The painting is in the possession of the Burr-Alston connection, and is
thought by them, on account of its striking family resemblance, to be a
picture of Theodosia Burr. The painting story has often been scouted,
but there is too much circumstantial evidence to ignore it in treating
the legend.
NOTE TO "THE LAST CREW"
The "Fish-Boat" of the Confederate Navy, which exhaustive research
indicates to have been the first submarine vessel to sink an enemy ship
in time of war, was designed by Horace L. Hundley in 1863. This boat was
twenty feet long, three and one-half feet wide, and five feet deep. Her
motive power consisted of eight men whose duty it was to turn the crank
of the propeller shaft by hand until the target had been reached. When
this primitive craft was closed for diving there was only sufficient air
to support life for half an hour. Since the torpedo was attached to the
boat itself there was no chance of escape. The only hope was to reach
and destroy the enemy vessel before the crew were suffocated or drowned.
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