Stories from My Twenty Years in South Carolina Maritime Archaeology
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The day the johnboat went up the mountain This page intentionally left blank The day the johnboat went up the mountain Stories from my twenty years in South Carolina maritime archaeology Carl Naylor The University of South Carolina Press © 2010 University of South Carolina Cloth edition published by the University of South Carolina Press, 2010 Paperback edition publlished by the University of South Carolina Press, 2012 Ebook edition published in Columbia, South Carolina, by the University of South Carolina Press, 2012 www.sc.edu/uscpress 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 10987654321 The Library of Congress has cataloged the cloth edition as follows: Naylor, Carl. The day the johnboat went up the mountain : stories from my twenty years in South Carolina maritime archaeology / Carl Naylor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-57003-868-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. South Carolina—Antiquities. 2. South Carolina—History, Local. 3. Excavations (Archaeology)—South Carolina. 4. Historic sites—South Carolina. 5. Shipwrecks—South Carolina—History. 6. Underwater archaeology—South Carolina. 7. Coastal archaeology—South Carolina. 8. Naylor, Carl. 9. Archaeologists—South Carolina—Biography. 10. University of South Carolina. Institute of Archeology and Anthropology—Biography. I. Title. F271.N39 2010 917.57'04—dc22 2009029585 ISBN 978-1-61117-134-1 (ebook) For Frank and Dorathy This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Twenty Years and Counting 1 The Lewisfield—No, Two Cannon— No, Little Landing Wreck Site 5 Mud Sucks 22 The Day the Johnboat Went up the Mountain 42 Hobcaw Shipyard 55 Dredging for the First Americans 69 The Upside-Down Wreck 79 Salvage License #32 91 The Wreck of the SS William Lawrence 108 Hobby Divers 116 Joe and the Alligator 133 Brown’s Ferry Vessel Arrives in Georgetown 139 Those Darn Dugouts 149 The Hunley, the Housatonic, and the Indian Chief 158 The Mysterious French Cargo Site 167 The Cooper River Anchor Farm 173 Mowing the Lawn 180 Man Overboard—Not! 187 “Never Sausage an Artifact” 207 Sexy Wrecks 215 vii Bibliography 233 Index 249 viii Contents Illustrations Drawing of three-pounder cannon 7 Drawing of the swivel gun 8 Author in Kirby-Morgan band mask 10 Drawing of cannon with British markings 15 Plan view of Little Landing 1 hull remains 18 Archaeologist Jodie Simmons after failed attempt to walk on mud 33 1848 map of mound area 45 Joe Beatty holding 9-mm Smith and Wesson semiautomatic pistol 51 A portion of the 1786 plat showing Hobcaw Shipyard 56 A diver dredging the bottom of Smiths Lake Creek 76 Miller Ingram and William Barr watching Chris Amer gather gear 85 Views of the upside-down wreck 89 Navigation chart showing location of SS Lawrence 114 Projectile points found by Doug Boehme 117 Sites on the Cooper River Heritage Trail 126 Plan view of the Strawberry Wreck 127 Plan view of the Pimlico Wreck 128 Plan view of the Mepkin Abbey Vessel 130 An alligator cruising off Pimlico on the Cooper River 135 Brown’s Ferry Vessel in conservation tank 143 Roots Canoe, still attached to stump of tree 154 Mount Pleasant resident Julian Weston standing over remains of wreck 165 Two silver half reals and a two-real silver Cobb coin 171 Large admiralty anchor being lowered into the Cooper River 178 ix Author retrieving magnetometer towfish as Chris Amer coils the tow cable 182 Joe Beatty and Jim Spirek wrestling with the hydraulic probe 203 Chris Amer holding Vienna sausage can 207 Areas surveyed during search for Le Prince 217 x Illustrations Acknowledgments Maritime archaeology is a team effort. The stories told here result from the combined efforts of the members of the Maritime Research Divi- sion at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. In addition to their endeavors in the field, their hard work in finding funds, researching records, recording sites, writing reports, and drawing illustrations made this book possible. My biggest thanks go to Joe Beatty, archaeological technician, expert diver, and good friend, for being a central character in this book. His participation provided many of the lighter moments we have enjoyed over the years, and his reading of chapter drafts proved invaluable in filling gaps in my increasingly unreliable memory. My gratitude goes to Chris Amer, state underwater archaeologist and head of the Maritime Research Division, and Jim Spirek, deputy state underwater archaeologist, for allowing me access to their files on the archaeological projects discussed here and for their assistance with photographs and artwork. I also thank Lora Holland, maritime archae- ologist, for bringing passion to her job and friendship to mine. I would like to thank the Benton