In one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War A future submarine commander's life was saved... By a coin??

Mike Scafuri: <i>Weapons at the time could be catastrophic</i> <i>and inflict some severe wounds.</i> <i>If the injury to his leg had not been deflected</i> <i>somewhat by the coin, it could have shattered his femur.</i> <i>This was often a fatal wound!</i> The story of the Confederate submarine <i>H.L.

Hunley</i> is one of those parts of South Carolina's history where the more one learns about it, the more awe inspiring and bizarre it becomes.

The <i>Hunley</i> sank under mysterious circumstances after its historic attack on the <i>U.S.S.

Housatonic</i> in February, 1864.

After its recovery in the year 2000, North Charleston's Warren-Lasch Conservation Center has been its home ever since.

I'm your host, Andrew Davis.

Today on <i>Curiosity Trek!</i>, we're going to take a look at an artifact found inside the <i>Hunley</i>, which is arguably just as legendary as the submarine itself: the "life preserver" of its final commander, Lieutenant George E. Dixon.

We're headed down to Charleston in this edition!

From our headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina it takes about a couple of hours to get to the Warren-Lasch Conservation Center.

Clemson University archeologist Mike Scafuri is here to uncover the story of Lt. Dixon's good luck charm.

Hey Mike, how's it going today?

Hey how are you?

Welcome.

Now, what can you tell our viewers about who Lt. George Dixon was?

George Dixon was the captain, the final captain of the <i>H.L.

Hunley</i> submarine.

His early life was somewhat of a mystery.

We don't know much about his whereabouts until 1860 where he shows up in Mobile as a steamboat engineer.

Thereafter, his notable activities include fighting in the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862, where he was wounded.

While recovering back in Mobile, he got involved in the <i>H.L.

Hunley</i> submarine, later on becoming its final captain.

Host: <i>The Battle of Shiloh was one of the bloodiest battles</i> <i>of the American Civil War.

</i> <i>Early in the engagement, </i> <i>Dixon's left thigh was struck with a Minié ball</i> <i>but a gold $20 piece in his pocket </i> <i>miraculously deflected the bullet </i> <i>saving his leg... Perhaps even his life!</i> Scafuri: 25,000 men lost their lives or were injured or maimed during this battle.

It was pretty significant and at that time it was the largest loss of life in the United States at that point in any battle.

And one of the casualties during this battle was Lt. George Dixon.

He actually fell the first day, early in the morning on April 6th.

He was shot in the leg.

Fortunately for him though,he had a pocket-book in his leg with a coin in it.

The bullet actually hit the coin in his pocket-book, reflected back out of his leg and apparently saved his life or at least he felt so.

He was done as an infantry officer at that point but he had a nice story to tell about his survival and the lucky break he had with the bullet hitting the coin in his pocket.

Host: <i>While Dixon was recovering</i> <i>in Mobile, Alabama,</i> <i>he became acquainted with a lawyer named Horace Lawson Hunley.</i> <i>Dixon was both curious and intrigued by Hunley's iron "fish boat"</i> <i>taking shape in the Park and Lyons Machine Shop.</i> <i>After initial tests in July 1863</i> <i>Confederate brass ordered the </i>Hunley <i>to be moved to Charleston, South Carolina,</i> <i>where it could be used against the Union fleet strangling the city.</i> <i>As qualified as he was,</i> <i>Dixon was not the </i>Hunley's<i> first commander.</i> <i>Two crews manned the submarine before Dixon got his chance.</i> <i>But in that time, several accidents with the </i>Hunley<i> occurred,</i> <i>the second of which claimed the life of Horace Hunley himself.</i> <i>13 men lost their lives in these accidents,</i> <i>and the </i>Hunley<i> earned the nickname: "The Peripatetic Coffin".</i> Scafuri: But what's interesting is that the project didn't end.

Dixon somehow convinced the general in charge of Charleston's defenses P.G.T.

Beauregard, of the Battle of Shiloh, to give him another chance.

But maybe it speaks to his level of desperation in doing something about this blockade.

They didn't have any other options.

