Published: July 26, 2006 11:25 pm      

Buffs incensed over destruction of Civil War items

Several Civil War enthusiasts are fuming over the destruction of explosive devices found at the home of a Civil War artifacts collector who was injured when a cannonball he was working on exploded.

Lawrence Christopher, 63, of 4773 Tammy Drive, was severely injured as he attempted to defuse the cannonball. He remained in critical condition Wednesday evening at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.

The explosion caused minor injuries to his 14-year-old grandson, Josh Lock, who was treated and released from Hamilton Medical Center.

A unit from the U.S. Department of Defense out of Fort Benning took more than 60 other Civil War artillery pieces and destroyed them, according to a news release from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials with the Department of Defense made the decision to destroy the explosives, said Maj. John Gibson with the sheriff’s office.

“We collected all the pieces and have them and are taking them back to (Christopher’s) residence,” Gibson said.

Elsie Jackson in the public affairs office at Fort Benning said, “The items in question were destroyed because they were considered unexploded ordnance and unsafe.”

Many shells had already been paid for by customers who planned to pick them up at the Richmond (Va.) Civil War Show on Aug. 19, said Norbert Spangler, a Civil War collector in Virginia and Christopher’s friend.

Some items listed on Christopher’s Web site at www.cw1861.com sell for as much as $2,200.

“If the Army destroyed these shells it would be another tragedy that was based on emotions rather than good sense and judgment,” Spangler said.

Jerry Backof, a collector from Baltimore, Md., said he thinks Christopher will be “heartbroken, not even thinking about the money,” when he hears about the destruction of the explosives.

Backof referred to a Confederate shell listed on Christopher’s Web site. In the listing Christopher offers to take the shell to the Virginia show because “I don’t want someone dropping the box and killing a great piece of Southern history.”