19 April 2004
by Roger Brothers
This past Saturday several members of our camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans participated in the funeral services for the eight crewman of the Confederate submarine the CSS Hunley in Charleston South Carolina. The Hunley was the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship. This feat was not repeated for the next 50 years. The Hunley was an experimental craft built in Mobile Alabama. She was shipped to Charleston where the conditions were more favorable for use of such a vessel. In trials two separate crews were drowned. The third volunteer crew was able to sink the federal warship Housatonic on the night of 17 Feburary 1864. Confederate lookouts onshore spotted the prearranged signal light that told of a successful attack and withdrawal. That was the last that was ever seen of the brave little vessel and her gallant crew until underwater archeologists discovered her in 1995. The following are my impressions of the funeral service for those eight crewmen this past Saturday.
Simply put, the procession and services were the most impressive and moving public event that I have ever been associated with. The Old Master graciously blessed us with as beautiful a spring day as Charleston has ever had. I am told that there were 10,000 people who made the 5-mile march from Battery Park to Magnolia Cemetery. A fellow re-enactor who has acted as battalion commander in many large-scale events estimated that there were 8,000 under arms in the procession. We were nearer to the head of the procession than to the middle and I was able to catch only occasional glimpses of the caissons. Someone estimated the total length of the procession as two miles. I think that is probably pretty accurate. It is estimated that there were 30,000 civilian onlookers
A small contingent of Union re-enactors including several USCT (United States Colored Troops) was included. I made a point of shaking hands with two of the USCT and telling them that I really appreciated their presence. Though their sentiments were obviously with the Union, these men went out of their way to recognize and honor the sublime courage and devotion to duty in fellow Americans.
Some (including some fellow SCV members) had criticized the fact that the US flag was going to be flown in the procession. I find this attitude quite senseless (not to mention destructive to the cause of Southern heritage and Southern nationalism). Does anyone really believe that young men of the caliber and heart of that of the Hunley crew would have not wanted the National colors flown? As much as they sacrificed to be free of the political domination of another section, I have no doubt that they like most former Confederates would have become loyal US citizens had they survived the war. I also have no doubt that if those eight men were living today they would be
somewhere in Iraq or Afghanistan fighting under the Stars and Stripes if called to do so. I also felt compelled to thank and shake the hand of each of the four young (two white two black, by the way) US Marines who formed the color guard for the National flag.
Another thing that made an impression on my mind and heart was the numbers of modern day (both retired and active duty) submariners who were in attendance. I am sure these men felt a bond of brotherhood to that magnificent eight that the rest of us will never understand.
One of the ministers who spoke paid the most appropriate tribute to those eight men that I have heard. It is from John 15:13. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”
I wish every American could have been there. Some detractors of modern day Confederates claim that display of the Battle Flag,any public performances of Dixie or any other recognition of the Confederacy is “divisive”or “unpatriotic”. I’ll tell you one thing, last Saturday in Charleston, I was never more proud to call myself an American.
