Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H. L. Hunley

by Sally M. Walker

Mrs. Johnson 8-2

Fact or FibIn the 1620s, Dutch scientist Cornelis Drebbel had built a submarine that resembled a row boat enclosed with a leather cover in which the crew rowed underwater with oars.

Along with being a lawyer and a customs officer in New Orleans, Horace Hundley was also a farmer who was upset enough about the Union blockade around the city that he served as the captain of a blockade runner, a ship that moved supplies by maneuvering silently through the blockade at night.

Hundley helped finance the first successful submarine, the Pioneer, in the early years of the Civil War saving the city of New Orleans.

The first American submarine built during the American Revolution was named the Turtle.

Hundley helped finance the first successful submarine, the Pioneer, in the early years of the Civil War saving the city of New Orleans.

FIB

Horace Lawson Hundley, along with the help of James McClintock, did help finance the first submarine, the Pioneer, but the submarine itself was not successful. In fact, the Pioneer was so slow that they feared she would be captured by the fast Union warships so they abandoned her.

FACT

Fact or Fib

After the Hunley was resurrected, the final crew were buried with full military honors alongside the graves of those who had served on the submarine before them.

The crew’s compartment of the Hunley was 4 feet high and 3 feet wide.

When James McClintock engineered the Hunley, he corrected earlier mistakes, such as leaky seals, and added innovations, including viewing ports, which made the Hunley cutting-edge submarine technology.

Many people of that time in the Charleston Harbor referred to the Hunley as the “iron shark” because of its sleek look and fins.

FIBMany people of that time in the Charleston Harbor referred to the Hunley as the “iron shark” because of it sleek look and fins.

FACT

This information came from the diary of Emma Holmes who lived in Charleston at that time. The Hunley was also referred to as the Porpoise because of its sleek, dark hull and porpoise-like shape. Black porpoises are a common sight in Charleston Harbor.