Hunley Newsletter 28 February 24

1) Welcome to the new Hunley Newsletter
2) HUNLEY DAY MEMORIAL SERVICES HELD FEBRUARY 7, 2003
3) IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: ANOTHER Hunley wallet being opened
4) THE HUNLEY NEWSLETTERS 2002 E-BOOK
5) EMAIL
6) FROM THE GUEST BOOK
7) NEW MAP AND CHART OF THE CIVIL WAR BATTLE HISTORY AROUND CHARLESTON HARBOR.
8) OUR PURPOSE AND GOALS

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The Hunley store now has models. The kit was created from first hand observations and archeological measurements  to create a truly accurate and magnificent finished piece for display.  Only a small amount of modeling experience & a few tools are recommended to complete the kit.  Simple instructions included indicate what tools are necessary. (Glue and paint are not included.)  Scale is 1/72. Length 11.50". Kit number #72-001.  $29.95 each

www.hunleystore.com

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1) WELCOME TO THE NEW HUNLEY NEWSLETTER

A special welcome to all the new subscribers. This newsletter is published every two weeks so no one is bombarded with mail.  It is now in html format which allows us to post pictures and text.  Sometimes they get a little heavy but if you wait patiently all the pictures should download to you. It may be best to save the letter to your computer so you can read it at your leisure. If you ever have a problem with it and need some help just write me and let me know.  We even throw in a few free computer lessons for neophytes.  If you get the urge to write articles send them on.  Comments and feedback are always welcome.
 

2) HUNLEY DAY MEMORIAL SERVICES HELD FEBRUARY 7, 2003
BY GEORGE W. PENINGTON
of THE HUNLEY.COM

http://www.thehunley.com/News/Hunleydaymemorial/HunleyDayMemorialService.htm

The Memorial Service in remembrance of the crew members of the USS Housatonic and the Confederate Submarine H L Hunley was held the evening of February 17, 2003 on the anniversary of the sinking of both ships.  The service started at 7:00 PM the same time that the Hunley left its dock at Breech Inlet on its final mission to sink a Yankee Blockader. We could not help but feel the cold weather that the Hunley crew felt that night and how miserable it had to have been to be in that cold water in a damp metal tube.

The service started with the playing of Dixie and the entrance of mourners both Northern and Confederate.  The ladies wore black hoop skirts and veils and were escorted to seats along the front of the church. The Northern soldiers were typically afro-American and sharply dressed in blue Naval officer uniforms.  The Confederates were a mixture of officers and infantry and impressively motley bunch they were.

Ceremony recalls Hunley attack, honors 13 lives lost 2/18/03
BY DAVID QUICK
Of The Post and Courier Staff

SULLIVAN'S ISLAND--Confederate re-enactor Steve Burt wasn't about to let cold temperatures deter him and three others from spending Monday night on the beach at Breach Inlet.

WADE SPEES/STAFF Steve Burt (left) and Mark Dangerfield walk along the beach Monday at Breach Inlet on Sullivan's Island. Burt said they were looking for a spot where the wind was blowing least to set up camp with other re-enactors to commemorate the night of the Hunley's last voyage.

Also, a crew of Confederates on the Sullivan's Island side of Breach Inlet kept watch for the Hunley to signal, with a blue magnesium light, that her mission was complete. That crew saw that light and stoked fires through the night hoping that the Hunley crew would return.

"If it (the Hunley) had come back, it would have been to Breach Inlet," said Burbage.

He added that commemorating the event every year is important because it recognizes the sacrifices both crews made on behalf of strong beliefs.

"The crews of the Hunley and Housatonic were Americans. We don't need to lose sight of that," he said.

Each year, the commemoration grows in dimension.

Fred Tetor, a Confederate re-enactor and volunteer at the Warren Lasch Lab, said he organized the first overnight encampment last year because "it's about keeping history alive."

"The encampment gives civilians a chance to walk up and get a feel for what it was like," said Tetor, who was uncertain how long the men would stay as temperatures dropped into the upper 30s.

