Confederate Military Relics Dumped During Union Offensive Unearthed in South Carolina River Cleanup

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Hundreds of Civil War relics were unearthed during the cleanup of a South Carolina river where Union troops dumped Confederate military equipment to deliver a demoralizing blow for rebel forces in the birthplace of the secessionist movement. The artifacts were discovered while crews removed tar-like material from the Congaree River, and brought new tangible evidence of Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s Southern campaign toward the end of the Civil War. The remains are expected to find a safer home at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in the state capital of Columbia. Historical finds include cannonballs, a sword blade, and a wheel experts believe belonged to a wagon that blew up during the two days of supply dumps. The odds of finding the wagon wheel “are crazy,” according to Sean Norris....