It was a bold maneuver. The Hunley was on her first assignment and the odds were stacked against her. The USS Housatonic had a crew of 160 men and it came complete with rifles and 12 cannons, while she only had a crew of eight men and one torpedo to launch. It was risky at best but the Union barricade had to be run-over- no matter what.
For the Southern States, it was a matter of survival-but could she do it?