"We had about 18 frozen gray Popsicles out here last year," said Tetor, who planned to stay warm by having a beach fire.

 Used with permission of the Post and Courier and Charleston.net

3) IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Another Hunley Wallet Being Opened

[In April of 2001 Archaeologists at the Warren Lasch Laboratory where the Confederate Submarine is being stored announced that they had found a leather wallet belonging to a member of the H.L. Hunley's crew and that  it appeared to be empty.
      The wallet was found deep in the sediment that filled the Confederate submarine's crew compartment. Bob Neyland, project manager, said “scientists have X-rayed the wallet, but didn't find anything - identification, money - inside it.”

We have added this to one of the mysteries of the Hunley.  Why would a crewman carry an empty wallet with him on what could be his last mission? Now according to the following news report released Monday they expect to find vital clues to the owner’s personal life.]

Contents may tell a sailor's story  2/17/03

BY SCHUYLER KROPF
Of The Post and Courier Staff

Of the many artifacts found aboard the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, archaeologists say a 3-by-5-inch leather wallet may hold the most clues of a sailor's personal life.

"There are endless possibilities on what kind of information this wallet may hold," said Paul Mardikian, senior conservator on the Hunley project. "It is just too difficult to imagine that someone would carry a wallet with nothing in it."

On Monday, archaeologists began opening the wallet that belonged to a crewman on board. They said they expect to find anything from money to a picture of a loved one or other reminders from home.

Monday's announcement coincided with the 139th anniversary of the disappearance of the Hunley off Charleston in a battle that marked the world's first successful submarine attack.

Mardikian has worked with wallets recovered from the Titanic that held documents, currency and business cards with legible writing on them.

Leather is durable, even for extended periods under water, Mardikian said.

The wallet was found near a crewmember's shoulder bone, which means he possibly carried it in his jacket pocket.

Any information the wallet holds will add to personal details being collected about each member of the crew. "This is an incredible opportunity to put facts into the identity of this man," said Hunley Commission Chairman Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston.

One of the Hunley team's goals is to learn as much as possible about each crew member's history before the men are laid to rest at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, possibly later this year. They will be buried alongside 13 other Hunley sailors who were killed during two test missions in Charleston Harbor in 1863.

"It is timely to begin such important work on the week of the Hunley's anniversary as we pause to remember the crewmen and the impact their sacrifice had on naval history," added Warren Lasch, chairman of Friends of the Hunley.

On the night of Feb. 17, 1864, the hand-cranked Hunley and her eight-man crew left Sullivan's Island and rammed a black powder charge into the Union blockade ship Housatonic. The ship sank in less than five minutes, but the Hunley never returned. It was uncovered about four miles offshore in May 1995 by a dive team funded by best-selling author Clive Cussler.

In 2000, the vessel was raised and moved to a coldwater storage tank at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston.

 Schuyler Kropf covers state and local politics. Contact him at skropf@postandcourier.com or 937-5551.
Used with permission of the Post and Courier and Charleston.net

4) THE HUNLEY NEWSLETTERS 2002 E-BOOK

FOR ALL THOSE SUBSCRIBERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP RECENTLY OR THOSE THAT SIGNED UP MID YEAR AND MISSED THE EARLY ISSUES THEY ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN E-BOOK FORM ONLINE FOR $6.00. WE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT COMPILING THESE ISSUES IN BOOK FORM WHICH CAME OUT TO AROUND 200 PAGES OF INFORMATION.

When I looked back over the year there was a lot of good stuff that came out in the year 2002 and I think this book is well worth it. I also negotiated with the HUNLEYSTORE.COM so that anyone who purchases the book also gets a $6.00 gift certificate that can be used toward the purchase of anything they carry. But remember IF EVER YOU DO NOT GET YOUR NEWSLETTER EVERY OTHER FRIDAY JUST LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND IT INDIVIDUALLY FREE.

To order the Hunley 2002 E-Book click here.
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 5) EMAIL

Originally To:   George@TheHunley.com

message:

Do you know of any way that private citizens can volunteer and assist with the restoration efforts underway on the Hunley? Thanks for the feedback.

