The H.L. Hunley

Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

This past weekend Mystic Seaport, along with the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission hosted a reenactment of a naval encampment, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the role of the US Navy during the Civil War.  One of the many exhibits was this replica of the Confederate vessel, H. L. Hunley.  This submarine was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship on February 17, 1864, when it successfully approached and detonated a spar torpedo against the side of the side of the sloop, USS Housatonic off the coast of Charleston, SC.  After the attack, however, the Hunley never resurfaced and it's crew of eight all perished.  The wreck of this submarine was discovered in May of 1995 and raised on August 8, 2000 and is now undergoing conservation in Charleston.  This traveling replica of the Hunley raises awareness of the role the Navy played during the Civil War, and commemorates those sailors lost, on both sides of the conflict.  The exhibit contained biographies for each of the crew members, as well as some artifacts recovered from the Hunley.