Do you remember where you were on August 8, 2000?
That date was a remarkable day for the folks of Charleston, South Carolina and Civil War history buffs alike. After years of meticulous preparation by underwater archaeologists, scientists and engineers, the day had finally come. Curious onlookers gathered round and cheered as history was made: hoisted in a specially constructed truss and harness system, the Confederate Submarine H.L. Hunley finally broke the ocean's surface after resting on the ocean floor for 136 cold and dark years. The Hunley was finally coming home.
Named after its inventor, a lawyer by the name of Horace Lawson Hunley, the H.L. Hunley made history on February 17, 1864 when it became the first submarine to successfully sink an enemy ship in combat. The Hunley's target? The Union sloop-of-war U.S.S. Housatonic. Although Lt. George Dixon and his crew successfully sank the Housatonic, the mission came at a heavy cost: the submarine never returned to its port on Sullivan's Island. To this day the circumstances behind the Hunley's disappearance remain a mystery.
The Union Blockade was a grievous sight for Charlestonians during the Civil War. Union warships regularly bombarded the city, which was demoralizing for the Confederate defenders. Seeing how the Confederate Navy did not have the means of combatting the Union fleet head-on, Confederate think-tanks had to resort to ingenuity to take on the Union warships. The Confederate government issued a bounty of $50,000 to anyone who could build a craft capable of sinking or disabling Union vessels. Enter Horace Hunley.
Hunley was not only a lawyer but also a businessman, and he viewed this offer from the Confederate government as an opportunity to strike it rich. Hunley teamed up with engineers Baxter Watson and James McClintock to design such a craft. Before the H.L. Hunley, two prototypes were constructed: The Pioneer and American Diver, or Pioneer II. Hunley, McClintock and Watson learned from trial and error with the first two designs, and after the loss of American Diver during a storm in the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama, development on the H.L. Hunley began. Although the lessons learned from the first two prototypes were invaluable, this new "fish boat" was still a cumbersome and unforgiving vessel. Two accidents with the submarine cost the lives of 13 crewmembers, including Horace Hunley himself. General P.G.T. Beauregard famously remarked that the submarine "was more dangerous to those who use it than it is to the enemy". The Hunley gained a negative reputation, but Lieutenant George Dixon - who was involved with the Hunley project alongside Lieutenant William Alexander since its early stages- believed in the design and that it could work.
On February 17, 1864, Dixon was proven right. There are some outstanding theories as to what may have happened to cause the Hunley's disappearance. Even after years of scientific research following the Hunley's recovery, according to Clemson University archaeologist Dr. Michael Scafuri, "it is still an extremely cold case".
The H.L. Hunley submarine was found intact by Clive Cussler's National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) in April, 1995. Following the Hunley's discovery, years of legal battles and disputes followed. Another underwater archaeologist, Dr. E. Lee Spence claimed to have found the wreck in 1970, however the courts ultimately sided with Cussler. The fate of the submarine seemed unclear, but it was decided that the Hunley was staying put in Charleston. Lt. Dixon and his crew were laid to rest with full military honors in Charleston's Magnolia Cemetery on April 17, 2004, and the Hunley currently resides in North Charleston's Warren-Lasch Conservation Center.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hunley's recovery, South Carolina ETV and KnowItAll.org are proud to showcase our H.L. Hunley Collection all about the legendary submarine! Interesting in taking a deeper dive into Hunley lore? Check out the link above!
Image Credit: The Post and Courier
