Civil War Figure, Crewmember of the HL Hunley submarine. J.F. Carlsen was European by birth and forensic analysis also confirm that Carlsen was about 5'10" tall and have traced his history in America to 1861, when he was helmsman onboard the Jefferson Davis, a privateer ship. In September of 1861, members of the Jeff Davis crew, including Carlsen, returned to Charleston and filed charges of treason at the Courthouse against the men who led the revolt. During the trial that followed, Carlsen signed witness statements. Those documents have confirmed the correct spelling of his name, which had not been previously known. There are some accounts of Carlsen's name being spelled with different initials, and with an 'o' instead of an 'e' in his last name, which made it very difficult to track down information about his life. During the time Carlsen was testifying in the mutiny trial in Charleston, the German Artillery was stationed in nearby Green Pond (Colleton County) and was actively recruiting members. Since Carlsen was not a native of South Carolina, he was most likely not subject to conscription laws. He became one of the recruits, volunteered for the artillery and was later recognized for his bravery at the Battle of Fort Walker in Hilton Head, South Carolina in November of 1861. Carlsen was assigned to the fourth crank handle on the HL Hunley, a dangerous spot in case of an emergency evacuation. Based on documents found to date, Carlsen's official military records indicate he did, in fact, die on the Hunley. Absent from his unit when the Hunley disappeared after sinking the USS Housatonic, the muster roll states that Carlsen was, "lost in the Submarine Torpedo Boat on the 16th, [17th], of Feb 1864 while in the act of sinking the U.S. Steamer Housatonic." The HL Hunley sank 4 miles off the coast of Sullivan's Island (Charleston), South Carolina, on February 17, 1864, after sinking the USS Housatonic. The submarine was raised in 2000 and the crewmembers reinterred with the first 2 crews in Magnolia Cemetery, April 17, 2004.∼Confederate Submariner and recipient of the Confederate Medal of Honor. Carlsen became a mariner in the early days of the Civil War aboard the privateer "Jeff Davis". The ship arrived in the port of Charleston in late 1861 and the ship remained in port due to legal matters, including some issues of mutiny. As a results Carlsen looked for duty elsewhere and subsequently joined the German artillery company commanded by Captain John Wagener. For the next couple of years he remained with Wagener's company then patrolling the coast of South Carolina. He learned of the Hunley and it's upcoming missions and it's need for an additional hand when one of it's officers was called back to Alabama. Captain Hunley looked to Wagener's ranks for a replacement and found Carlsen. He would become the last member of the crew of the Hunley. As the last crewman he was assigned to the seat at the crank position of the vessel which was at the center of the Hunley. The seat was called the "death seat" as it was at the position in the boat that the occupant would be the least likely to be able to escape an incident. The rest is history as the Hunley left through Breach inlet to seek out enemy vessels. He would become part of the crew that would be the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel.
Corporal C. F. Carlsen CSS H. L. Hunley
February 17, 1864 ~ Attack on USS Housatonic outside Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
The crew members of the H.L. Hunley were given a Confederate burial.
On December 5, 2007, 143 years later, the eight crew men when buried with full military honors burial.
The funeral was attended by thousands of Civil War re-enactors, both gray and blue.
The funeral procession was a mile and a half long which had the remains of the sailors in coffins draped with the Confederate flag.
The men where buried in Magnolia Cemetery in a common grave and laid to rest in the same order in which they stationed on the sub.
Many might say "why honor some damn Rebels? They ripped our nation apart!"
To some extent they are right but not these men. These men did something so great, it overshadows the Civil War.
These men changed the world. They did something that was never thought possible by military leaders of their time and even after.
Rebecca Farence, the great-grandniece of Frank Collins said "These are just extraordinary men- brave and strong who did a marvelous thing."
And that is exactly what they did, at the time they might not have realized it, but these men changed the course of history under the waves outside of Charleston Harbor.
Furnished by Judy Richards.
Corporal C. F. Carlsen CSS H. L. Hunley
February 17, 1864 ~ Attack on USS Housatonic outside Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
The crew members of the H.L. Hunley were given a Confederate burial.
On December 5, 2007, 143 years later, the eight crew men when buried with full military honors burial.
The funeral was attended by thousands of Civil War re-enactors, both gray and blue.
The funeral procession was a mile and a half long which had the remains of the sailors in coffins draped with the Confederate flag.
The men where buried in Magnolia Cemetery in a common grave and laid to rest in the same order in which they stationed on the sub.
Many might say "why honor some damn Rebels? They ripped our nation apart!"
To some extent they are right but not these men. These men did something so great, it overshadows the Civil War.
These men changed the world. They did something that was never thought possible by military leaders of their time and even after.
Rebecca Farence, the great-grandniece of Frank Collins said "These are just extraordinary men- brave and strong who did a marvelous thing."
And that is exactly what they did, at the time they might not have realized it, but these men changed the course of history under the waves outside of Charleston Harbor.
Furnished by Judy Richards.
