1 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: This is Lee Habib and this is Our American Stories, 2 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: the show where America is the star and the American 3 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: people who search for the Our American Stories podcast go 4 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,799 Speaker 1: to the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: up next to the story from the South Carolina Military 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: Museum in Columbia, the state Capitol. The first successful submarine 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: attack on February seventeenth, eighteen sixty four was only a 8 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: partial success. When it was all said and done, the 9 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: USS Hoosatonic laid on the bottom of Charleston Harbor, but 10 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: so did the sub the CSS. Honley, here's John Freeman 11 00:00:51,400 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: with the story. 12 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: Wasn't built here. It wasn't even the first submersible type 13 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: craft used by the Confederacy. So they had something else 14 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 2: called the David, which was called a semi submersible. It 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 2: was a boat that it rowed really low in the water, 16 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 2: and because of it thought well, it'd be difficult detect, 17 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: difficult to hit. But it would call it a torpedo 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: boat because it was supposed to be doing what the 19 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: Honey similar to that they did, which is take a 20 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 2: torpedo which torpedoes at that time were more mines and 21 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: run at the side of enemy ships. Well, the Honley 22 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: was built elsewhere, it was brought to Charleston and it 23 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: was brought here for testing. Actually, it was hopeful that 24 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 2: after testing it could break the blockade that was going 25 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: off the harbor by the Union fleet. And so when 26 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 2: they initially built it, there was actually a rope and 27 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: a floating mine behind them, and what they thought they 28 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: would do is they would paddle or row. Neither of 29 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: those are properties. It was person powered. The honey was 30 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 2: there was like a crank shaft. They were all sitting there, 31 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: hunched over in this little tin can and they're working 32 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: with their arms just getting this thing to go. Those 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 2: man powers. What they're supposed to do was go out 34 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: of the harbor, head out towards the fleet, which wasn't 35 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: in the harbor. It was actually outside the harbor, so 36 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: the fleet wasn't called it offshore, but those are decent 37 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 2: ways out. You had to get there by hand, and 38 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: then when they got close they would actually submerge and 39 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: then they would drag this mine which was floating into 40 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 2: the side of the ship to destroy the ship. Well, 41 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 2: during training they realized that wouldn't work because at one 42 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: point during training, due to the tides. They came to 43 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: a stop and they turned around to look behind the 44 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 2: boat whether it's on the surface, and the mine was 45 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: coming up on them pretty fast, and they said, well, 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: hang on, this might be a bad idea. We need 47 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: we need to figure something else out so we don't 48 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: just blow ourselves out of the water. So what they 49 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: did is actually went to a spar system off the 50 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 2: front of the hunley. And for the longest time I 51 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 2: remember as a kid I grew up in Charleston, there 52 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 2: was a reproduction of the Huneley in front of the 53 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: Charleston Museum and it had the spar mounted to the 54 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: top of the hunley, and you can still find tons 55 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: of publications and photos and paintings of the spar mounted 56 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 2: to the top of the front of the hundlay of 57 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 2: the bow and just sticking out straight. And that's why 58 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: everyone thought it happened. And so they actually went and 59 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 2: they recovered the Hundley in the harbor, and they realized 60 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: the bar was mounted to the bar bottom and stuck 61 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: upwards at more of an angle so it could hit 62 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 2: in the bottom of the boat better. So they went 63 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: to a bar mountain on the bottom. Unfortunately, there were 64 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 2: some there are some accidents during training. I think they 65 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: lost multiple crews where something would happen, the billows would leak, 66 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 2: or a hatch would somehow be left open if I recall, 67 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: and they would just flood and they would lose cruise, 68 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,399 Speaker 2: and they'd always go out and it was too vital. 