"On Wednesday evening last an infernal machine was sent down from Seawall's Point for the purpose of blowing up the flagship." The CSS Hunley was now ready for operating against the enemy. However, well before she sortied out on her final assignment and toward her date with destiny, the Confederates in Charleston had begun to use another "infernal machine." It was an assault boat or torpedo boat - a steam-driven semi-submersible that barely broke the surface of the water. Charleston harbor was one of the first ports to be blockaded by the North, and the city fought back with "weapons unbeknownst to warfare." From hand-cranked vessels of destruction to steam powered behemoths, the South ravaged ship after ship with submarine warfare.

Bringing us the stories of other, less well known Civil War submarines will be this month's speaker, publisher Douglas Westfall. His publishing company, The Paragon Agency, will soon release a new book, "Raising the Northern Blockade - Submarine Warfare in the Civil War," by Pedro Garcia, a fellow CWRT member from Orange County.

Westfall last joined us in 2002 for a presentation on Civil War prisoners. An author, publisher and teacher, he has published books on America's history for over 18 years. His discoveries of unread manuscripts and unpublished photography have resulted in books on the Civil War, Amelia Earhart, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire, and the Ranchos of California. These books are offered for sale on his website, SpecialBooks.com, and at book stores and shops across the nation.

Please join us in hearing about the different types of submarines introduced to the conflict during the Civil War.

Janet Whaley
Program Chair