They were trying anything and everything to try and stop the blockade or break the blockade or lessen its impact.

They didn't have a navy to respond.

And so he would give Dixon one more chance with the <i>H.L.

Hunley.</i> Host: <i>Despite the </i>Hunley's<i> hard luck,</i> <i>Dixon believed this infernal machine could work.</i> <i>Dixon and his crew made history by successfully sinking</i> <i>the </i>U.S.S.

Housatonic<i> on February 17th, 1864.</i> <i>Unfortunately, the </i>Hunley<i> never returned to its port on Sullivan's Island.</i> <i>The reason for its disappearance remains a mystery.</i> Scafuri: What happened to <i>Hunley</i> after sinking <i>Housatonic</i>?

How did they end up on the bottom?

That is our goal is to answer those big questions.

The short answer to that is we don't know.

That's what we're trying to find out.

there's no clear answer though, at this point.

There's no smoking gun thus far as a result of our research that tells us conclusively that one thing or another caused the <i>Hunley</i> to not return.

All of the evidence about what happened to the men inside the submarine, outside of the submarine has slowly faded over time.

This is an extremely cold case.

Host: <i>In May 2001, while excavating the Hunley's interior,</i> <i>Clemson University archaeologist Maria Jacobsen plunged her hand</i> <i>into the muck around Lt. Dixon's remains.</i> <i>Her fingers felt the touch of a familiar shape.</i> <i>When she pulled this object out of the mud and washed it off,</i> <i>she had just found Dixon's lucky $20 coin.</i> <i>Legend had become fact!</i> Scafuri: The story of Lt. George Dixon's gold coin predates the story of <i>Hunley</i>.

The story was in the newspaper, in the <i>Mobile Daily Herald</i> in 1862 after the battle talking about how this young lieutenant had taken a coin with him into battle.

It had saved his life.

He had made a name for himself somewhat because of the events of the Battle of Shiloh.

Later on, getting involved in <i>Hunley</i>, he made another name for himself as the final captain who lost his life eventually on board the <i>H.L.

Hunley </i>submarine.

In 2001, when we began the interior excavation of the <i>Hunley</i> one of the things that we considered as a possibility that would be on board would be George Dixon's gold coin.

And sure enough, when excavating his remains, archaeologist Maria Jacobsen discovered this gold coin.

And what was amazing about it?

Well, not only was it twisted and bent as you would expect from a coin that was impacted by a bullet, but he had had it engraved.

"Shiloh April 6th, 1862.

My life preserver.

G.E.D."

for George E. Dixon.

Something that nobody could have anticipated.

So this was a true story.

It was definitely a case of a legend, a myth about an historical event, being proven true by archaeology.

We actually found the coin, and he had had it engraved, just confirming what we already thought we knew about it, sort of bringing it full circle and it's a fascinating artifact because of that.

Host: <i>So what do you think, fellow viewers?</i> <i>Was it fate that led George Dixon</i> <i>to command the Hunley on its final run?</i> <i>Or was it one massive coincidence?</i> <i>You decide!</i> I'm Andrew Davis.

See you next time on <i>Curiosity Trek!</i> In May 2001, while excavating the Huntley's interior, Clemson University archeologist Maria Jacobson plunged her hand into the muck around Lieutenant Dixon's remains.

Her fingers felt the touch of a familiar shape.

When she pulled this object out of the mud and washed it off, she had just found Dixon's lucky $20 coin.

Legend had become fact.

So what do you think, fellow viewers?

Was it fate that led George Dixon to command the Hunley on its final run?

Or was it one massive coincidence?

You decide.

I'm Andrew Davis.

See you next time.

On Curiosity Track.

So what do you think, fellow viewers?

Was it fate that led George Dixon to command the Hunley on its final run?

Or was it one massive coincidence?

You decide.

I'm Andrew Davis.

See you next time.

On Curiosity Track.

So what do you think, fellow viewers?

Was it fate that led George Dixon to command the Hunley on its final run?

Or was it one massive coincidence?

You decide.

I'm Andrew Davis.

See you next time on Curiosity track.