Any Civil War Diving Buffs?

[Zodiacdiverdave]

I would like to make a correction to my earlier post. The Americans were actually imprisoned on Melville Is. and buried on near by Deadman's Is. Melville held over 8000 American POWs over the years as well as Spanish ans French sailors.
Deadman's Is was also know as Target Is. because it was used as target practice, might be a good area for metal detecting. If I ever find any American war artifacts I will be sure to post pics.
ZDD

 

[porgyhunter]

Let me get this right Dave......Come on up there and look for atifacts on or around TARGET Island? Bring a METAL detector? Some how I think I might find other [unhealthy] things besides atifacts.

 

[Mopar]

My grandfather lived near a Civil War battlefield. He would till his garden and from to time find bullets and things. One year his last year he found a button off of a uniform. I don't know what happened to that stuff after he died.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Let me get this right Dave......Come on up there and look for atifacts on or around TARGET Island? Bring a METAL detector? Some how I think I might find other [unhealthy] things besides atifacts.

Well, metal detecting on the island would probably be a bad thing even from my moral standings. All the dead are buried in unmarked graves marked only by a plaque and in 2005 the province turned the island into a park.
Metal detecting underwater though would turn up many buried cannon and musket balls.

ZDD

 

[Sean222]

How could they prove you weren't looking for 9 year old artifacts at that?

They can't. That is what makes the whole thing silly. But what they can do and have done in California( read the case of the Brother Jonathon), Is that they can take you to court and tie you and your pocket book up (with lawers fees) for years. The fact is. the abandoned shipwreck act of 1987 made all other Salvage laws within state territorial limits, null and void. The bottom line (in RI at least ) is not for them to prove you weren't looking for 9 year old artifacts. It's up to you to prove you were. It sucks but that is the PC world we live in now.

 

[Banshee961]

I'm curious as to this question as well! I live in MD and would love to look for Civil War, war of 1812, etc but no one seeems to do that!

Skarn

Just saw your post, not sure if your still looking for a dive buddy who enjoys the same. I also live in MD, I'd be more then happy to explore with you.

 

[CT-Rich]

The British Sank dozens of ships in Newport to prevent the colonials from making use of the harbor. Among them was HM Bark Endevour, the ship sailed by Captain Cook on his epic, explorations of Australia and the Pacific. It ended life as a troop transport in the American Revolution and was scuttled to block the bay. The first US torpedoes were tested in Narragansett bay and Fort Adams was protecting the bay back as far as the war of 1812. I understand the prohibition to a degree, but, although draconian, it is hardly ever enforced. I have seen tons of artifacts on display in shops all around Newport.