Southern Planter, Lawyer, Legislator, Merchant, Submarine Pioneer, Promoter, Patriot. Horace Lawson Hunley was born in Sumner, Tennessee on Dec. 29, 1823. 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. Hunley 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, South Carolina. 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.
Southern Planter, Lawyer, Legislator, Merchant, Submarine Pioneer, Promoter, Patriot. Horace Lawson Hunley was born in Sumner, Tennessee on Dec. 29, 1823. 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. Hunley 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, South Carolina. 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.
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Bio by: Just another taphophile
