LSU’s FACES lab reconstructs faces of two Civil War-era soldiers

Nearly 150 years after the USS Monitor sank on New Year’s Eve in 1862—taking 16 of the 63 crewmen down with it—LSU’s Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Lab has helped reconstruct the faces of two of the soldiers found aboard the sunken ship. LSU partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in creating the facial reconstructions as part of the vessel’s 150th anniversary events. The skeletal remains of both sailors were discovered inside the Monitor’s gun turret after it was raised from the ocean floor in 2002. While much has been learned about the physical characteristics of the men, their identities remain a mystery. By releasing images of the reconstructed faces, NOAA hopes the public will be able to assist in the ongoing effort to identify the sailors. NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries released forensic facial reconstructions of two crewmembers during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., today. A Civil War-era Union ironclad warship that revolutionized naval warfare, the USS Monitor is best known for its battle with the Confederate ironclad, CSS Virginia, in Hampton Roads, Va., on March 9, 1862. The engagement marked the first time iron-armored ships clashed in naval warfare and signaled the end of the era of wooden ships. Less than a year later, the Monitor capsized and sank in a much less glorious fashion: while being towed to a new battle. Photos of the FACES Lab reconstruction, footage of the process, historical documents and more are available from LSU here.