| The above graphic
portrays First Lieutenant George E. Dixon, 21st Regiment Alabama Volunteers
— the final commander of the CSS H. L. Hunley. Also shown
is his fabled twenty dollar gold piece.
The lovely Miss Queenie's keepsake was in Dixon's pocket as he stormed the west Tennessee pasturelands near Shiloh on April 6, 1862. Dixon took a Yankee bullet in the thigh, but the ball hit the coin in his left trouser pocket, bending it into the shape of a bell. The coin saved his leg, if not his life. After he recovered from his injury, Dixon, aged about 25 and trained as a mechanical engineer, returned to Mobile, where he joined those building the Hunley. The little submarine was taken by rail to Charleston in a desperate attempt to break the Union blockade. The good luck piece went down with Dixon after he completed his historic mission. The archeologists were unsure they could ever find such a small artifact, which was only known from accounts of soldiers who served with Dixon. Coin pictures courtesy of Friends
of the Hunley
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| Friends of the Hunley History,
plus periodic excavation updates and photos. Try out the submarine simulator!
The Charleston Post and Courier Almost daily notices developments in the excavation. Best site for current news. CSS H L Hunley Yahoo Club Join other Hunley enthusiasts and discuss the latest discoveries. Gallifrey Michael Crisafulli's tremendous interpretive site with a regularly updated interior 3D model. Morris + Bailey Charleston Illustrated's excellent site with great graphics, historical/engineering background, book info, and other links. Daniel Dowdey You must see these complete 3D action scenes. Really amazing! RC Submarines Tim Smalley's very helpful photos and news reports. He is making a radio-controlled model of the Hunley. Naval Historical Center "The H. L. Hunley in Historical Context" and other pages with detailed historical information, with drawings. |
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© Mike McMillan 2001 yello_armadillo@yahoo.com |
Last updated May 25, 2001  |