clan—Terry, Jane, Hana, Arthur, Mickie, Sandie, Joan, and especially Maura—for their encouragement and for being friends who are like family, only a lot less annoying. And to all the professional archaeologists, enlightened volunteers, and expert divers with whom I have had the pleasure of working over the years, I express my heartfelt appreciation. xi This page intentionally left blank Twenty Years and Counting On a blustery fall day in 1986, I walked into Buddy Line Divers in Mount Pleasant, where I was a staff instructor, and went straight to the shop’s bulletin board. Looking at the scuba course sign-up sheet, I noticed that few names appeared on the lists for my upcoming scuba courses. If I were to juggle the scheduled classes, I might be able to put together one, maybe two, full classes. Maybe. Winter is not a popular time to take scuba lessons, even if South Carolina has mild weather. Perhaps people just have other things on their minds at that time of year. Like the holidays. Things will pick up in January, I told myself, when a new wave of Jacques Cousteau wannabes would be coming into the shop, clutching as if they were lottery tickets the scuba course gift certificates they had received for Christmas. Then, next to the sign-up sheet, I noticed an announcement I had not seen before. It was from the South Carolina Institute of Archaeol- ogy and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina. I knew little about these people other than that they were the outfit that issued the hobby diver license that allowed me to collect old bottles, fossilized shark’s teeth, and other stuff from the rivers in the state. The notice said the institute’s Underwater Archaeology Division planned to excavate a shipwreck in the Cooper River near Moncks Corner. They were looking to hire two divers for the six-week project to take place that October and November. Aha, I thought, a potential job. Even though temporary, it was a way to help make it through a winter that in many ways promised bleakness. I looked at the class sign-up sheets and back at the job announce- ment. I actually liked teaching winter classes. Since I had fewer classes, I was able to get to know the students better, and it meant checkout dives in Florida, staying at dive resorts, diving some excellent sites—all paid for. And this institute project would mean diving long hours in the 1 dark Cooper River in October and November. Not the best time, weather- wise, to be on or in the river. On the other hand, the dive shop paid by the student. The institute paid by the week. So I applied for the job and was asked to come to Columbia for an interview. After meeting and talking with Alan Albright, head of the Underwater Archaeology Division, and Mark Newell, I got the job. This was the first excavation of the Little Landing Wreck. At the end of the project, I collected my paycheck, thanked Albright and Newell, and said goodbye to everyone, thinking I would never see these people again. Several months later, however, I received a call from Newell, who said that the institute was starting a new program to be located in Charleston and that there was a slot for a full-time diver. He asked if I was inter- ested. I had to think about this. I loved teaching scuba diving and the freedom the job allowed. But the job with the institute offered two things I could not resist—interesting work and a steady paycheck. I took the job. So began my career in underwater archaeology. The South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (re- ferred to hereafter as SCIAA or the institute) had its beginnings in 1963 when the South Carolina General Assembly created the South Caro- lina Department of Archeology. The department’s mandate was to con- serve and preserve the archaeological heritage of the state—a tall order. In 1968 the governor transferred the department to the University of South Carolina and renamed it the Institute of Archeology and Anthro- pology. In 1984 the name was changed to the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. In addition to adding an additional a to the word archaeology, the new name was intended to reflect the insti- tute’s dual role as a research arm of the university and as a state agency. The curating of state artifacts, archaeological site information manage- ment, and artifact conservation come under its mandate as a state agency. As curator of state artifacts the institute is responsible to the state for the storage and care of archaeological collections in South Carolina. These collections originate from both land and underwater archaeological investigations conducted by institute staff as well as by other agencies and private archaeological companies. The institute also maintains the South Carolina Statewide Archaeological Site Inventory, containing the official files of all recorded archaeological sites in the state.