The Hunley has captured the hearts of both Confederate and Union Civil War enthusiasts, especially after it was recovered on August 8, 2000. It is the story of David and Goliath – the underdog who successfully sank the USS Housatonic, one of the Union’s most formidable warships performing blockade duty in the Charleston Harbor. Unfortunately, when the Hunley sank the Housatonic, it also disappeared, taking it’s many secrets to the bottom of the harbor, and becoming one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Civil War.
Our speaker this month is our own Round Table member, Kathy Ralston, who researched this topic so thoroughly she even made a visit to the Hunley in Charleston last year. Kathy is responsible for the computer systems running at the Smart & Final stores. She has been working in the computer industry for 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Her interest in Civil War history began when she was visiting Revolutionary War battlefields in Virginia. She then found her great-great grandfather was part of the Stonewall Brigade. She is President of the Board of Directors of the Drum Barracks Society & Garrison, the support group for the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in Wilmington, and also serves as the webmaster for two Civil War Round Tables (and we’re lucky to have her!).
Come join us as we explore the amazing history of the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley. and the men who made her famous.
Janet Whaley
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