The Hunley rises again at the 2008 SCV Reunion
This past week was the 2008 Sons of Confederate Veterans Reunion and Pride of the South show. Hosted by our brothers in the Jonas Cook Camp, the convention took place in Concord N.C. from July 16th to the 19th. Events and exhibitors included North Carolina wine tasting, Civil War relic dealers, vintage restored vehicles, the Confederate submarine Hunley exhibit, "Made in the South" food and gift vendors, book sellers, re-enactors conducting cannons and weapons demonstrations, and more. Educational lectures, period-music, a banquet, and good old fashioned southern hospitality made this year's event a success. One exhibit that stood out was the life-size model of the C.S.S. Hunley that was built by John Dangerfield, from Charleston, S.C. The cut-away submersible is technically accurate and demonstrates how the vessel was powered by hand cranks. Tribute plaques to the sailors who powered the Hunley and went down with it are mounted on the side. Dangerfield worked in the Charleston Navy shipyard, where his interest in the Civil War submarine grew. After the sunken sub was found in 2000, Dangerfield became involved with the Friends of the Hunley in preserving the original. Now he tours the model around the country.