Sinking of the H. L. Hunley during a test run
- When
- 1863
- Where
- Charleston harbor; Magnolia Cemetery
- Episodes
- 2
On October 15, 1863, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley sank during a routine exercise in Charleston harbor, killing inventor Horace Lawson Hunley and seven crew members. The vessel had been transported to Charleston in August 1863 following a successful demonstration. This incident resulted in the loss of the entire second crew, including the inventor, who was later buried in Charleston.
Episodes
- Sinking during routine exercise
On October 15, 1863, the submarine failed to surface during a routine exercise, killing all eight crewmen including Horace Hunley.
- Burial of Horace Hunley
Horace Lawson Hunley was buried with full military honors in Charleston on November 8, 1863.
Background and detail
Background. Horace Lawson Hunley was a Confederate marine engineer who developed early hand-powered submarines. The H. L. Hunley, named for him, was built in Mobile, Alabama, and launched in July 1863. After a successful demonstration on July 31, 1863, the submarine was transported by rail to Charleston, South Carolina, on August 12, 1863, where it was placed under Confederate Army control.
The October 1863 Sinking. On October 15, 1863, Horace Hunley took command during a routine exercise or mock attack. The submarine failed to surface, resulting in the death of all eight crewmen, including Hunley himself. This was the second sinking of the vessel in Charleston harbor, following an earlier incident in August 1863 that killed five crew members.
Burial and Recovery. Horace Lawson Hunley was buried with full military honors at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, on November 8, 1863. The Confederate Navy subsequently salvaged the submarine and returned it to service, which eventually led to its use in the February 1864 attack on the USS Housatonic.
People involved
- Horace Lawson Hunley · Inventor and Crew Member
- Crew of the H. L. Hunley · Crew Members
Sources
- Horace Lawson Hunley Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-06
- H. L. Hunley Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.