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Searchers think they may have found the Water Witch in the Vernon River, sunk in 1865. According to the story, the ship belonged to the Union before it was captured by Confederate forces in 1864. Experts Find Shipwreck Evidence in RiverThis may be of interest regarding the capture:
Pelot led a group of about 120 men who used small boats to slip alongside the Water Witch undetected. Their numbers gave them a healthy advantage over the ship's crew of 65 sailors.Taken by surprise, the Union sailors still put up a fight, engaging the Confederates in close quarters combat with sabers and revolvers. Luther Billings, the assistant paymaster aboard the Water Witch, later estimated 40 men were killed or wounded in the raid.The dead included Pelot, who led the assault, and Dallas Moses, a slave who was also paid a $100 monthly salary as a Confederate river pilot.
So, if anyone is near Savannah, we'd welcome hearing the inside scoop on this find to see what they discover underneath all that mud.
