SAVANNAH — Workers hoisted 17 preserved iron cannons from a delivery truck into the Savannah History Museum on Wednesday. The artillery pieces spent nearly 240 years underwater in the Savannah River before their transfer.
The Savannah History Museum will display the cannons as part of a new exhibit on the city's role in the American Revolution, opening during Fourth of July weekend. Museum curator Samantha Moss said, "Our great team has been prepping for months -- building mounts and planning how we can safely display these very large, very special artifacts." Staff positioned each cannon onto custom racks resembling wine racks. Each piece weighs up to 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms).
A dredge crew working on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to deepen the shipping channel pulled the first cannon from the riverbed in late 2021. Two additional cannons were found shortly afterward, bringing the total recovered to 19. Archaeologists initially believed the collection dated to the Civil War era, but further research indicated the cannons are likely from the American Revolution, nearly a century earlier. U.S. Army Corps archaeologist Andrea Farmer said the iron survived well: "They look brand new. They could pretty much be fired if someone wanted to." Each cannon arrived covered in mud and minerals.
Most of the artillery was sent to Texas A&M University for preservation. Staff spent several years cleaning the surfaces and applying wax to prevent corrosion. Radiocarbon testing of wooden plugs inside the barrels placed the artifacts in the late 1700s. Researchers shared measurements with London experts, who concluded three cannons were British-forged and others matched French patterns. Chris Dostal, a professor of nautical archaeology, said, "A lot of them have scour marks on the side from anchors or dredging, so there’s some scarring on the cannons. But most of them look pretty exceptional." Some of the cannons may have been cast in colonial territory, though they lack identifying markings.
Savannah was under British occupation in the fall of 1779. Colonial forces and French allies launched an attack to retake the port, prompting British commanders to scuttle at least six ships downstream to block naval vessels. A land battle followed, resulting in nearly 300 colonial fighters killed and hundreds wounded. The museum is located adjacent to the battlefield. Two cannons remain uncleaned for public viewing alongside the preserved arsenal. Recovery teams also retrieved anchor fragments and a bronze bell fragment, though none of the items contain engravings linking them to a specific vessel.