Confederate Submarine Attraction in South Carolina Reopens-- Part 2

The Hunley sank a Union blockading ship, the USS Housatonic by ramming it with a torpedo attached to a spar at the front of the ship.  A half-century would pass before another submarine would sink and enemy warship during World War I.

Unfortunately for the Hunley, it sank to the bottom itself while returning from the attack on the Housatonic.  All eight men aboard died.

Many theories have been advance over the years as to what happened to cause the Hunley to sink.  Some think perhaps it was too close to the explosion and that they were knocked unconscious or perhaps miscalculated how long their oxygen will hold while submerged.

Scientists hope to determine the cause of the ship's sinking when the entire vessel's exterior and interior is cleaned of the sea buildup in the next several years.

The Hunley was raised from the sea floor in 2000.  Scientists have spent seventeen years collecting human remains (all aboard were found) and restoring the vessel.

--Old B-R'er

August 8, 2000: Wreckage of Hunley Recovered

From the August 8, 2021, Chicago Tribune.

AUGUST 8, 2020

The wreckage of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which sank in 1864 after attacking and sinking the Union ship USS Housatonic, was recovered of the South Carolina coast and returned to port.

--Old B-R'er

New Theory As to Why the Submarine Hunley Sank

From the February 23, 2020, WTOC 11 Low Country News by Bill Sharpe.

On the night of February 17, 1864, the Confederate submarine Hunley sank after it used a torpedo to sing the USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor.  It was the first warship to be sunk by a submarine in world history.

But, the Hunley never returned to its base.  Its location was just found a short time ago by writer and undersea explorer Clive Cussler, who just recently died.

Rachel Lance, a U.S. Navy biomedical engineer who holds an engineering from Duke University has made a bold claim as to why the Hunley sank that night.

In her research, she has determined that  the blast from the torpedo  sent blast waves through the submarine's iron hull and caused instant death for the men inside.

The ship was raised off the Charleston Harbor floor in 2000 and now sits at the Hunley Museum in North Charleston, South Carolina.

This is not a new story, but interesting anyway.

--Old B-Runner

April 9, 1864, Squib Attack on USS Minnesota-- Part 4: How To Keep Those Pesky Torpedo Boats Away

The concern caused by the attack on the USS Minnesota, coming so soon after Confederate submarine Hunley had sunk the USS Housatonic was widespread.  William Winthrop, U.S. Consul at Malta, wrote Assistant Secretary of State Frederick W. Seward  (was he a relation of William Seward?) concerning precautions recommended for the future.

"In these days of steam and torpedoes, you may rest assured that outlying picket boats and a steam tug at all hours ready to move are not sufficient protection for our ships of war, where a squadron is at anchor.  They require something more, and this should be in  having their own boats rowing round all night, so that in a measure every ship could protect itself.

"If this precaution be not taken, any vessel in a dark and foggy night could be blown out of the water, even while a watchful sentry on board might still have his cry of "all's well' yet on his lips as the fiendish act was accomplished."

--Old B-Runner

February 20, 1864: A New Respect for Torpedoes After the Housatonic

FEBRUARY 20TH, 1864:   Rear Admiral Dahlgren, greatly concerned by the loss of the USS Housatonic, wrote in his dairy:  "The loss of the Housatonic troubles me very much....  Torpedoes have been laughed at; but this disaster ends that."

The day before he had written Secretary Welles urging that the Union develop and use torpedo boats to combat similar Confederate efforts.  Under the impression that the submarine H.L. Hunley had been another "David" torpedo boat, the Admiral suggested "a large reward of prize money for the capture or destruction of a 'David'.  I should say not less than $20,000 or $30,000 for each.  They are worth more than that to us."

Watching Out for Those Pesky Confederate Subs and Davids.  --Old B-Runner

New Clue for Sinking of the Hunley-- Part 1: A Hidden Fail-Safe Mechanism

From the July 23, 2018, History "What Sunk the Confederate Submarine, the Hunley?  New Clue Emerges." by Natasha Frost.

"It was the first submarine in history to successfully sink an enemy ship.  Made out of forty feet of bulletproof iron, the H.L. Hunley was a Confederate submarine with a crew of eight.  But despite its claim, it was a dangerous vessel to be inside."

In its eight months career, it sank three times, killing nearly 30 men, including its inventor.  (It was raised twice.)  The final time it sank was after it sank the USS Housatonic and then sank for its third time.  The question still remains, what sank the Hunley?

The submarine was found 130 years after it sank, in 1995 and five years later it was raised for a third time.  Inside were the remains of all eight of its crew, still at their positions.  Apparently, the crew never attempted to escape.

Now researchers have found another clue.  A hidden fail-safe mechanism in the Hunley's keel that would have given the crew a chance to escape was never activated.

--Old B-Runner

USS Canandaigua-- Part 3: Rescued Crew of USS Housatonic

On February 17, 1864, the Canandaigua rescued 140 survivors of the USS Housatonic after it was sunk by the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.

It arrived at Boston Navy Yard on March 26, 1865, and was decommissioned April 8.  Recommissioned after repairs on November 22, it was on European Station until February 1869, then began three years of extensive repairs at New York Navy Yard.

