The H. L. Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy

by Tom Chaffin

On the evening of February 17, 1864, the Confederacy’s H. L. Hunley sank the USS Housatonic and became the first submarine in world history to sink an enemy ship. Not until World War I—half a century later—would a submarine again accomplish such a feat. But also perishing that moonlit night, vanishing beneath the cold Atlantic waters off Charleston, South Carolina, was the Hunley and her entire crew of eight. For generations, searchers prowled Charleston’s harbor, looking for the Hunley . And as they hunted, the legends surrounding the boat and its demise continued to grow. Even after the submarine was definitively located in 1995 and recovered five years later, those legends—those barnacles of misinformation—have only multiplied. Now, in a tour de force of document-sleuthing and insights gleaned from the excavation of this remarkable vessel, distinguished Civil War–era historian Tom Chaffin presents the most thorough telling of the Hunley ’s story possible. Of panoramic breadth, this Civil War saga begins long before the submarine was even assembled and follows the tale into the boat’s final hours and through its recovery in 2000. Beyond his thorough survey of period documents relating to the submarine, Chaffin also conducted extensive interviews with Maria Jacobsen, senior archaeologist at Clemson University’s Warren Lasch Conservation Center, where the Hunley is now being excavated, to complete his portrait of this technological wonder. What emerges is a narrative that casts compelling doubts on many long-held assumptions, particularly those concerning the boat’s final hours. Thoroughly engaging and utterly new, The H. L. Hunley provides the definitive account of a storied craft.

Genres: Civil War, History, American History, Nonfiction, American Civil War, Naval History, Nautical

324 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Historian Tom Chaffin is the author, most recently, of “Odyssey: Young Charles Darwin, The Beagle, and The Voyage that Changed the World" (Feb. 2022, Pegasus). The work, focused on the naturalist's five years of global travel aboard HMS Beagle, chronicles the the formative experiences of his youth.

Chaffin’s earlier books include “Revolutionary Brothers: Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Friendship that Helped Forge Two Nations," "Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire," "Sea of Gray: The Around-The-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah," and "Giant’s Causeway: Frederick Douglass’s Irish Odyssey and the Making of an American Visionary."

The author was was born and grew up in Atlanta and spent his early professional years in journalism, living in, among other places, Savannah, New York City, San Francisco, and Paris. Chaffin has taught U.S. history and writing at various universities. He holds a B.A. in English from Georgia State University, an M.A. in American Studies from New York University, and a Ph.D. in history from Emory University. His articles, reviews and essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Time, American Scholar, Harper’s, The Nation, the Oxford American, and other publications. He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times‘ acclaimed “Disunion” series on the American Civil War. In 2012, he was a Fulbright fellow in Ireland.

Chaffin lives in Atlanta.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched historic review of all the factual information known at the time about the H. L. Hunley, the revolutionary Confederate submarine responsible for sinking the USS Housatonic off the shores of Charleston during the last year of the Civil War. Fascinating subject and well presented although after visiting the Hunley Visitor's Center recently, the information in the book is quickly becoming outdated as archeologists work on the recovered sub in painsaking detail. Hope Mr. Chappin writes a new Edition at some point in the future.

[David R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fine treatment of the ill-fated Hunley, the world's first successful attack submarine. Chaffin covers the entire sweep of the Hunley's development from the initial vision laid down by several New Orleans partners in 1861 through developmental models in Mobile and ultimately to the sub's loss in 1865. Along the way he's coolly objective and never over-reaches with speculations. Overall: a fine story that's been lost in other narratives of Confederate naval history.

[Chad Germany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Chaffin works with a variety of sources including the Official Records of the Confederate Army and Navy, newspapers, memoirs, personal letters, etc. to piece together the story of the ill-fated Hunley Submarine.

