After the wreck of the USS Monitor was found, it was hoped that the whole ship could be raised, but upon examination, it was found that the ship was in such bad condition after all those years at the bottom of the ocean. Instead, important parts of the ship were raised, including the engine and the 140-ton turret, which was found upside down with the hull resting on it.
So far, work in the turret, now located at the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia, has turned up buttons, buckles, leather, a wool coat and other abandoned clothing. A ring was found on Monitor 2, but there was no inscription.
No gold bullion was found, which would have been on an officer's shoulder boards (sign of rank).
The remains have been sent to the Department of Defense forensic lab in Hawaii. So far, examinations suggest that both men were white (there were three blacks among those lost).
A problem faced in the identification process is that during the Civil War, no identification was needed for enlisted personnel. Often, false names were given. Plus, enlisted men did not have to give their next of kin.
I wonder how agent Gibbs and the rest of the NCIS team would handle this case?
Here's Hoping They Find Their Identities. --Old B-R'er
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