Civil War Message in a Bottle Decoded

[Shannon Graham]

Dec. 27, 2010 -- A message placed in a corked glass vial dating back to the Civil War was finally decoded 147 years after it was originally sent.

The intended recipient was Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, who was under siege in Vicksburg, Miss., by the forces of Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Pemberton's troops, more than 30,000 Confederate soldiers, were eventually defeated. The Siege of Vicksburg would essentially split the Confederacy in half and became one of key turning points of the Civil War.

The message was dated July 4, 1863, the same day of Pemberton's surrender. The encrypted note was deciphered with the help of the CIA codebreaker David Gaddy and later confirmed by a Navy cryptologist.

Read the full story here.

Civil War Message in a Bottle Decoded: Big Pic : Discovery News

[mootsman]

Thanks for posting this! As a Civil War buff and relic hunter for many years, I've heard about this message but had no idea it had been decoded.

[bigbeck1817]

great post!

[paleo_joe]

Vicksburg is a GREAT battlefield to visit if you have never been there. They have an ironclad that was sunk by a mine. It was later raised and now you can walk around in it.

[jimc]

Good Post. Thanks

[DesertWalker]

Interesting, thanks.

[joyce]

Thanks Shannon for posting this interesting part of our history! Joyce