Confederate Military Relics Dumped During Union Offensive Unearthed in South Carolina River Cleanup

Confederate Military Relics Dumped During Union Offensive Unearthed in South Carolina River Cleanup
Civil War artifacts at a press conference celebrating the early completion of the Congaree River cleanup in Columbia, S.C., on Nov. 13, 2023. James Pollard/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Hundreds of Civil War relics were unearthed during the cleanup of a South Carolina river where Union troops dumped Confederate military equipment to deliver a demoralizing blow for rebel forces in the birthplace of the secessionist movement.

The artifacts were discovered while crews removed tar-like material from the Congaree River, and brought new tangible evidence of Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s Southern campaign toward the end of the Civil War. The remains are expected to find a safer home at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in the state capital of Columbia.