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History uncovered, 82 waterlogged years later |
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Right:Harpers Ferry Center Conservator Theresa Shockey (left) and Louisiana State Conservator Dr. Doug Harrison look through items taken out of a time capsule that was recovered from the Louisiana Monument in Vicksburg National Military Park. Photo by Michael Dunlap. |
Capsule cracked in Vicksburgby Chuck Cannon, The News Star, Monroe, Louisiana, July 17, 2003 A time capsule buried for 82 years beneath the cornerstone of the Louisiana Monument in the Vicksburg National Military Park was opened Wednesday, but its contents will take a while longer to decipher. The monument was dedicated Oct. 18, 1920. Lightning struck it in 1999. Lane Thomas, an employee of Keystone Restoration, the Palm Beach, Fla., company hired to restore the monument, found the capsule. “I knew that it (capsule) was in there somewhere,” Thomas said. “I was breaking concrete with a 90-pound jackhammer when I saw the box.” Thomas said he immediately called park rangers. “It was exciting,” he said. “I just happened to be the one who lucked up on it.” The park rangers discovered - much to their chagrin - that the black metal box containing artifacts from 1920 and the Civil War was filled with water. “Apparently there was a leak and water had seeped in over the years,” park historian Terry Winschel said. “We immediately placed the box in a tub of distilled water in preparation for its opening.” At 11 a.m. Wednesday a park ranger, armed with a screwdriver and pliers, pried the lid open to reveal a waterlogged mess. |
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We commend Ms. Shockey for the professional performance of her duties during the Louisiana Monument Time Capsule Opening. The ceremony drew quite a crowd, but Ms. Shockey, working with Louisiana State Conservator Doug Harrison, handled all with expertise. We appreciate all efforts on the part of Harpers Ferry Center to aid Vicksburg National Military Park in this endeavor. William O. Nichols |
Doug Harrison, Louisiana’s state conservator, and Theresa Shockey, a conservator with the National Park Service in Harper’s Ferry, used tweezers, spatulas, wax paper-coated cardboard and a plastic cup to carefully remove the items. “This is about what I anticipated,” Shockey said. “The paper products are mostly deteriorated, but I am happy you can read some of the text.” Louisiana State Archaeologist Tom Eubanks said it would possibly take months or years to go through the items in the box. “The plan is to put whatever is stable now on display immediately at the park’s museum,” he said. “The rest will be displayed as it is restored.” For Civil War re-enactors Byron Denham and Tommy Anderson, the morning’s activities were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “This is awesome,” Denham said. “I can’t believe I’m actually looking at items that belonged to men who fought for Louisiana.” Denham and Anderson are from Tallulah. Both men had ancestors who fought for the Confederacy during the Vicksburg siege. “My great-great uncle Tom Denham was shot and died during the siege of Vicksburg,” Denham said. Shockey said all of the items recovered would be frozen for safekeeping. “We’ll thaw them out individually and work on restoring them,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to give people an opportunity to see what the folks who put these items in the capsule wanted them to see.” UnearthedThe items found in the time capsule include:
Copyright © 2003 The News Star |
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