Man Who Fooled Civil War Historians Since 1986 Comes Clean

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

This undated photo provided by John Potter of Lenoir, N.C., shows a framed image that historians have long thought might be the only existing photograph of the Confederate ironclad CSS Georgia, which sank 150 years ago near Savannah, Georgia. Potter... View Full CaptionThe Associated Press

A 50-year-old Georgia man who has been fooling some U.S. Civil War historians since 1986 is now coming clean after his brother's tragic suicide last month.

John Potter sent an image to the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) when he was 21, claiming it was a photograph of another photograph of the Confederate ironclad warship, the CSS Georgia, which he said he discovered at a yard sale but was unable to purchase.

Now, he's saying the whole thing was a hoax and that the image was something he constructed to see if he could fool historians to figure out if he had what it takes to be a Hollywood special effects artist.

Read on ...