Columbia, S.C.
A proposal to have the remains of eight Confederate soldiers lie in state in South Carolina’s Capitol has ignited a fresh, racially charged skirmish over the Civil War. The remains were recovered in 2000 from the wreck of the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine. The Hunley sank off Charleston in 1864, after becoming the first wartime sub to sink an enemy ship. State Sen. John Courson, a member of a commission planning an April funeral, said allowing the honors would be a fitting tribute to the sailors’ “tremendous courage.” Other lawmakers said honoring soldiers who fought to preserve slavery would be disgraceful. “Can you imagine how we would be perceived by the rest of the world?” said state Sen. Darrell Jackson.
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