Destruction of Housatonic by a rebel torpedo. Feb. of 17 1864. Charleston – Antique Print
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
This historic drawing of Destruction of Housatonic by a rebel torpedo. Feb. of 17 1864. Charleston brings a moment of history to your wall. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.
Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.
Destruction of Housatonic by a rebel torpedo. Feb. of 17 1864. Charleston
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A small pencil sketch records the sinking of the USS *Housatonic*, a Union steam sloop on blockade duty off Charleston, on the night of February 17, 1864. The Confederate submarine *H.L. Hunley* struck the ship with a spar torpedo, making the *Housatonic* the first warship sunk in combat by a submarine. The attack was a bold use of new technology against the blockade that had choked Charleston's harbor for years. The *Hunley* itself was lost with its crew soon after the attack, so the event is remembered as both a naval turning point and a tragedy. The drawing's modest size and quick lines give it the feel of an eyewitness record made close to the moment.
| Created / published | 1864 February 17. |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 drawing on white paper : pencil ; 10.9 x 20.1 cm. (sheet). |
| Genre | Drawings American 1860-1870. |
| Subjects | Housatonic (Steamship)--1860-1870. Shipwrecks--1860-1870. Ships--1860-1870. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations--Confederate. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Destruction & pillage.United States--South Carolina--Charleston |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,536 × 813 px · prints to 5 × 3 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-109216 |
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