Press Release - 57-caliber Civil War Ammunition Cartridges

For Immediate Release

Four unfired .57-caliber Civil War ammunition cartridges uncovered in USS Monitor turret
Wrought-iron hand crank, buttons, and chalk among other artifacts found during excavation work

Newport News, Va.-- Conservators at The Mariners' Museum uncovered four unfired .57-caliber Civil War rifle cartridges from the USS Monitor's revolving gun turret this past week, while performing ongoing conservation tasks as part of the restoration of one of the country's most significant Civil War artifacts. In addition, a wrought iron hand crank, three buttons and chalk were recovered from within the turret. The cartridges are rim-fired and some still contain black powder. Historians from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Museum's partner in the USS Monitor conservation project, are working with Museum conservators to conserve these artifacts.

"This is a significant find," said David Krop, assistant conservator with The Mariners' Museum. "These unfired cartridges may be associated with the Sharps & Hankins rifle butt plate previously recovered from the wreck. The cartridges were concreted to the turret's interior wall in a location where we previously removed a think iron plate. There is still approximately three feet of sediment in that area that we will excavate over the upcoming months—so it will be exciting to see what else we discover."

"Besides a very small amount of shot, this is really the only ammunition recovered from the USS Monitor wreck site," said NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Program Historian, Jeff Johnston. "Of course there's no positive way of knowing how they got there, but their proximity to the gun ports from the turret suggests a soldier could have been loading his rifle and spilled some of the cartridges behind the nut-guard in the process."

During turret excavation efforts, conservators also uncovered a wrought iron crank. Historians are researching the possible use of the crank in the turret, but they are confident it had nothing to do with the cannon. Three buttons and a piece of chalk were also excavated. "We've found a large number of buttons from the turret since it was recovered in 2002," said Johnston. "This is consistent with the thought that sailors were disrobing before jumping from the turret into the water and over time, the cloth disintegrated leaving nothing but buttons behind.

>Many of the smaller artifacts, including the buttons that were recently excavated were found by students from East Carolina University (ECU) working with NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary as part of a summer internship program. ECU Students worked closely with NOAA staff and Museum conservation staff to sift through tons of excavated material, and assisted in the further excavation of the Monitor's turret.

The Civil War ironclad USS Monitor fought the most famous naval duel of the 19th century against the Confederate ironclad Virginia in Hampton Roads, Va., on March 9 of that same year. Their legendary battled ushered in the iron age of naval warfare. The Monitor's unique feature was its revolving gun turret that rested amidships of the vessel. On December 31, 1862, the ironclad sank during a squall off the coast of North Carolina. Almost 100 years later, scientists discovered the wreck, which became the nation's first national marine sanctuary in 1975. In 1987, NOAA designated The Mariners' Museum as the repository for all artifacts and archives from the USS Monitor. Since then, The Mariners' Museum has received over 1,200 artifacts from the vessel, including the steam engine in 2001 and the revolving gun turret in 2002.

On March 9, 2007, exactly 145 years after the historic clash between the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, the Mariners' Museum and NOAA will open the doors to one of the premier Civil War attractions across the nation-the USS Monitor Center, currently under construction. This dramatic new $30 million, 63,500-square-foot facility will enthrall families with exciting exhibits, bring students face-to-face with history, house state-of-the-art conservation labs and offer historians rich resources for research. At the heart of the USS Monitor Center is the exhibition-a melding of artifacts, original documents, paintings, personal accounts, interactive displays and environments that will pique all five senses. The strategies, people, technology and science behind the historic circumstances surrounding this story will be displayed in a way the public has never before seen. A full-scale replica will serve a major role in this portion of the Center by allowing visitors to walk on and under the Monitor, experiencing first-hand how simple, yet innovative the warship really was.

The Mariners' Museum in partnership with NOAA, broke ground for the new Center in 2004. The Mariners' Museum is conducting a $30 million capital campaign for the USS Monitor Center. NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program has provided $9.5 million in federal funds contributing toward the $20 million that will be raised from public sources. The Mariners' Museum is conducting a $10 million private sector campaign raising funds from corporations, foundations and individuals across the nation. Currently, over $27 million of the total $30 million has been raised. For more information, visit www.MarinersMuseum.org.

NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with our federal partners and nearly 60 countries to develop a global Earth observation network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

For more information:
Contact: Amy Richie, Public Relations Director
(757) 591-7738 or (800) 581-7245
E-mail: pr@MarinersMuseum.org

The Mariners' Museum, an educational, non-profit institution accredited by the American Association of Museums, preserves and interprets maritime history through an international collection of ship models, figureheads, paintings and other maritime artifacts. The museum is open from 10 A.M. until 5 P.M. Monday through Saturday, and 12 to 5 P.M. Sunday. It will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For information, visit www.marinersmuseum.org, call (757) 596-2222 or (800) 581-7245, or write to The Mariners' Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.

The Mariners' Museum and The South Street Seaport Museum of New York City are partners in America's National Maritime Museum, an innovative alliance recognized by an act of Congress in June 1998 to share collections, exhibitions, educational programs, publications, and other endeavors.