The Hunley’s Three Fatal Sinkings and 21 Deaths
The H.L. Hunley was the deadliest submarine of the Civil War—to its own crews. Built in Mobile in 1863, this 40-foot iron vessel sank three times in just seven months, killing 21 Confederate sailors.
First, Lt. John Payne stepped on a dive lever while docked, drowning five men.
Then, inventor Horace Hunley and seven others died during a test dive, found weeks later with Hunley still gripping a candle.
Finally, after sinking the USS Housatonic and killing five Union sailors on February 17, 1864, the sub vanished with all hands.
The Hunley stayed lost until 1995, now housed in Charleston where you can see this tragic iron coffin that claimed more lives than it took.
Charleston’s Deadly Iron Fish Boat Arrived by Train
The H.L. Hunley rolled into Charleston by train from Mobile, Alabama on August 12, 1863. Confederate officers grabbed the submarine right away to help break the Union naval blockade.
The 40-foot iron boat needed eight men to turn a hand-crank that moved the propeller while a captain steered. Locals called it the “fish boat” because of its shape.
Horace Lawson Hunley built this underwater weapon with partners from Park and Lyons Machine Shop.
One Wrong Step Flooded the Sub and Killed Five Men
Lieutenant John Payne took over the Hunley after just five days of training.
On August 29, 1863, the crew got ready at Fort Johnson dock for a night attack on the USS New Ironsides. Payne stepped on the diving control by mistake while the hatches stayed open.
Water rushed in as the sub went under. Five sailors drowned in the flooding vessel.
Payne and three crew members swam out and made it to the surface alive.
Divers Pulled Bloated Bodies from the Murky Harbor
General Beauregard hired local divers Angus Smith and David Broadfoot to get the submarine back. They worked in heavy 200-pound canvas suits while Union shells fell on Charleston daily.
The divers found the Hunley stuck 42 feet down in thick mud. The bodies inside had swelled so badly that workers cut off limbs to remove them.
The recovery took nearly a week in dark, muddy water.
The Inventor Demanded His Sub Back
Horace Hunley rushed to Charleston from Mobile when he heard about the crash. He insisted on taking back control of his creation even though the military claimed it.
Hunley brought skilled men from the Park and Lyons Machine Shop who helped build the submarine. General Beauregard didn’t want to give the sub back to civilians but finally said yes.
The new crew started two weeks of training in Charleston Harbor in October 1863.
Eight Men Vanished During a Simple Practice Run
On October 15, 1863, Horace Hunley planned to show off his submarine by diving under the CSS Indian Chief in Cooper River. The morning dives went fine, but the final test turned deadly.
The Hunley slipped beneath the ship and never came back up. People watching only saw bubbles where it went down.
All eight men aboard, including Hunley himself, died in this second sinking.
The Candle Still Burned in a Dead Man’s Hand
Divers found the Hunley on November 7, 1863, stuck in the harbor channel. The sub’s front had buried itself in mud while the back end floated up.
Someone left the forward tank valve open, causing the fatal dive. Rescuers found Horace Hunley’s body in the front tower still holding a candle.
Thomas Park sat frozen at his post in the rear tower. The crew ran out of air and died at their stations.
A Brave Lieutenant Rounded Up Volunteer Number Three
Lieutenant George Dixon knew the submarine well and gathered a third crew from sailors on the CSS Indian Chief. In January 1864, Dixon wrote about the rough winter seas making work hard.
His new team trained at Breach Inlet behind Sullivan’s Island through the cold winter. General Beauregard told Dixon to stay on the surface after losing thirteen men in two sinkings.
They changed the attack system to an iron spar torpedo fixed to the sub’s front.
The Fish Boat Rammed Its Explosive Spear into Union Wood
Calm waters on February 17, 1864, let Dixon launch his attack. The Hunley crept toward the USS Housatonic around 8:45 PM.
The 1,240-ton Union ship sat four miles offshore on blockade duty. An officer spotted the submarine and told his men to shoot at it.
The bullets bounced off the iron hull as the Hunley kept coming. The submarine rammed its torpedo into the ship’s rear.
The 135 pounds of black powder blew a huge hole, sinking the Housatonic in just five minutes.
A Blue Light Signaled Success Before Silence
The Hunley backed away from the exploding Housatonic as planned.
Confederate lookouts at Battery Marshall saw a blue light signal from the submarine four miles away in the darkness.
The Housatonic settled upright in 30 feet of water, letting most Union sailors climb into the rigging to wait for rescue.
Five Union men died in the blast while nearby ships saved the rest. George Dixon’s pocket watch stopped at 8:23 PM.
Twenty-One Confederate Lives Paid for Five Union Deaths
The Hunley never made it back to base at Breach Inlet. It vanished with all eight crew members after its moment of success.
Search parties looked everywhere but found no trace of the submarine in Charleston’s harbor. This third crew joined the previous thirteen victims, bringing the Hunley’s total death count to twenty-one sailors.
The submarine became the first in history to sink an enemy warship. The mystery of what happened to the Hunley stayed unsolved for 131 years.
Modern Science Revealed the Killer Was Their Own Weapon
Researchers found the Hunley in 1995 and raised it in 2000. They discovered the crew still sitting at their stations with no signs they tried to escape.
Duke University scientists figured out that blast lung trauma killed the men instantly from the shock wave of their own torpedo. The submarine hull showed no damage, proving it didn’t flood, crash, or get shot.
The crew carried personal items like pipes, watches, and candles, showing they expected to survive.
Tests proved the Hunley sat only 20 feet from the Housatonic when the 135-pound charge exploded underwater, creating a fatal pressure wave that traveled through the hull.
Visiting The Hunley, South Carolina
You can see the H.L. Hunley submarine at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at 1250 Supply Street in North Charleston. Tours run Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 10am-3pm only.
Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and military, $10 for ages 6-17, and free for kids under 5.
Buy tickets online at etix.com or at the door, but they often sell out. You’ll climb 17 steps to view the submarine from above.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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