March 7, 2026
That's what Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard called it - the fish boat. His requested the fish boat to help the Confederacy defend Charleston against the brutal blockade choking off supplies. The Hunley, a submarine, answered the call. However, after sinking the much larger U.S.S. Housatonic, the Hunley simply disappeared.
The Hunley was found under 30 feet of silt in 1995 by NUMA. Yes, the National Underwater and Marine Agency is a real agency founded by Clive Cussler, the best-selling author. It took them over a decade to find the Hunley. Then the question was what do to next and just who owned the vessel.
It took a few years, but the vessel was eventually raised and is being conserved. Her eight-man crew were buried in Charleston's Magnolia Cemetery.
The Friends of the Hunley operate the conservation site. It's open on weekends for tours. You can see the Hunley in a conserving solution. What caused the vessel to sink? Despite all the advances science has made, the solution to that question has yet to be determined.
