A Few Items from CSS Florida

Items from the museum's CSS Florida collection gives a glimpse into life aboard the Confederate cruiser. All of these items are currently on display in the museum's CSS Florida exhibit.

Pharmacist jar - This possibly belonged to the ship's assistant surgeon, Georgia-native Thomas J. Charlton, Jr.  Charlton joined the ship's company when the cruiser made port in Brest, France in late 1863. The words  on the jar read, "Pharmacie Podevin Constantin Succr, Pharmacie de 1s Classe Champe de Bataille 37 Brest." The first group of French words is believed to be the name of the pharmacist that the item originally belonged to.  "Champe de Battille 37 Brest" was the address.  The stamp at the top of the item is possibly where the French pharmacist received his training.

 

Nineteenth century medicine was at a cross roads between modern and old-fashioned remedies. Medical staff stored medicine in glass bottles. We don't know for sure what was in each of these bottles (particularly the one with liquid in it!).  A 19th century pharmacist would commonly have substances such as castor oil, quinine, magnesia sulphate, cholorform, collodion (to harden bandages), sulfuric acid, arsenic nitrate, veratria, and opium. Some naval surgeons were known to carry pumpkin seed oil (to kill tapeworms).

This is a leather sponge bucket.  Despite its humble looks, it is among the more treasured items in the collection. Leather artifacts often fall apart quickly in salt water.  This particular item was saved from the harsh effects of salt water.  One explanation could be that it was found buried in the sand of the James River. This bucket could have been used for daily cleaning of the deck or for possibly holding water to clean out gunpowder residue from one of the cruiser's guns.

These are two fuzes for Florida's shells used with one of the ship's Blakeley Rifles. Timed-fuzes ignited the power inside a hollow shell filled with gunpowder. They are both made of brass.  This was a necessary feature, as brass did not create sparks when being twisted into a shell. In theory, once a shell with a fuze was fired from the gun, the fuze's chemicals would begin to break down and then explode. This explosion in turn would ignite the power. The longer the fuze, the longer the time to explode. There are three such shells on display in the exhibit. Read more about them here.

2014 LEGO Ship Designs Announced

LEGO Shipbuilding is one of the most popular programs and events we have done in recent history.  Nearly 2,000 people came out for a day of ship building, contests, and demonstrations from local user groups and businesses.  We are currently planning our 2014 LEGO Shipbuilding event.  A middle education program based on the event is now available for schools and school groups around the Hampton Roads area as an in-house or outreach program (FREE of charge).

Every year, staff at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum pick out new designs for ship models participants can build in the gallery during the event.  Designs from each year are put on our website as build-able
models for FREE.  Understanding that LEGO bricks are expensive, all models are made layer by layer using only standard LEGO bricks available in stores across the country.

All ship designs included in the Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding Program are created from models included in our museum gallery.  With this in mind, we are pleased to announce the new designs for the 2014 LEGO Shipbuilding Day at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum:

CSS Nansemond

Twin-Screw Gunboat

American Civil War 

USS Onondaga

Double-turreted river monitor

American Civil War 

USS Maine (BB-2/c, ex-ACR-1)

Second-class Battleship

Spanish-American War 

USS Alabama (BB-60)

South Dakota-Class Battleship
World War II

USS Stump (DD-978)

Spruance-Class Destroyer

Cold War/Post Cold War 

Stay tuned for more updates as we get close to the event!  It's time to get building for 2014!

Civil War Navy Day 2013 Schedule of Events Announced

In honor of Dr. James McPherson's lecture on his new book, War on the Waters: The Union & Confederate Navies, 1861-1865, staff at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum have prepared a day of tours and activities about the Civil War Navy on September 17th, 2013.  Here is a tentative list of the scheduled events:

(VA Civil War 150)

VA Civil War HistoryMobile
Visit the VA Civil War History Mobile outside of Nauticus/Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  The History Mobile will be open the following times the week of the event:

• Monday, September 16th: 12:00pm - 6:00pm
• Tuesday, September 17th (Civil War Navy Day): 10:00am - 6:00pm 
• Wednesday, September 18th: 10:00am - 5:00pm 

(Fredericksburg News)

There are a variety of educational displays and activities inside the HistoryMobile.  They include: a display first-person views on the war (Home Interrupted), the experience of slavery in VA (Journey to Freedom), a film on Virginia's decision to secede (The Whirlwind), and a retrospective look at the aftermath of war in Virginia (Loss-Gain-Legacy).

