The Long Bay Salvage Co. of Murrells Inlet has been granted ownership of a shipwreck containing at least 24 large-bore cannons, recording their find in waters off Cape Romain.

At least four of the heavy guns have been recovered and cleaned. Officials say they likely played a role in the defense of Charleston.

In June 2001, searchers located a sunken barge containing railroad rails, railcar wheels, a locomotive cow-catcher, and at least 24 guns. The barge is believed to have been lost at sea in the 1890s, and was moving outbound from Charleston carrying materials, which at the time was considered post-war scrap, said Marc Marling, an attorney for the company.

Long Bay Salvage filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia to gain ownership of the barge and its contents. It was granted ownership in September 2003. So far the company has recovered four cannons.

One of the guns is a 10-inch Columbiad cast in 1863 at the Bellona Foundry, a small foundry outside Richmond, Va., with a serial number of 22.

An identical Columbiad cannon, serial number 20, is at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston where the remains of the final eight Hunley crewmen will be buried Saturday.

Until the discovery of the wreck, 18 10-inch Columbiads were known to exist.

According to historical records, there were possibly 70 10-inch Columbiads shipped directly from Richmond to Charleston where they were likely put to use keeping Union ships at bay.

"This is undoubtedly the largest single collection of Confederate cannon to be discovered since shortly after the Civil War, and its eventual disclosure will create great interest among Civil War historians and aficionados," said Wayne E. Stark, a Civil War artillery historian.

Long Bay Salvage is developing a plan to recover the remaining cannons, Marling said.

Click here to return to story:
http://www.charleston.net/stories/041504/loc_15barge.shtml