I’ve always associated the sub with Charleston because of its famous sinking of the Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, but the Hunley is primarily linked to New Orleans. It was the South’s largest city before the war and it was where H. L. Hunley was working in a government position at the outbreak of the war. Hunley was a pretty eccentric guy, once having endeavored to build a brick octagonal tower in the center of New Orleans and sort of disappearing for months at a time during key parts of the war. However, with his financial backing and the help of other investors, the iron-clad submarine was put together in a New Orleans shipyard, tested in Mobile Bay, and eventually transported to Charleston. This was a key moment in 1863 after the U.S. had established its South Atlantic Blockade and positioned gunboats in Charleston Harbor.

Once considered the “secret hope of the Confederacy,” as the War progressed, the Hunley proved to be less strategically important. And for Pierre Beauregard, the general in charge of Confederate Charleston, it even seemed like a thorn in his side. At one point Beauregard laments the fact that the sub was killing more Confederates than it was Union sailors. And indeed, from 1863-1864, the Hunley was sent on a handful of training runs and killed about 20 crewmen in the process (including Hunley himself).

So, there are endless questions about the submarine and its eventual demise, but my own question—and one that I wish Chaffin would have explored more—is: “Why was the Hunley sent out to sink the Housatonic? By that time, the Confederacy had been crippled at Gettysburg and Vicksburg and to many, the war seemed like a foregone conclusion. Was there a real belief that the Hunley’s mission would affect the outcome of the war? The sub was a veritable death trap, and sending a crew to sink a large gunboat would be a lot riskier for the Confederates than anyone else. Alas, only 5 Union sailors died on the Housatonic, but the Hunley lost its entire crew of 9.

You could say that sinking a large ship under these circumstances provided a moral victory for the Confederacy or cut a hole in the Union blockade at Charleston, but Chaffin doesn’t suggest there were any real affects on the war, and Charleston remained closed because there were other Union boats patrolling the area. I think Beauregard’s decision to use the Hunley was likely a result of pressure to produce results and some kind of small victory for the South. Evidently, him and Jefferson Davis did not see eye to eye and Davis failed to recognize the general’s contributions. Maybe Beauregard wanted to show that he was worthy of his lofty position in the last years of the Confederacy.

All together, this is a fascinating read. Chaffin is a great storyteller and makes this both a compelling and entertaining history. And some of the most interesting details come at the end, when the Hunley is again surfaced in 2000 and studied by a team of maritime archaeologists.

[Tom Darrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the planning of several of the Confederacy's submarines, its designers, their use and failure, and efforts to recover and research the Hunley. Unlike some other books on the same subject, Chaffin doesn't just focus on the Hunley submarine. Instead, he traces the evolution of submarine design and construction by the same group of men during the war, that ultimately resulted in the Hunley. He includes some information about previously attempted submarine designs as well.

The actual attack on the USS Housatonic does not feature very prominently into this book (only filling about 5 pages), so that feels somewhat anticlimactic. He does a decent job at clearing up and dispelling some of the mythology surrounding the submarine.

One of the drawbacks of this book, which the author is very forthcoming in acknowledging, is the fact that there isn't a ton of primary source documentation about these submarines. Because the ships were made by a non-governmental group, there isn't a lot of archival information. The boats were also kept somewhat secret, so there wasn't as much newspaper coverage as there is for other events and ships. As a result of the lack of primary source material, there are places where he makes some leaps in judgement. He does, however, point these jumps out.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book to read. A good blend of storytelling and scholarship.

[Grace Fiacre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book - much historical information, however did not bog you down in the details and the plot / story read really smoothly. Real page turner - you get to know the personality of each character as well as an understanding of the character of the submarine itself! Great description of the climate of the south at the moment the sub was being built - the challenges the confederacy faced. The author asked questions along the way and made you ponder / amaze at the determination some brave souls had in crafting a submarine- something that was sort of taboo for those times. Definitely recommend I will be reading more books from this author.

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that explores how the H. L. Hunley was created; the men who built her and gave their lives serving on her; her short career that changed naval history; and the eventual discovery of her sunken wreck and the efforts to conserve her for history.

[Stephen Ruell · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh!