For more information on the VA Civil War HistoryMobile, please go to their website HERE.

Guided Tours of the Civil War Gallery

HRNM Staff will offer several interactive and in-depth tours of the HRNM Civil War gallery.  Tours will be 45 minutes in length and discuss the role that Hampton Roads played in the overall operations of the Union and Confederate navies throughout the war.

Stay tuned for times and information about the Civil War gallery tours.  

LEGO Shipbuilding: USS Monitor and CSS Virginia

This activity stems from one of the most popular programs and events we have done at the museum: Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding.  This will be a great activity for both kids and adults.  Test your building skills and recreate the famed ships that fought in Hampton Roads using our own LEGO bricks and instructions.

For more information on our LEGO Shipbuilding program, please go HERE or watch a LEGO building demo (including the USS Monitor on our Youtube site. 

Civil War Weapons Display 

Former docent and friend of HRNM, Larry Floyd, will have a display on naval weaponry/firearms in the museum gallery.  Larry is a well-established firearms expert in the area.  Larry recently gave a presentation on naval firearms at the Hampton Roads Civil War Roundtable in Chesapeake, VA.  

Civil War Navy Trivia Contest 

This activity will be available at the Front Desk of the Naval Museum throughout the week of the event.  Spend a few minutes and answer some easy (and not so easy) questions about the Civil War navies.  Come in and see how many you can get!

The winner of the contest will receive a complimentary copy of the "Civil War at Sea" DVD.  

"Civil War at Sea" Screening

We will be screening the "Civil War at Sea" film throughout the day of the 17th.  According to its description, the video "highlights the U.S. Navy's vital, yet often overlooked, contributions to the preservation of the Union and the End of slavery."  All five sections of the presentation (Naval leaders, naval technology, strategy, African Americans, Civil War sailor) will be screened throughout the day.

The film, made by R.H. Rositzke & Associations, was written by Mark Huffman and advised by staff of HRNM/Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial.  The DVD is sponsored by the Surface Navy Association on the occasion of the Civil War Sesquicentennial.  

View the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial Exhibit Display 

CWN 150 Display at Drewry's Bluff 150th Anniversary

The Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial display will be available for viewing throughout the day and evening of the McPherson event (17th).  The display is an expansive narrative of the entire Civil War navies.  The display discusses everything from the Atlantic blockade to the operations on the Mississippi River.

The display is also well traveled.  It visited several places over the last two years, including the SNA Conference in Washington, D.C., the Drewry's Bluff 150th Commemoration, and the Hampton Roads Civil War Roundtable.  This will be the first time it is displayed at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  Snap a photo in front of it to soak up all the Civil War naval goodness!  

Civil War Special Edition Daybooks and "Blacks in Blue Jackets" available

Lastly, we will have copies of our Civil War Special Edition Daybooks for you to take.  These copies will be FREE to the public on a first come, first serve basis.  The Daybook is the official publication of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

Make sure to pick up your copy of the latest Civil War Special Edition of the Daybook, "Sea Stories," on the 17th.  The Daybook is usually a benefit for members of the Hampton Roads Historical Foundation, so don't pass up on this awesome opportunity on good reading!


Should you have any questions, please contact Matthew Eng, CWN 150 Coordinator, at matthew.t.eng@navy.mil or call (757)322-3168.  You can also follow the hashtags #HRNMCW,  #HRNM, #CWN150 on Twitter.  

For more information on the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial, please visit the blog HERE. 

Stay tuned for more information.