FREE Raise the Wreck Festival for all ages, July 25, Savannah
US Army Corps of Engineers’ “CSS Georgia ‘Raise the Wreck!’ Festival” with underwater archaeology, scuba diving, Navy robots and more
This free, public event on July 25 2015 highlights the ongoing recovery of the Confederate ironclad vessel, the CSS Georgia, and its history. Underwater archeology is currently taking place in the river where the vessel was scuttled, adjacent to Old Fort Jackson in Savannah, where the event will take place. Learn more here.
The festival is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with dive activity scheduled during the first hour and a half.
When: July 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Old Fort Jackson
1 Old Fort Jackson Road
Savannah 31401
Cost: Free to the public
Age suitability: All Ages
Contact number: 912-652-5777
CSS Georgia website: http://1.usa.gov/1G6S2Hn
The CSS Georgia is an ironclad gunboat built in Savannah for the Confederacy in 1862. Area women formed the Ladies Gunboat Association to raise the money for its construction. The vessel was used as a floating battery anchored at Fort Jackson, upstream from lines of channel obstructions near the upper end of Elba Island. The vessel’s position and the river obstructions protected the City of Savannah from a Union naval approach. Confederate troops scuttled the vessel in December 1864 during the approach of General William T. Sherman’s Union troops.
The “CSS Georgia ‘Raise the Wreck!’ Festival” will provide opportunities for the public to examine artifacts recently recovered from the CSS Georgia wreck site, view recovery operations on the dive barge immediately offshore and talk with historians and archeologists involved with the recovery.
Other activities at the festival include:
Games, hands-on activities, and displays at various booths
Demonstrations and presentations from archeologists, divers, and others
Videos, images, and displays about historical information connected to the CSS Georgia
Firing of the fort’s 32 pounder cannon
Opportunities to interact with Navy robotics
Self-guided tours of the fort
Interaction with costumed interpreters
And a few other surprises.
Recovery of the CSS Georgia is an important component of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. The festival is sponsored by the US Army Corps of Engineers.