The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Was It From "Old Secession?"

From the December 11, 2010, Augusta (Ga) Chronicle "PBS' History detectives explores metal shavings" by AP.

There is a vial of metal shavings. Were these from "Old Secession," a cannon fired Dec. 20, 1860, in Charleston, SC, to celebrate the state's Ordinance of Secession?

The tube where these shavings are has the note that "Old Secession" was rebored at the Charleston Iron Works May 4, 1899, and fired by the Palmetto Guards Co. of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) in honor of the UCV's reunion that started May 10th.

About 30,000 Confederate veterans attended that reunion in Charleston.

Today, the whereabouts of "Old Secession" are not known. Some shavings from the reboring were given to the veterans in 1899. The Confederate Museum has several envelopes of these shavings, so they will be compared to the ones in the vial.

It is still not known whether the shavings were from this particular cannon. I guess we'll just have to wait until the show comes on the History Channel.

In Honor of the Heroes. --Old B-R'er

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