KINSTON, N.C. (AP) – Rarely seen artifacts such as a shipping crate for U.S. muskets will go on view as part of a new exhibit at the CSS Civil War Interpretative Center in Kinston.
The exhibit titled “Treasures from the Vault” opens Wednesday. In addition to the crate, it also includes items such as two recently donated pieces of bulkhead recovered from the CSS Neuse in the 1960s. The shipping crate held 20 never-used muskets, which were bought and sold in the 1950s so a reproduction musket will be included in the exhibit.
The Confederate Navy launched the CSS Neuse to try to gain control of the lower Neuse River and New Bern. Instead, the Navy ended up destroying the ship so the Union couldn’t confiscate it.