Didn’t like the excessive use of extra words and overly complex sentence structures. Author tried to hard to impress with labored prose, made it very hard to read. I gave up on it.

[RK Byers · Rating 3 out of 5]

sometimes got a little too technical, but good stories on the people involved.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book about the three submarines built by Hunley and his associates during the Civil War. The discovery and salvage of the Hunley is also covered. Well-paced and interesting to read.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written. excellent detail about the characters involved especially on the perimeter.

[Stephen Aguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important to read, pleased I did so.

[Frederick Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting read, but after reading 'Sea of Gray' by the same author, Tom Chaffin, it lacked the excitement of the latter.

[Sondra Pruden · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good read.

A very enjoyable read. Appears to be well researched. Just a bit disappointed that there were no pictures of the recovered Hunley included.

[Tyler Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immaculately written. Very engaging and a great history of the first submarine in history to sink a ship. Highly recommend if ur interested in SC history or Civil War history!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the amazing story of the three Confederate submarines made during the Civil War in an attempt to sink the many Union ships that were blockading the important ports of the South. Only the last vessel was called the Hunley, although the man named Hunley was involved to some degree in the creation and/or piloting of all three. The last vessel was the only successful one: it sank the Union ship Housatonic in Charleston Harbor in 1964. It was a steel, cigar-shaped vessel only 4 feet in diameter and hand powered, so not only were the men (up to 8) crouched over, but they had to crank the irregular shaft to drive the single propeller. Fore and aft ballast chambers could take in and pump out (manually) water to lower and raise the vessel. Tiny glass "windows" in the forward hatch allowed the captain to see out for steering only when the vessel was at the water's surface. In its successful mission, it carried a torpedo on a long spike in front of it and stuck it to the underside of the enemy ship. The Housatonic blew up and sank, killing 5 sailors; the Hunley also sank, killing all eight on board. Previous mishaps with the Hunley had already killed 13 men, so its total came to 21.
The book ends with a description of the discovery of the Hunley in Charleston harbor in 1995 (by novelist Clive Cussler), its raising in 2000 and the ongoing research and preservation at the Lasch Conservation Center. The author embellishes the story well with much research into the lives of the men involved in creating and promoting the Hunley, including the post-war fate of those who were not in the crew.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the disturbing ironies of history is that technology is most often moved forward by the forces of war. The development of the submarine is no exception. In his lead up to the actually history of the development, construction, and utilization of the H. L. Hunley during the Civil War, Tom Chaffin reports that the chief interest in developing any vessel to travel under water was the advantage of sneaking up on enemy sea craft and sinking them. Upon reading the history of the first submarine that actually succeeded in sinking another vessel, I find that the ironies do not stop there ( but I leave them for the reader to discover).

The advantages of turning to this particular account of the businessmen, engineers, military minds and various crews who's lives become embroiled in this technological victory are at least twofold. Mr. Chaffin diligently searches out first generation documentation to get beyond the cloak of tradition and unfettered speculation that has risen up around the story of the Hunley over the decades. He also has access to much archeological and forensic data that has become available since the relatively recent discovery and recovery of the vessel from the sea floor some four score years after the attack.

Add to this his clear cut writing and easy narrative style and the reader has a good reporting of the ambition, the patriotism, the desperation and the diligence that led to such a tragic success.

[Shelly♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of the H.L. Hunley - the storied Confederate Submarine, the first one to sink an enemy ship. The book encompasses the conception, construction and building of the Hunley, including it's two prototypes. It takes readers from the beginnings in New Orleans through Mobile, AL and then finally to Charleston including it's recovery from the ocean floor in 2000 and the attempts to discover information on what happened to the ship, and identify the remains of the crew.

I absolutely loved this book. While the author is complete in his telling of the tale, he also doesn't get too wordy or over intellectualize the story. He looks into the historical record to try and give some personality to these men who built her (some who survived the war to write about it) and those who sailed her. I had long heard of this story, but never really investigated it. So glad I took the chance to read this book.

