CHARLESTON, S.C., April 16 (UPI) -- The gracious, historical city of Charleston, S.C., will conclude a week of Civil War memorials by holding a funeral for eight Confederate submariners.
Charleston, where the Civil War began, Saturday will conclude its celebration with the ceremonial burial of eight men who perished when their submarine, the H.L. Hunley, sank after destroying a Union warship on Feb. 17, 1864. It was the first successful submarine attack in the history of warfare.
Now, more than 140 years later, the Hunley crew is finally being laid to rest. The funeral, and a week of activities preceding it, drew an estimated 30,000 people, though none of the 14 Southern governors invited, including South Carolina's Mark Sanford, is expected to attend, USA Today said. And Charleston's African-American population is displaying a marked indifference.
The Hunley was discovered, almost perfectly preserved, on the ocean floor about four miles from Charleston harbor in 1995. It was raised in 2000 and brought to the old Charleston Naval Base.
