Horace Lawson Hunley
Horace Lawson Hunley was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, on 29 December 1823. As an adult, he served in the Louisiana State Legislature, practiced law in New Orleans and was a generally notable figure in that area. In 1861, after the start of the American Civil War, Hunley joined James R. McClintock and Baxter Watson in building the submarine Pioneer, which was scuttled in 1862 to prevent its capture. The three men later constructed two submarines at Mobile, Alabama, the second of which was named H.L. Hunley. This vessel was taken to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863, where it was to be used to attack blockading Union ships. During a test dive on 15 October 1863, with Hunley in charge, the submarine failed to surface. All on board, including Horace Lawson Hunley, lost their lives. On 17 February 1864, after it had been raised, refurbished and given a new crew, H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to successfully attack an enemy warship when she sank the USS Housatonic off Charleston.
USS Hunley (AS-31) a fleet ballistic submarine tender, was named in honor of Horace Lawson Hunley. She was decommissioned in 1994 and stricken from the Navy Registry.
Reprinted from: Department of the Navy ‚ Naval Historical Center
805 Kidder Breese SE ‚ Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC 20374-5060
