Saturday Trivia *Lt. George Dixon/H.L. Hunley*

[WoodenJefferson]

Legend and romance is connected to the owner of this twenty dollar gold piece. The forensic bust of the owner can be seen on the right, he's the mustached blond guy.

 

Where was this Double Eagle found?

 

Who are you...who, who?

 

Note: If you get this right away, it's OK, I've played this one before but always enjoy this one. Amanda cannot answer until 12 PM Eastern Standard Time

[zrlevin]

This coin saved Lt. George Dixon's life when it was hit with a Union bullet at the battle of Shiloh. It was found in the sunken Confederate submarine Hunley over 100 yrs later.

[WoodenJefferson]

Good job zrlevin!

 

The romantic legend of Lt. George Dixon and his gold coin has existed for many years. According to the story, Lt. Dixon was given a gold coin by his sweetheart, Queenie Bennett. She asked that he take the coin for good luck, and as a token of her love. Lt. Dixon always kept the coin with him, as promised, and at the Battle of Shiloh it was in his pants pocket. As the battle waged on, Lt. Dixon was shot in the leg. As he examined the wound he discovered that the bullet struck the coin directly in the center, bending the coin but saving his leg, and possibly even his life.

 

During the excavation of the H.L. Hunley, this legend has been verified by the discovery of the coin with the remains of Lt. Dixon. But in 2004 Nick Herrmann examined the recovered skull of Dixon. He discovered that the man in a photo Queenie Bennett claimed to be the Lieutenant was probably not Dixon at all. Additionally, the coin gives no mention of Bennett, further disputing the authenticity of the story. The $20 gold coin was minted in 1860 and is indented by the impact of a bullet. Both the coin itself and a wound on the femur of Lt. Dixon were found to have traces of lead. The back of the coin is inscribed with the following four lines:

 

Shiloh

April 6, 1862

My life Preserver

G. E. D.

 

The coin can currently be seen on display with many other artifacts and the Hunley itself at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center.

 

Another story:

 

The long-awaited treasure of the H. L. Hunley, Lt. George Dixon's gold coin was found inside the submarine. Dr. Robert Neyland, Project Director says, "The coin was found by Dixon's remains and in the middle of some textiles, possibly he kept it in his pants pocket." The coin is bent, true to the story that a bullet hit the coin and saved Lt. Dixon's leg and life. The story goes that his sweetheart, Queenie Bennett gave him a 20-dollar United States gold piece for luck, he kept it with him in his pants pocket. On April 6, 1862, in the Battle of Shiloh, Lt. Dixon was shot in the leg. Luckily when he was shot, the bullet hit the gold piece, in essence saving his life. It was told that Dixon always kept that lucky coin with him and it now appears that he truly did. "Some people may think this is a stroke of luck, but perhaps it's something else. They tell me that Lt. Dixon was a lady's man, perhaps he winked at us yesterday to remind us that he still is," said Maria Jacobsen, Senior Archaeologist. "The presence of the coin absolutely confirms the identity of Lt. George E. Dixon. It removes all doubt, and, also speaks of his character and faith," said Warren Lasch, Chairman of Friends of the Hunley. "Part of the Hunley?s excavation was to separate fact from fable. The discovery of the coin and its inscription is like discovering Cinderella's glass slipper," said Senator Glenn McConnell, Chairman of the Hunley Commission.

 

The coin was minted in 1860 and one side has lady liberty, it was the side the bullet hit. The other side has the Federal shield and eagle symbol. That side appears to be sanded and has an inscription in cursive -script that reads in four lines:

 

Shiloh April 6, 1862 My life Preserver G. E. D. (Lt. Dixon's initials)

 

edit: they guy on the left is, Arnold Becker (left) was foreign-born, but experts do not know exactly where he was from. Becker was in charge of operating the air circulation system that enabled the crew to breathe on the H.L. Hunley.

[MunkyMan95]

I did not know that. Amazing!

[Hoot]

Great post WJ! Thanks for taking the time.

 

Hoot