YOU CAN WRITE ADMIN@HUNLEY.ORG or CALL 843-722-2333. The Tours are only open on the weekends which includes the Gift Shop, but I am sure they can always use some help.  I was there last weekend but things were kind of slow with the cold and the rain.  I ran into a friend there who has been a volunteer for several years.  I hadn’t seen him in thirty years but it was interesting that he recalled Dr. E. Lee Spence coming into one of our local hangouts called the Piccadilly Club talking about his discovery of The HUNLEY. We both laughed because neither one of us had ever heard of the mysterious HUNLEY.

-----Original Message-----

My husband & I are interested in seeing the Hunley.  Can you send me info. on how and where to go from Tuscaloosa, Alabama?

These two links should give you what you need…..just remember the tours are only open on the weekends. If more information is needed just give the Friends of the Hunley, Inc. a call direct or write me back.  Thanks for your interest and stay in touch.

 http://www.thehunley.com/New%20Tours%202002.htm

 http://www.thehunley.com/Lab%20map.htm

-----Original Message-----

I will be in the Charleston area on March 2 for my honeymoon and wish to see the Hunley.  I have not seen a new schedule for viewing.  Will it be open then?

 Well D-Day is coming up. Charleston is a great place to Honeymoon. Tours are only open on weekends.  Use the links above for more details.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2003 1:03 PM
To: George W. Penington
Subject: Re: George Dixon's coin?

Dear George I noticed your E-mail on the guest book. I am eager to obtain a replica of the George Dixon coin; could you tell me where I can purchase one?

I was at Shiloh early in 2002 and was privileged to have seen The Hunley display there. I was moved beyond words to learn of its history and the bravery of the men who manned her.

I hope you can advise me.

Yours most sincerely,  Pvt Sam. 5th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry. UK     

Thank you for your prompt reply. The coins I saw at Shiloh were the replica's

of the George Dixon coin and were bent, almost in two. I wish to goodness I'd

got one but I was working in the Lodgewood gunsmiths and every time I got out

they weren’t selling.

I'd be more than grateful if you could get one for me.

Cheers, Sam.

Hello Sam, I talked to Charles and he has some coins that he is selling.  Here is the link  www.hunleystore.com  He said they are the same ones that were at Shiloh

George W. Penington

6) FROM THE GUEST BOOK

Date: 06 Feb 2003

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This is great! Very interesting & informative. I’m glad it's on the net for everyone to find out about. THANKS, Glendon Dixon

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Thank you for making this information available. I would love to see more pictures as they become available. Thank you, Bruce C. Truesdale

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7) NEW MAP AND CHART OF THE CIVIL WAR BATTLE HISTORY AROUND CHARLESTON HARBOR.

The map based around the Civil War in Charleston Harbor has expanded to include the Stono River area. Based on Chart 11521 reduced to a manageable size of 11 x 14, the image is scaled to fit a standard frame. The Latitudes and Longitudes are scaled so that tracking can be accurately done. Each map graphically shows the ships around the harbor and their appropriate location on specified dates. I have plotted the locations of wrecks such as the Blockade runner "Ruby" off Folly Beach. The Housatonic and the Hunley are accurately charted according to records and research that are publicly available.

Using available Naval Records and History, reports, and documents the locations of such ships as the Canandaigua, the probable course of The Hunley, and the location of various other blockading ships in relation to Hunley the night of February 17, 1864 are shown.

The depth of the waters around Charleston are based on soundings from 1973-96. The map includes locations of the first and second sinking of the Hunley, the probable route taken to sink the USS Housatonic and the location of the USS Canandaigua. All the time and research in making this map has been extremely interesting and gives a great perspective of the battles in and around Charleston Harbor from 1861-1865

8) OUR PURPOSE AND GOALS

Is to provide specialized information to those who are interested in the recovery efforts and history of the Confederate Submarine H L Hunley. It is available free to anyone who might benefit from the information it contains, for example, students and history buffs. Our mailing list will always be kept private and will never be sold.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends or associates