A Holden Beach resident got more than he was looking for when he stumbled across a live military shell on the hidden underneath the sand on Holden Beach. The shell, which was later discovered to be a naval round most likely fired by a Union ship at a Blockade runner, is called a Parrot shell. The name comes from the type of cannon that it was used in during battles in the Civil War.
The shell found on Holden Beach is a live shell capable of exploding. It is approximately a foot long and about 6 inches in circumference. Until it can be safely dismantled by NC Highway Patrol it is being kept at the police department.
This isn’t the first discovery of Civil War memorabilia on Holden Beach, about seven years ago a couple of visitors located cannon balls on the beach and attempted to take them. Several beach goers took notice as they struggled to get them off the beach, bouncing them and rolling them up the sand. It was reported it to the police. The cannon balls were both blown up for safety reasons. It was later determined that one was explosive and one was not.