From may 15, 1869 to August 10, it was renamed USS Detroit, but then returned to its original name.

Its last cruise was 1872 to 1875 to the West Indies and Gulf of Mexico as part of the North Atlantic Station.

In 1875, it was decommissioned at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia and remained in ordinary until broken up in 1884.

--Old B-R'er

Well, As It Turns Out, I Had Heard of The USS Canandaigua

Yesterday, I posted about this ship capturing a blockade runner named the Secesh off Charleston, S.C., on May 15, 1863, 155 years ago.  I mentioned that I had not heard of this ship before.  It turns out that I had already written about it one time.

This was the ship that rescued the crew of the USS Housatonic after it was sunk by the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.

Click on the USS Canandaigua label to find out what I wrote about it.

--Old B-Runner

New Theory on How H.L. Hunley Submariners Died-- Part 1

From the August 30, 2017, Duke University Chronicle "Duke alumnus discovers mysterious cause of death of Confederate soldiers aboard submarine" by Claire Xiau.

Pleasant news out of Duke after that desecration of the Civil War statue last month.

Eight Confederate soldiers on the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat, were killed by their own weapon.

In February 1864, the Hunley sank the USS Housatonic in less than five minutes using 135 pounds of black powder.  The submarine never returned to its Charleston, S.C., base and was lost for a long time before being found in 1995.

Since then, researchers have been looking for the reason why they died.

Rachel Lance, a former Ph.D student in Duke's Department of Biomedical Engineering performed experiments using explosives on a scale model of the Hunley (using scaled down explosives) and found that the shockwave from the explosion killed the crew.

So Far, To Me, This Is the Best Explanation  --Old B-Runner

Seaman Joseph Ridgaway, Submarine Hunley

Another Marylander from Talbot County, Maryland, like Admiral Buchanan, was Joseph Ridgaway who was serving on one of his father's merchant ships at the outbreak of the Civil War.

He saw service in the Confederate Navy and in 1864, was second-in-command of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley in its famous attack on and sinking of the USS Housatonic.  He also disappeared with that ship.

--Old B-R'er

Gustavus H. Scott-- Part 2: Civil War Service

When the Civil War began, although born in Virginia, he refused to resign his commission and commanded the USS Keystone State and searched for the Confederate raider CSS Sumter.  This was his first command.  Later he joined the West Indies Squadron searching for blockade-runners.

Then he commanded the new gunboat, USS Maratanza and took part in McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.  He captured the CSS Teaser 4 July 1862.

From there he joined the blockade off Wilmington, N.C., 25 September 1862 and at one point fired on Fort Caswell.

Promoted to captain, he took command of the USS DeSoto in the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.  From there,he received command of the USS Canandaigua (the ship that rescued the 150-man crew of the USS Housatonic after it was sunk by the submarine Hunley on Feb. 17, 1864).

He served with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron until the end of the war and then commanded the USS Saranac of the Pacific Squadron in its search for the Shenandoah.

--Old B-R'er

Hunley's Hull Now Restored: "No Smoking Gun"

From the September 17, 2015, Fox News, AP "Hull of Confederate sub, first in history to sink enemy warship, revealed."

The H.L. Hunley's hull has now been completely cleaned and revealed in its entirety for the first time in over 150 years.  The encrusted sand, sediments and rust have been cleared off and it looks much like it did when it went out on that mission that changed the history of naval warfare.

The cleaning revealed some dents on the hull, but it is not known when or where they occurred.    It sank twice before its famous 1864 mission.  Of course, they might have come from when it sank the USS Housatonic.

However, the hull revealed no "smoking gun."  This being the answer to how the submarine came to sink.

The hull does reveal that the wooden boon that held the explosive device attached to the front of it ship was damaged as it appears that it was pushed back into it by the force of the explosion.  Possibly this sank the Hunley.

The Hunley was discovered in Charleston Harbor in 1995 and raised and brought to the conservation laboratory in North Charleston in 2010.  The crew's bodies were found at their stations.  The next step is the cleaning of the Hunley's interior.  This is expected to take another year.  This will be even harder that the hull cleaning as conservators will be working in the cramped 4-foot diameter interior.

Looking Forward to Seeing It.  --Old B-Runner

Charleston Evacuated-- Part 1: Destruction of Confederate Ironclads

FEBRUARY 17-18TH, 1865:  Charleston, South Carolina, was evacuated by Confederate troops after having endured 567 days of continuous attack by land and sea.  The long siege witnessed some of the most heroic fighting of the war, including the sinking of the USS Housatonic by the valiant, hand-powered submarine H.L. Hunley on 17 February 1864 (one year before Charleston's evacuation).

During the night, Forts Moultrie, Sumter, Johnson, Beauregard and Castle Pinckney were abandoned as the Confederates marched northward to join the beleaguered forces of General Lee.

The Southern ironclads Palmetto State, Chicora and Charleston were fired and blown up prior to the withdrawal, but the CSS Columbia, the largest of the ironclads at Charleston, was found aground and abandoned near Fort Moultrie and was eventually salvaged.

