Civil War-era UXO Unearthed in South Carolina River

Columbia, South Carolina Hundreds of Civil War relics were discovered during the cleanup of the Congaree River in South Carolina. The artifacts, dating back more than a century and a half, were discovered while crews removed toxic tar-like material from the river.

The finds, believed to be evidence of Union Gen. William T. Sherman's Southern campaign near the end of the war, included bullets, cannonballs, and swords.

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Civil War Re-enactment Munition Sparks School Evacuation

Onslow County, North Carolina

The evacuation of the Onslow County Learning Center was issued after district officials notified authorities that a suspicious item had been found by OCS grounds crew who were clearing vegetation around the school. EOD from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune responded to the scene.

Camp Lejeune EOD informed law enforcement and the school district that the ordnance was likely a Civil War re-enactment cannonball and contained no explosives, according to a statement from OCS.

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Civil War UXO Found on Gettysburg Battlefield

York, Pennsylvania A Civil War-era UXO was found at Gettysburg National Military Park on the battlefield area of Little Round Top, according to Jason Martz, a spokesman for the park service. The artillery shell dates back to the Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought July 1-3, 1863.

The 55th EOD Company from Fort Belvoir, Virginia responded to remove the shell for safe off-site disposal. The team carefully washed off the mud so the shell could be photographed.

The shell appears to be a Federal 3 Inch Dyer Shell with a Schenkl percussion fuze - Thank you BulletPicker.com for the ID.

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Cannonballs Discovered During Museum Inventory

Glassboro, New Jersey An inventory at Heritage Glass Museum led a bomb squad response after cannonballs were discovered in the museum's basement. According to the Glassboro Police Department, the Camden County Bomb Squad and an Air Force EOD unit were dispatched to the museum following reports of the ordnance.

The munitions were "removed and disposed of appropriately," the police department said. It is unclear how or when the cannonballs arrived at the museum or if they were live or inert, but the building was deemed safe following the removal.

EOD Remove Old Shrapnel Round from Construction Site

Hampton, Virginia Homes in Buckroe Beach homes were evacuated after a construction crew installing gas lines discovered suspected ordnance. Hampton Fire Department responded, and Battalion Chief Anthony Chittum reached out to Joint Base Langley-Eustis EOD for assistance.

According to Chittum, the team X-rayed the object at the scene but were having trouble identifying it at the time. Later, U.S. Air Force spokesperson Mike Reeves confirmed the ordnance was a 3.3-inch shrapnel round from a Parrott rifle dating back to the post-Civil War era. The EOD team recovered the shrapnel round and safely disposed of it, allowing for residents to return to their homes.

Homeowner Finds Cannonball

Newport Rhode Island The owner of the John Bliss House, a farmhouse built in 1680, by John Bliss on land deeded to him by his father-in-law, Rhode Island Gov. Benedict Arnold was digging in the yard in preparation for a new barn when he found what he described as a "shinny metal object".

Upon further investigation, homeowner Ryan Miller identified the item as a Civil War era cannonball. He contacted the Newport Historical Society, which referred him to the Naval War College Museum as well as the Varnum House Museum. "I spoke with some of the historians, and they thought mostly like it was a solid shot, solid metal," Miller explained. "But there was a slight chance it was a hollow shot that would have been filled with gunpowder."

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Live Cannonball Prompts Brief Closure of Fort Sumter

Charleston, South Carolina Fort Sumter, a popular tourist destination located on an island in the middle of Charleston Harbor, was recently closed after a visitor discovered an historic ordnance item, according to Brett Spaulding, Chief of Interpretation for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park.

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Cleanout Leads to Cannonball Discovery

Mansfield, Massachusetts A Civil War-era cannonball found at a Mansfield home prompted a bomb squad response. The Mansfield Police Department was called in after family members cleaning the home of their deceased father found the ordnance.

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Archaeological Survey Team Finds UXO

Kennesaw, Georgia A team of archaeologists conducting a metal detection survey in preparation for a new hiking trail at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield found an intact Civil War era ordnance item. The survey team notified the police who dispatched the Cobb County Police Department Bomb Squad to respond to the call.

According a posting on the Cobb County Police Department social media site, the round was identified a 157-year-old parrot shell that "was discovered 10 inches below the surface and was used extensively in the Civil War by the Union Army."

The 2,965-acre Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park preserves the battleground where Union and Confederate forces fought from June 19 through July 2 in 1864. The fighting was part of the Atlanta Campaign, during which "more than 67,000 soldiers were killed, wounded and captured," Explore Georgia says.

EOD Responds to Cache of 18th Century Cannonballs

Loiusbourg, Nova Scotia EOD Technicians from Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax responded to the Fortress of Louisbourg to carefully remove an estimated 100 cannonballs that date back to the 1700s. The UXO has been collected by Louisbourg staff "over the years," according to Joint Task Force Atlantic.

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