Shipwreck Expert E. Lee Spence to be Featured on Livin’ Large

Shipwreck expert E. Lee Spence of Summerville, South Carolina, announced

today that he has discovered the wreck of the Confederate transport Sumter,

which was lost near the entrance to Charleston in 1863. The discovery will be

included in an episode of Dick Clark Productions nationally syndicated

television program Livin’ Large. Livin’ Large decided to feature Spence due

to his many successful ventures and the unusual nature of his work. The show

is a contemporary version of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." According

to Spence, he has worked on "everything from a Great Lakes freighter with

Scotch & Champagne to Spanish galleons with tons of silver." The episode will

air in the Columbia area on WLTX at half past midnight on Friday, November 8,

2002, and in the Charleston area on WCBD at midnight on Saturday.

The Confederate troop transport and munitions carrier was sunk by "friendly

fire" on the night of August 30, 1863, while returning from Morris Island,

South Carolina. The steamer was carrying 600 to 740 men, who had just been

relieved from duty on Morris Island, and was bound to Battery Gregg when she

ran aground and was fired upon by mistake from a Confederate fortification

near Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. At least one shot penetrated her

hull, and she quickly filled with water. Very soon afterwards the steamer

went to pieces. One account stated that the men were from the 12th or the

23rd regiments of the South Carolina volunteers. Another said they were from

the 20th South Carolina and 23rd Georgia Regiments and "an artillery company."

Contemporary reports stated that the men on the Sumter lost "nearly all of

their guns, accouterments and ammunition." If they are still down there, the

artifacts could easily be worth over $1,000,000 on the collectors' market,

but Spence says "their real value would be in the story they would tell about

the brave men who lost them." Several men were killed, and others drowned,

when they tried to escape by swimming. Estimates of the total dead and/or

missing varied between eight and forty. The remainder of the troops were

rescued by Colonel Rhett’s men from Fort Sumter and by boats sent down by the

Confederate navy. Contemporary accounts described her as lost on the "east

end of fort reef," "fifty to seventy yards inside of the Cumming’s Point buoy

and about eight hundred to a thousand yards from Fort Sumter."

Comparing the historical record to a modern day chart, Spence noted a small

shoal just off the tip of Morris Island. The same shoal was shown on a hand

drawn chart made in 1865. Spence had a hunch that the shoal on both maps was

"fort reef."

As an underwater archaeologist and President of the Sea Research Society,

Spence decided that a simple "Look-See" expedition to the shoal was the best

course of action. A "Look-See," which did not disturb the site, could be done

quickly and quietly, without violating any State or federal laws. The big

thing was that it could go forward without the need for special permits.

Using bearings determined from the chart, the 23’ Scout was anchored directly

over the most promising location. Within seconds of going into the water,

Spence realized his "research had been dead on." Spence observed brick

ballast and other items from the wreck, but left them in place. He saw no

sign of the vessel’s high-pressure steam plant and suspects it was raised for

scrap after the war. Although there could easily be a fortune in artifacts at

the site, Spence, says "My primary interest was in finding the wreck. I have

no desire to spend years seeking official permission to work the site, only

to see someone else credited with my discovery.

Without a permit from the State Budget & Control Board, it is a felony to

disturb a warship in South Carolina waters, which is believed to have human

remains aboard. With over four decades of shipwreck diving experience, Spence

does not believe there are any human remains at the site. But, due to South

Carolina law, Spence did not pick up any of the artifacts he found, nor did

he dig into or otherwise disturb the site. The limited visibility prevented

any meaningful underwater photography during the expedition.

The Sea Research Society expedition was aided with equipment provided by

White’s Metal Detectors, Fisher Research Laboratories, Hummer dealer

Doug McElveen and Dave Wallace of Scout Boats. Besides Spence, the primary

participants in the project were Kelly McDaniel and Bill Hoolahan of the Sea

Research Society and Nelson Jacobs and Alan Lang of Scout Boats in

Summerville.

The exposed portions of the wreck were used as target practice by the

Confederates in the weeks after it was sunk, so it is clear that the

Confederates had abandoned it. Legally, that abandonment means that it was

not Confederate government property when the Civil War ended. Therefore, the

wreck would not have been a "prize of war." So, title to the vessel’s remains

would never have transferred to the federal government. As the finder of

abandoned property, Spence claims ownership and warns people to stay away

from the wreck. Spence says "I expect to be donating any rights I have to the

wreck to the American Military Museum in Charleston, and the museum’s

officials can try to work something out with the State." Museum director and

curator George Meagher says "any artifacts from the site would make a great

addition to our collection."

Spence was the original discoverer of the wreck of the Confederate submarine

Hunley and donated his title to the vessel to the State in September of 1995

at the request of the Hunley Commission. Attorney General Charles M. Condon

signed the donation agreement. Shortly afterwards, Condon wrote Spence to say

"Let me take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and profound

gratitude for your generous and historic donation to the State of your rights

to the submarine H.L. Hunley." Two months later, South Carolina Governor

David M. Beasley wrote Spence and stated "Your work in discovering the Hunley

is of great significance. ...... South Carolina is indebted to you for the

wonderful contribution you have made to archaeology." On November 15, 2000,

Governor Beasley again wrote Spence and said "South Carolina is & should be

proud of you."