The saddest part of the story is the infighting in the state of SC as to whether spending money on the Hunley project, is "glorifying the Confederacy." Yikes. Really? We are all Americans now, aren't we? The Hunley was an amazing project, conceived and carried out by brave men in a tumultuous time of our country. We should not let political correctness of the day overwhelm the boldness and historical significance of the moment.

Recommend for: Students of the Civil War and lovers of Naval stories.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Chaffin’s The H. L. Hunley is a largely competent history book. The majority of the book (2/3 or so of the text) centers around the building of the Hunley and two prior submarines, along with a recounting of the various unsuccessful and one successful but ill-fated mission of the first submarine to sink an enemy ship. The scholarship seems solid, the writing is engaging, and you feel like you learned a good bit. The main problem is how he deals with the contemporary finding of the Hunley and the ‘unanswered questions’ surrounding the sinking. In dealing with the discovery, Chaffin leaves out a good bit of controversy, I suspect in an effort to keep things neat and straightforward. However, it would have been nice for him to have provided some background on the controversy (and a bit about why he dismisses it) particularly in light of his over-long methodology discussion in the introduction. There are also a number of mysteries concerning the Hunley to discuss, and here Chaffin falls short. Rather than do research (and it seems as if the history parts are extensively researched) he simply related a lot of conjecture (at times to boring length) and doesn’t seem to provide any new info beyond what discoveries have happened since the last book was written on the subject. Given that the mysteries (I’d argue more than the sinking of the Housatonic) are what have kept the Hunley alive in popular memory, his treatment is unsatisfactory at best.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should perhaps preface my review by saying I am not a civil war buff. My interest in war history is minimal, but I'm trying to expand my horizons for 2013 and picked this book up when my mom recommended it. I struggled in places where I needed some more background on the war and its players. As xenchu wrote, it's not a scholarly work, which I very much benefitted from. It is a quite factual book. Unfortunately, the facts around the Hunley and its submarine predecessors are few. Not being a (civil war) history buff, I found myself extremely frustrated by how often there were no source documents or accounts. I felt like I was reading a lot of "well this is what might have happened... or it could have been this." There were some lovely turns of phrase (porpoiselike aplomb!), I'd certainly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about the civil war or maritime history.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the building and missions of the Hunley the first submarine to ever sink a ship in battle the USS Housatonic. It starts a bit dry telling of Hunley’s life in New Orleans and his early attempts to build a submarine or torpedo boat in both New Orleans and Mobile. It starts to pick up a bit when the boat is transferred to Charleston. Through many accidents, two crews of the submarine perished in training accidents the sub finally sinks the Housatonic and then vanishes. Found in 1995 and raised several years later it also tells of the hunt, restoration and political battles over the found submarine along with speculation on what may have happened to its fateful crew on their final night.

[Charles Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hunley was the first submarine ship to sink an enemy ship which happened in the year 1864. It has a story that captivates many people, a sort of a mysterious allure to it. The Hunley was found and recovered in Charlestown harbour in the early 2000s. This has promoted renewed scholarship and interest in the submarine. The book is short, but captures much of what is known or speculated about the history of the ship from its founding to its demise and beyond. A very good read!

[Hermione · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but it took a REALLY long time to get going. It's VERY slow in the beginning but once you get past the first 50 pages or so, it starts to pick up. I live in Charleston and didn't know the entire story until now. It was a very interesting book, and makes me want to go see the Hunley.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most current book on the history of the Hunley. I was surprised to find out that Clive Cussler, who I have been reading a lot, was the person who sponsored the dive team who found it. Great civil war history.

[Dean Economy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book. If you are interested in the Hunley or the Civil War this book is of interest. Has information on New Orleans and Charleston during the Civil War

[Jsmith1000 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good book about the Hunley (one of my secret fascinations). I'd love to visit the museum to see it in person. Highly recommend it especially to Jasper Welsch.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recomend as a good Civil War history.

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Hunley book. The book gave backgrounds of the people who owned the Hunley and it gave rising of the Hunley.