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Article published Oct 1, 2003
McConnell says Hunley crew won't lie in Statehouse

Associated Press

CHARLESTON -- The eight crewmen of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley will not lie in state in the South Carolina Statehouse, said state Sen. Glenn McConnell, the chairman of the Hunley Commission."Personally, I would have liked to have done it, but it's not in the cards," McConnell said.The burial is to be held April 17 at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.Before the burial, the crew will lie in state for two days on board the USS Yorktown at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, said Jim McElroy, a museum spokesman.McConnell said final details of the funeral need to be worked out, but said there are no plans to have the crewmen lie in state in Columbia.Initial reports the crew would be brought to the Statehouse drew criticism from business and civil rights leaders. McConnell said a volunteer Web site posted such information and when the commission discovered the posting, it asked that the information be removed.McConnell said the weekend before the planned burial is Easter weekend and the Legislature is in session during that week and security would be an issue."It just would not look right to have them up there on Good Friday," he said.News the Statehouse would not be used was welcomed by some who worried about the symbolism of having the Confederates honored there."We certainly respect Sen. McConnell's decision and look forward to working with him to appropriately honor those valiant soldiers," said Hunter Howard, chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.McConnell said the funeral arrangements in Charleston will be elaborate."We've got our hands full back in Charleston," he said. "It's probably going to be a massive event to pull off everything we've got on the Charleston side of it."Preliminary plans include a memorial ball, public remembrances and a march through the city. Thousands are expected to attend.The Hunley became the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship when it sank the Union blockade ship Housatonic off Charleston on Feb. 17, 1864.The Hunley itself sank before returning to shore.It was raised three years ago and brought to a conservation lab at the old Charleston Naval Base.