69 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 2: They couldn't leave it. They'd always go out, they'd always 70 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: recover it. They'd always managed to recruit it a crew 71 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 2: for it. So the night, the night of the attack, 72 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: they got the crew in there, and I want to say, 73 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 2: one of the members is Dixon. Is the name of 74 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: the commander of the boat. Anyways, so Dixon, he's seen 75 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: combat before, you know, he's been on the battlefield, and 76 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 2: he's actually got a gold coin in his pocket because 77 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: on the battlefield he got shot and the gold coin 78 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: actually caught the bullet and prevented it from him losing 79 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 2: him losing an appendage or something like that, and it 80 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: actually may have saved his life due to the medicine 81 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: at the time. So it keeps it as a good 82 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: luck charm, gold coin that's cupped out looking like the 83 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 2: top of a mushroom. So they go out and they 84 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 2: have signals they give to the shore of when they're 85 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: leaving them when they're successful, just so they have some 86 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: form of communication between shore and the Honley. So it's 87 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: nighttime they're rowing out to the fleet, and out at 88 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 2: the fleet is the Housatonic, which is a fairly large 89 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 2: boat with pretty big guns, so the Hunley won't actually 90 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 2: approach completely underwater, otherwise they'd have no idea where they 91 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 2: were going. However, they have these little conning towers with 92 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 2: these little glass viewports on them, so they can sort 93 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 2: of see where they're going. So they start approaching the Housatonic. 94 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 2: One of the lookouts sees it and raises the alarm, 95 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 2: and they never get any heavy fire like cannons onto 96 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 2: the Honey, but there are some small arms fire. But 97 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 2: then the whole boat is just shuddered by a blast 98 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: and it actually goes down in a decent decently short 99 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: amount of time. Well, the Huntley is never seen again 100 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: after this. However, lookouts on the coast claim that they 101 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 2: see the lights from the Honey signaling that they're going 102 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 2: to return, which is what is part of the mystery 103 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 2: of it never shows up. They never returns. How did 104 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 2: it sink? Some people believe that maybe small arms fire 105 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 2: penetrated one of those lookout portholes and actually took on 106 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 2: water and sunk. Some think that when the blast went off, 107 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: because what was supposed to happen is the mine hits 108 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 2: the side of the boat and then the honey actually 109 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 2: kicks it reverse. I guess they row their arms the 110 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 2: other way and they start backing away from the Hoosatonic 111 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 2: and there's actually a rope that comes out, and as 112 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,239 Speaker 2: that rope hits a certain point, there's a safe distance away. 113 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 2: It's supposed to go off on the side of the boat. 114 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 2: So they're thinking, well, maybe went off an impact, Maybe 115 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: it went off before it was supposed to and it 116 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 2: actually because the effects of an acoustic blasts like that 117 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 2: under water are just devastating the human body. Maybe that 118 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 2: caused it. Maybe it's sunk due to small arms fire, 119 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: and no one knows. But doesn't explain the supposed the 120 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 2: lights that the lookout saw on shore because that was 121 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: after the Whostonic would have sunk. They received the lights 122 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: saying we're coming in. So it's always been a bit 123 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 2: of a mystery, and where it's sunk as well. In 124 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: the finding of it is also an interesting story in itself. 125 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: There's two claims to the find of the Huntley. Eli 126 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 2: Spent claims to have found a magnetic anomaly in the 127 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 2: location where the Hunley was found and therefore he found 128 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: the Hunley. Another one is by big money bookseller Clive 129 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: Custler also claims he's the one who found who found it. 130 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 2: He's actually the one who funded a lot of it 131 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 2: through NUMA, pulling the thing up everything like that, so 132 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 2: he tends to get the line share of it. But 133 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 2: Spent still claims he's the one who found the Hunley. 134 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: To the stay anyways, get to the end of it. 135 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: I believe the Hunley is now done with conservation. I 136 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 2: think they're actually looking to get it on permanent display 137 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 2: sometime in the next couple of years. But in the 138 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: process of going through, you know, they have to be 139 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 2: delicate because there's remains. It's become a tomb for over 140 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 2: one hundred years. But when going through the remains and 141 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 2: going through and cleaning out the inside, they find a 142 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 2: gold coin, and it's the gold coin that actually has 143 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 2: the bullet and the dimple of it. Because it never 144 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 2: knew if that was actually truthful in that there was 145 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 2: always a is that a myth. Is it a legend 146 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 2: as a rumor to even take it with him when 147 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: he went on the boat up finding the coin in 148 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 2: the boat, And it's sort of an awesome little story 149 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 2: that he took it with him to the very end. 150 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: And it's still some debate of how it sunk exactly, 151 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 2: but the debate or not it does stand as the 152 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: first submarine in history to sink an enemy vessel. 153 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: And a terrific job on the storytelling and the production 154 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: by our own Montay Montgomery the first successful submarine attack. 155 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: More interesting things you learn right here on our American 156 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: story Folks. 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