Sub crew apparently had decent footwear

Friday, April 27, 2001

     Unlike most fighting men in the Confederacy, the Hunley sailors apparently wore sensible shoes.
     Archaeologists excavating the submarine say the shoes they've found in the sub so far are "functional, decent footwear."
     "They're fragile, but I don't see any signs of these guys having patched their shoes," said project manager Dr. Bob Neyland. "That may show up later."
     Confederate soldiers were known to have terrible problems in acquiring shoes and often saw their footwear fall apart after weeks of marching. Although the Hunley crewmen were volunteers drafted from Charleston Harbor defense boats, there was believed to be a shoe shortage virtually everywhere in the South.
     Four shoes have so far been found. The archaeologists expect to find 18 in total - a whole set for the nine-member crew, although some of the men might still be found to have entered the sub barefooted.

 

Used with permission of The Post and Courier and Charleston.Net