Hunley funeral plans criticized

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While a member of the board of the Hunley Commission says no formal request has been made about the honor for sailors who went down with the sub in 1864, a Web site listing details of funeral plans included two days of lying in state in the Statehouse.

Such an honor has been reserved for sitting or long-serving congressmen in recent years. And, some say, besides the possible controversy of having Confederate soldiers lying in state, there is the question of fairness for the thousands of South Carolinians who have fought in wars for the United States but never received the honor.

"We would hate to see old wounds reopened," said South Carolina Chamber of Commerce President Hunter Howard. "It's appropriate to honor them. But we need to be careful as we make the decision that we look at what the impact can be."

The sailors were the last crew of the Hunley, which was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship during a war. Their remains were recovered when the submarine was brought up from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, where it sank in 1864.