam was documented and carefully removed for conservation work. Using a process called photogrammetry, the archaeologists took hundreds of images of each layer in order to better understand the structure.

“As each level emerged, we were able to see elements of this vessel that no one has seen since 1864. As each level surfaced, several questions about how the Jackson was constructed were answered, but many more questions developed. Simply, this structure is much more complex than we thought heading into this project."

CSS Chattahoochee engines in early 2019 before fire (Picket photo)

Each plate of the fantail weighs nearly 400 pounds. They and Chattahoochee machinery underwent a blast cleaning using dry ice.

“In preparation for the engines, access panels were removed and the interior of these piston heads saw the light of day for the first time since the 1860s,” Seymour wrote. “In every cavity was Chattahoochee river mud. Many hours were spent removing mud from difficult places thanks to the help of some of our great volunteers.”

The Picket was allowed inside the padlocked and fenced shed in early 2019, with Seymour detailing the artifacts and their importance when it comes to understanding design and construction. 

Remnants of the shed after the fire (Columbus Fire and EMS)

“Personally, I have to pinch myself every morning as a reminder that this project is really happening,” he wrote in the late 2020 update. “We have the best people in their fields working on this complex mission. And most importantly, we’re saving a few singular artifacts that are important to the story of Columbus and the nation.”

As for the Jackson armor still stored in the pole barn, Wait said the pieces will be conserved when funding allows.

"Visitors were understandably upset about the arson but delighted that the conservation project went ahead and that the pieces are inside," she wrote about the engine and fantail. "We await more funding to  complete the larger exhibition that ties all this together."

Arson investigation continues as National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Ga., details what was lost, survived

Drone view of destroyed pole barn  (Columbus Fire and EMS)

Investigators are pursuing leads in a suspected arson fire that damaged rare artifacts and destroyed modern vessels in a storage area at the National Civil War Naval Museum.

Sgt. Charles Collins with the fire department in Columbus, Ga., said a reward of up to $10,000 is being offered in the June 1 fire at an open-air pole barn behind the museum. Agents from federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have been on site, officials said.

Collins told the Picket this week that the case is receiving special attention because of its apparent targeting of historic pieces.

Museum officials said there is a silver lining in the devastating blaze, which followed a smaller arson attempt two days before. “While the fire was a total loss as far as anything wood goes, all the iron is still very much intact,” said museum executive director Holly Wait.

Among the items in the open air but padlocked area is the locally made ironclad CSS Jackson’s fantail.

Fantail of the CSS Jackson before fire (Picket photo)

The fantail was the precisely built curved rear deck of the Confederate warship, which was never fully operational. The section of armor and wood protected the vessel’s propellers and rudder and is a remarkable example of design and construction prowess. 

“The wood to the fantail was burned, but we don't yet know how deep the burn went since the wood was layered. Everything ‘on top’ (or the actual underside) is ashes,” Wait wrote in an email.

The engines of the Confederate gunboat Chattahoochee, the iron plates from the Jackson’s armor and the iron plating to the fantail survived, though they were exposed to the thermal heat.

“The Virginia was a complete loss,” continued Wait. “That ship was a supposed blockade runner donated to the museum many years ago. There was no money in our budget to do any conservation on the ship and we had no real documentation as regards in provenance.”

Jeff Seymour of museum staff with stored items in 2019 (Picket photo)

Also lost were a launch, two john boats, an old pontoon and two reproduction Fiberglass ships that the museum was taking apart.

Remains of the Jackson and Chattahoochee are the star exhibits of the museum and are inside the main building. Both were lost in April 1865 at war’s end -- the Jackson set afire by Federal captors and the Chattahoochee scuttled by its own crew. Neither vessel fired upon the enemy in their relatively short history. They were recovered from the Chattahoochee River in the 1960s.

“The big conservation project to restore the engines and fantail will continue,” said Wait. The museum has a web page on the fantail and information on how to support its conservation.

Collins, with the fire department, said he could not provide more details on the fire and investigation. The pole barn for years has been surrounded by a padlocked fence.

Fire investigator Charles Collins can be reached at ccollins@columbusga.org  or 706-225-4216. The hotline for Georgia Arson Control, which is offering the reward, is 1-800-282-5804.