Photograph of
Hunley
financier and
namesake
Horace Lawson
Hunley.
On December 29, 1823, Horace
Lawson Hunley was born in Sumner, Tennessee. Hunley would
eventually walk many paths in his life: Deputy Collector of Customs in New
Orleans, State Legislator for the state of Louisiana, lawyer, merchant, a
successful Southern planter and most notably, submarine innovator and
financier.
In the early months of the Civil
War, Hunley, as a keen businessman, realized the importance of
keeping the supply lines with Europe open in a way that few in the new
Confederacy understood. The North, being far more industrial than the South,
had a larger, more modern fleet to block shipments from Europe. Hunley
knew that if the South were to succeed against such a strong Navy, they
would need to be cunning and innovative. In an attempt to do just this,
Hunley would soon join James McClintock and Baxter Watson to design and
finance a submarine.
Horace Lawson Hunley of New
Orleans would end up giving more than his fortune and name to the world's
first successful submarine. On October 15, 1863, during a test run, the
40-year old died with his crew when the H.L. Hunley was
accidentally trapped on the bottom of Charleston Harbor, S.C.
accidentally trapped on the bottom of Charleston Harbor, S.C.
Hunley gave his entire legacy to
a vessel that would send a ripple of mystery, fascination and
commitment all the way to this very day - and beyond.
Courtesy of
Friends of the Hunley
