Incredible Metal Detecting Civil War Relic Found.

Wouldn't you love to take this guy to lunch or spend an afternoon with him ?
Absolutely I would, although I’d be equally happy to just sit in his collection room and ask him a ton of questions about his artefacts. I was pleased to see that he didn’t know the value of his find, it’s not for sale. He’s obviously just a very passionate collector with a wealth of experience.
 
Interesting. There is a historical marker in the Alliance cemetery about the Sultana. Several Andersonville prisoners form the community were on it. A local regiment, the 115th Ohio, lost 83 men in that explosion.
The theory was that the Sultana had ‘over strained boilers’ something to do with the boilers being recently patched but a coal torpedo does seem like a plausible explanation, especially given that one of the spies said he put it on there.
 
Wouldn't you love to take this guy to lunch or spend an afternoon with him ?
I can tell you from experience that it was a memorable afternoon and just when you thought that you had seen it all, Steve would break out something else amazing.
 
Last edited:
Wouldn't you love to take this guy to lunch or spend an afternoon with him ?
I know Steve very well and he only lives about 20 minutes from the house. I have been to his man cave many times and he is a legend and also infamous (just ask anyone at the Alabama Hysterical Commission). He has recovered many items from the Alabama river at Selma which is where this artifact came from. His arty shell collection is massive. Over the years he has taught me a lot about CS artillery shells and the arsenal at Selma.
 
I know Steve very well and he only lives about 20 minutes from the house. I have been to his man cave many times and he is a legend and also infamous (just ask anyone at the Alabama Hysterical Commission). He has recovered many items from the Alabama river at Selma which is where this artifact came from. His arty shell collection is massive. Over the years he has taught me a lot about CS artillery shells and the arsenal at Selma.
You are a lucky man.
 
Just had previously thought metal detecting was like golf and good for retirees :D
I use to play golf as well. That's EZ you hit the ball get in the cart, ride to the ball hit again and repeat. Relic Hunting requires a LOT of walking and I mean a LOT.
 
Interesting. There is a historical marker in the Alliance cemetery about the Sultana. Several Andersonville prisoners form the community were on it. A local regiment, the 115th Ohio, lost 83 men in that explosion.
There is a list of about 65 men of the 115th Ohio Inf. found on Fold3.At first glance, it's not clear if they are survivors or not.
On Fold3 look for the major topic "Sultana Disaster, April, 1865".
Among the many folders is one titled "List of Ohio Soldiers."
Frames 5, 6 and 7 have an approx 65 men of the 115th.

As I posted a few days ago, Fold3's information feature unbelievably identifies many of the soldiers on the Sultana as being in the Confederate Navy.

All of the 115th Ohio's men in the above folder, as well as a great many of the other Ohio soldiers
(maybe all of them) in it, are identified as being in the Confederate Navy.
 
The book Disaster on the Mississippi: The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865, by Gene Salecker is a good read.
Here's a link with a book review-- https://books.google.com/books/about/Disaster_on_the_Mississippi.html?id=XOR2AAAAMAAJ
From time to time copies are available on Ebay or Amazon.

I see that Salecker is giving a talk on 21 Feb on the Sultana for the Salt Creek Round Table, Downers Grove, IL area, on Facebook.

Here's that link: https://www.facebook.com/events/sal...na-disaster-by-gene-salecker/476277756575999/

 
Back
Top