Confederate submersibles

The Berkeley County, South Carolina area is home to replicas of two important vessels of the Recent Unpleasantness (also known by its lesser name, the "Civil War").

• At the Berkeley Historical Society and Museum in Moncks Corner, there is the replica of a "David" which is a submersible vessel developed here in the lowcountry under the direction of Dr. St. Julien Ravenel (1819-1882). Dr. Ravenel was a South Carolina scientist and Confederate Surgeon of Huguenot descent.
• In the Interpretive Center at Old Santee Canal Park, adjacent to the Berkeley Museum, there is a 3/8 scale of a "David" with interior details.
• At the Charleston Museum, there is the replica of the Confederate submarine Horace L. Hunley.
• In the State Museum in Columbia, SC (which is in a land far, far away - about 90 minutes) you may view another replica of the Hunley, complete with cutaway showing mechanism and crew members at work inside.
• And, in the Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston (at the old Navy Base near Charleston) is the real submarine, the CS Hunley (discovered in the ocean waters off Sullivans Island, SC by the noted adventurer Dirk Pitt, aka Clive Cusler).

The CS David executed the first successful torpedo attack in naval warfare, on October 5, 1863, against the USS New Ironsides, outside Charleston Harbor. The David returned to Charleston harbor; the New Ironsides was damaged but survived the attack.

The first "David" was developed by the Confederates as a submersible (it never was intended to be a submarine), moving essentially just under the surface of the water with its little smokestack extending above. Because of its actions (and those of other similar ships), the Union Navy was forced to develop measures to defend their ships against this type of craft. As a result, only vessels further out to sea were without such defensive measures because it was felt that the submersibles could not go very far to sea. This is why the Hunley was forced to go further to sea to attack (and sink) the USS Housatonic, after which the Hunley disappeared.

Currently, a permanent home has not been selected but several local sites are in contention. The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum may be thought to be the most serious contender, in conjunction with the City of Mt. Pleasant (Patriots Point, at Mt. Pleasant, is home to four ships including the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown CV 10 and a more modern submarine, as well as a developing memorial to submariners in general). However, the City of North Charleston, and the City of Charleston, SC also have submitted propositions .

The estimated total cost of the Hunley project approaches $20,000,000, so save all your crushed aluminum cans and send the money in. John D. Rockefeller, where are you?

The local newspaper, The Post and Courier, has quite an archived section on their Hunley coverage, with links to similar sites. It's worth a visit!

And recently, a new book has hit the market, on the story of the Horace L. Hunley submarine's history, location, recovery, and restoration. Written by two reporters of The Post and Courier, it's a fantastic account, worthy to be in the personal library of any War or Submarine enthusiast! Raising the Hunley, by Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf, ©2002, is published by Ballentine Books and is available from many commercial sources; I got mine from a history book club.

Wouldn't it be great if the famous Du Pont corporation funded at least PART of the Hunley recovery and restoration projects? After all, it was Samuel F. DuPont, nephew of the Du Pont founder E.I. DuPont, who laid naval seige to Charleston in 1862. Indeed, during the seige, the commander of Fort Sumter was Alfred M. Rhett, who eventually had a daughter Marianne. After the War, she married a great-grandson of the Du Pont founder, and they had a son Alfred Rhett Du Pont. Yes, indeed, where is the DuPont money when it's REALLY needed!

Bob Hunt's