Revolutionary War-era cannons recovered from Savannah River return home after restoration

The Savannah History Museum plans to unveil the cannons to the public during a special event on the evening of July 2. (WJCL via CNN Newsource)

SAVANNAH, GA (WJCL) -- More than a dozen Revolutionary War-era cannons recovered from the Savannah River beginning in 2021 have returned to the Hostess City after undergoing years of restoration at Texas A&M University.

Crews on Wednesday carefully unloaded the 17 cannons at the Savannah History Museum, where they will soon go on public display.

The artifacts were discovered during the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project and are believed to have come from British ships sunk in 1779.

“[Historical accounts state] that the British could see the French fleet coming from the mouth of the Savannah River down by Tybee Island and so they wanted to create some underwater obstructions by scuttling or sinking these vessels,” said Andrea Farmer, an archeologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah.

The cannons had rested at the bottom of the river for more than two centuries before they were recovered. Officials said many of them were still loaded when they were found, offering a glimpse into how quickly the ships may have gone down.

“Many of [the cannons] had multiple cannonballs. Some were double loaded,” Farmer said. “They also found the gunpowder cartridges, which we believe were made of linen. And so they were able to preserve those.”

Museum officials said the original plan was to display only one or two of the cannons, but they pushed to keep the full collection together.

“We said, no, this is an incredible discovery. We would like to partner with you to accept all of these cannons,” said Nora Fleming Lee, CEO of the Coastal Heritage Society.

Each cannon weighs more than 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms), which required crews to move them into the museum with special care. For those involved in their preservation, the work was worth it.

“For me to be part of this project, as a historian myself, it’s beyond words to explain how exciting this is,” Lee said.

The Savannah History Museum plans to unveil the cannons to the public during a special event on the evening of July 2. The 17 restored cannons will be displayed alongside two unrestored cannons, offering visitors a side-by-side look at the importance of conservation.