Underwater archaeologists recently recovered 15 cannons (click here for video) from the American Revolution and investigated several Civil War crib-works in the Savannah River. Located opposite Old Fort Jackson, the cannon site is possibly associated with the HMS Venus and/or HMS Savannah, armed naval troop transports scuttled by the British to keep a French fleet from attacking the City of Savannah during the Revolutionary War. Just down river from the cannons, the wooden-framed, brick-filled “cribs” were constructed over 80 years later to block Union vessels from attacking the city during the Civil War. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District discovered the first three cannons and a number of wooden and metal materials in early 2021, while dredging regular maintenance areas in preparation for deepening associated with the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). As a result, archaeologists with the Commonwealth Heritage Group were contacted to investigate the sites. Underwater archaeologists will discuss their findings from the geophysical survey and diver investigations and the roles these sites played in protecting Savannah during their respective wars.
News
