Customs House Museum & Cultural Center FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sue Lewis, Curator of Education 931-648-5780 September 2, 2004 Local Residents to Provide an Account of “The Last Confederate Burial” Clarksville, TN – On Saturday, September 25 from 10:30am. – noon at Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, local residents Randy and William Rubel, members of Frank P. Gracey Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #225, will lead an informative presentation on the recent interment ceremony for the eight-man crew of the H.L. Hunley submarine. Brent Dukes and Michael and Donna Anderson will also participate in the presentation. This free “Family Day” event is open to the public. Young people are welcome to attend with an adult, and admission to the museum will be free all day. The Hunley made maritime history by being the first submarine in the world to sink a ship during wartime when it sank the USS Housatonic off the coast of South Carolina on February 17, 1864. After rising to the surface of Charleston Harbor and signaling the success of the mission to comrades on shore, the Hunley and its crew mysteriously disappeared, becoming part of American legend and intrigue. The search for the Hunley by explorers and treasure seekers began after the Civil War. Early in the Twentieth Century, P.T.Barnum offered a $100,000 reward to encourage the discovery efforts. More than a century passed before the Hunley was discovered in May 1995, by archeologists with the National Underwater Marine Agency, a non-profit, volunteer foundation established by author Clive Cussler. The recovery effort took several more years. On April 17, 2004, the crewmembers of the Hunley were laid to rest in Charleston, S.C., in a military ceremony which was referred to by many as “the last Confederate burial.” It was attended by thousands of people from around the world including the Rubel bothers, Dukes, and the Andersons. Randy Rubel says the Frank P. Gracey SCV Camp #225 donated a Clarksville-made iron Confederate cross for each crewmember’s grave. The “Family Day” discussion will recount the story of the Hunley with personal accounts and a professional video of “the Last Confederate burial.” Newspaper accounts of the event and an iron cross like those placed on the graves will be shown. The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is a non-profit museum located at 200 S. Second St. in downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. Hours are 10 am-5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 pm Sunday. Free parking for museum visitors is available behind the museum on S. Second Street. ### ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).