Civil War Figure, Crewmember of the HL Hunley submarine. J.F. Carlsen was European by birth and forensic analysis also confirm that Carlsen was about 5'10" tall and have traced his history in America to 1861, when he was helmsman onboard the Jefferson Davis, a privateer ship. In September of 1861, members of the Jeff Davis crew, including Carlsen, returned to Charleston and filed charges of treason at the Courthouse against the men who led the revolt. During the trial that followed, Carlsen signed witness statements. Those documents have confirmed the correct spelling of his name, which had not been previously known. There are some accounts of Carlsen's name being spelled with different initials, and with an 'o' instead of an 'e' in his last name, which made it very difficult to track down information about his life. During the time Carlsen was testifying in the mutiny trial in Charleston, the German Artillery was stationed in nearby Green Pond (Colleton County) and was actively recruiting members. Since Carlsen was not a native of South Carolina, he was most likely not subject to conscription laws. He became one of the recruits, volunteered for the artillery and was later recognized for his bravery at the Battle of Fort Walker in Hilton Head, South Carolina in November of 1861. Carlsen was assigned to the fourth crank handle on the HL Hunley, a dangerous spot in case of an emergency evacuation. Based on documents found to date, Carlsen's official military records indicate he did, in fact, die on the Hunley. Absent from his unit when the Hunley disappeared after sinking the USS Housatonic, the muster roll states that Carlsen was, "lost in the Submarine Torpedo Boat on the 16th, [17th], of Feb 1864 while in the act of sinking the U.S. Steamer Housatonic." The HL Hunley sank 4 miles off the coast of Sullivan's Island (Charleston), South Carolina, on February 17, 1864, after sinking the USS Housatonic. The submarine was raised in 2000 and the crewmembers reinterred with the first 2 crews in Magnolia Cemetery, April 17, 2004.∼Confederate Submariner and recipient of the Confederate Medal of Honor. Carlsen became a mariner in the early days of the Civil War aboard the privateer "Jeff Davis". The ship arrived in the port of Charleston in late 1861 and the ship remained in port due to legal matters, including some issues of mutiny. As a results Carlsen looked for duty elsewhere and subsequently joined the German artillery company commanded by Captain John Wagener. For the next couple of years he remained with Wagener's company then patrolling the coast of South Carolina. He learned of the Hunley and it's upcoming missions and it's need for an additional hand when one of it's officers was called back to Alabama. Captain Hunley looked to Wagener's ranks for a replacement and found Carlsen. He would become the last member of the crew of the Hunley. As the last crewman he was assigned to the seat at the crank position of the vessel which was at the center of the Hunley. The seat was called the "death seat" as it was at the position in the boat that the occupant would be the least likely to be able to escape an incident. The rest is history as the Hunley left through Breach inlet to seek out enemy vessels. He would become part of the crew that would be the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel.
Corporal C. F. Carlsen CSS H. L. Hunley
February 17, 1864 ~ Attack on USS Housatonic outside Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
The crew members of the H.L. Hunley were given a Confederate burial.
On December 5, 2007, 143 years later, the eight crew men when buried with full military honors burial.
The funeral was attended by thousands of Civil War re-enactors, both gray and blue.
The funeral procession was a mile and a half long which had the remains of the sailors in coffins draped with the Confederate flag.
The men where buried in Magnolia Cemetery in a common grave and laid to rest in the same order in which they stationed on the sub.
Many might say "why honor some damn Rebels? They ripped our nation apart!"
To some extent they are right but not these men. These men did something so great, it overshadows the Civil War.
These men changed the world. They did something that was never thought possible by military leaders of their time and even after.
Rebecca Farence, the great-grandniece of Frank Collins said "These are just extraordinary men- brave and strong who did a marvelous thing."
And that is exactly what they did, at the time they might not have realized it, but these men changed the course of history under the waves outside of Charleston Harbor.
Furnished by Judy Richards.
Corporal C. F. Carlsen CSS H. L. Hunley
February 17, 1864 ~ Attack on USS Housatonic outside Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
The crew members of the H.L. Hunley were given a Confederate burial.
On December 5, 2007, 143 years later, the eight crew men when buried with full military honors burial.
The funeral was attended by thousands of Civil War re-enactors, both gray and blue.
The funeral procession was a mile and a half long which had the remains of the sailors in coffins draped with the Confederate flag.
The men where buried in Magnolia Cemetery in a common grave and laid to rest in the same order in which they stationed on the sub.
Many might say "why honor some damn Rebels? They ripped our nation apart!"
To some extent they are right but not these men. These men did something so great, it overshadows the Civil War.
These men changed the world. They did something that was never thought possible by military leaders of their time and even after.
Rebecca Farence, the great-grandniece of Frank Collins said "These are just extraordinary men- brave and strong who did a marvelous thing."
And that is exactly what they did, at the time they might not have realized it, but these men changed the course of history under the waves outside of Charleston Harbor.
Furnished by Judy Richards.
Bio by: Just another taphophile