--Old B-Runner

Dahlgren Concerned About Housatonic Loss and Torpedo Boats

FEBRUARY 20TH, 1864: Rear Admiral Dahlgren, off Charleston, wrote in his diary: "The loss of the Housatonic troubles me very much.... Torpedoes have been laughed at; but this disaster ends that." //// The day before, he had written Welles urging that the Union develop and use torpedo boats to combat the Confederates. //// He was under the impression that the H.L. Hunley had been another Confederate "David" torpedo boat (which couldn't submerge) and he also suggested to Welles that "a large reward of prize money for the capture or destruction of a 'David'. I should say not less than $20,000 or $30,000 for each. They are worth much more than that to us." //// Fighting Fire With Fire. --Old B-R'er

The Hunley Sinks the Housatonic-- Part 3: Repercussuions

FEBRUARY 17TH, 1864: The loss of the Housatonic caused great consternation in the Union fleet blockading Charleston, SC. All wooden ships henceforth were ordered to keep up steam and move out to sea every night. The number of picket boats was doubled and number of sailors in each boat increased.

Unfortunately, Lt. Dixon and his daring associates perished with the Hunley after the attack. The exact cause has never been determined, despite the fact the Hunley was found and is now undergoing conservation.

Confederate engineer James H. Tomb later observed: "She was very slow in turning, but would sink at a moment's notice and at times without it." The submarine "was a veritable coffin to this brave officer and his men."

The Age of the Submarine As An Effective Weapon Had Arrived, But Not Furthered Until World War I. --Old B-Runner

The Hunley Sinks the Housatonic-- Part 2: Stuck in the Rigging

John K. Crosby, officer of the deck, wrote: "It had the appearance of a plank moving in the water." The Housatonic slipped its cable and began backing at full speed (must have had steam up) and all hands called to quarters.

Within two minutes of initial sighting, the Hunley rammed her torpedo into the Housatonic and the ship was shattered by the explosion and "sank immediately."

The February 29th Charleston Daily Courier remarked: "The explosion made no noise, and the affair was not known among the fleet until daybreak, when the crew was discovered and released from their uneasy positions in the rigging. They had remained there all night.

Two officers and three men were reported missing and were supposed to be drowned."

--Old B-Runner

The Hunley Sinks the Housatonic-- Part 1

FEBRUARY 17TH, 1864:

The Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, Lt. George E. Davis, CSA, destroyed the USS Housatonic off Charleston, SC. It became the first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship in combat.

The Hunley had sunk Oct. 15, 1863, for the second time. It was raised and a new volunteer crew trained. For months, under the cover of darkness, the submarine would move out into the harbor awaiting favorable conditions and a target.

This night,the small craft with a spar torpedo attached to the bow found the sloop of war Housatonic anchored outside the bar. Just before 9 o'clock in the evening, Acting Master John K. Crosby, the Housatonic's officer of the deck spotted an object in the water about a hundred yards off and making directly for the ship.

--Old B-R'er

Submarine Hunley Sinks USS Housatonic

FEBRUARY 17TH, 1864:

Big event in naval warfare as yesterday, 150 years ago, the Confederate submarine Hunley attacked and sank a Union warship, the first time in history that had happened. It definitely had ramifications on World War I and World War II.

I'll be writing about it more this week.

--Old B-R'er

Watch Out for Those Confederate Torpedo Boats and the Hunley

JANUARY 7, 1864:

Rear Admiral Dahlgren, SABS, received information and ordered all his ships at Charleston Blockade to take careful precautions against attacks by Southern torpedo boats and noted: "There is also another kind, which is nearly submerged and can be entirely so. It is intended to go under the bottoms of vessels and there to operate."

Regarding the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, he warned: "It is also advisable not to anchor in the deepest part of the channel, for by not leaving much space between the bottom of the vessel and the bottom of the channel it will be impossible for the diving torpedo to operate except on the sides, and there will be less difficulty in raising a vessel if sunk." Of course, at this time, the sinking of the USS Housatonic was just a month away.

Watch Out for Subs. --Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: January 31, 1863-- Confederate Ironclads Attack at Charleston

JANUARY 31ST

Rams CSS Chicora and CSS Palmetto State at Charleston, SC, attack Union blockading fleet on a foggy morning.  The Palmetto State rammed the USS Mercedita and fired into her, causing the ship to surrender in a "sinking and perfectly defenseless condition." 

The Chicora engaged and crippled the USS Keystone State suffering 20 killed and 20 wounded  The USS Memphis took it under tow in a sinking condition.  The USS Quaker City was damaged by a shell exploded in the engine room.

The USS Housatonic engaged the two rams before they withdrew.

Confederate General Beauregard claimed that the blockade had been broken.


US Major General Wright wrote Commander Pennock at Cairo request that an ironclad be stationed on the Cumberland River to keep that waterway open between its mouth and Nashville.  The ironclad would be able to stand up against the field artillery that Confederates were forever putting along the banks.

A Confederate Success at Charleston.  --Old B-Runner