Other historians agree with Hine that history as spectacle often overwhelms history as a record of what happened in the past to create the present. An interesting example is the history page at the official Hunley website. It never mentions why the Civil War was fought.

Though you would never guess it from the six days of carrying on devoted to burying remains from a century and a half ago, the Hunley's one military feat was not important to the outcome of the Civil War. Charleston Harbor remained blockaded. Furthermore, the Hunley failed overall. Two of the submarines were built and both sank. Eventually, the inventor gave up and named a ship 'Hunley' instead.

Another feat carried out during the Civil War is much more interesting.

The most modern comprehensive history of South Carolina, by [Walter] Edgar, makes only a one-sentence passing reference to the Hunley and doesn't even include it in its giant index.However, Edgar does mention another Civil War exploit in Charleston Harbor — the daring 1862 hijacking of a Confederate ship by slave Robert Smalls. Taking a cargo of ammunition and escaping slaves, Smalls posed as a Confederate officer and brought his boat through Confederate lines to the Union blockade.

Monk's column paints a realistic portrayal of South Carolina before, during and after the Civil War. It also offers insight into the motivations of the neo-Confederate movement today. Particularly telling is a remark by a slaveowner, Edward Bryan: “Give us slavery or give us death.”

What's the art?

A pocket watch recovered from the Hunley.

Note: This entry also appeared at Silver Rights.