11/14/2023 0 Comments Hunley submarine civil warHe was not Southern born and is most likely from the Midwest, but has been away from home a very long time.” Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, Dixon was a man of at least some wealth as indicated by the gold fillings found in his teeth, his diamond studded jewelry and an ornate gold watch he carried in his pocket. “Dixon’s alignment with the Confederate Army was not based on geographic lines. Dixon was the crewmember who triggered the Hunley’s explosive device that would send the USS Housatonic to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, a maritime first that changed the landscape of naval warfare world-wide.ĭuring excavation of the interior of the Hunley, Dixon’s remains were located beneath the forward conning tower, the location where the vessel’s commander would have been stationed.ĭoug Owsley, forensic expert with the Smithsonian Institution, found in his research that Dixon was North American born, but was not from a Southern state. ![]() Dixon controlled the movement of the rudder and the dive planes, which dictated the inclination and level of submersion of the submarine. However, his responsibility on the Hunley was what would have been expected of an experienced veteran.Īs commander, Dixon navigated the submarine, using only a compass bearing and the limited visibility provided by the view ports in the forward conning tower. ![]() Forensic analysis places Dixon in his mid-twenties. Hunley’s commander, was a young and athletic man with sandy blond hair.
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