Eight Bells Lecture Series: “Natural Genius”

“Natural Genius: Brutus de Villeroi and the U.S. Navy’s First Submarine” by Chuck Veit.

As the U.S. Navy raced in 1861 to build its own ironclad to encounter CSS Virginia, a private citizen—an immigrant Frenchman speaking little or no English—offered another solution: a ”bateau sous-marin” or submarine boat. Long-recognized in his native France as an “engineer of the first class” for his numerous inventions, Brutus de Villeroi had the experience of having previously built two submarines. Although frowned upon by every navy as ungentlemanly at best and illegal at worst, investing in the unique weapon seemed a small price to pay compared to the possible return; what is more, local civilians agreed to fund the work. Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as expected.

Chuck Veit is president of the Navy and Marine Living History Association (NMLHA), a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting awareness of the role played by navies in the history of America. He is a frequent speaker at historical societies and Civil War roundtables presenting several times at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, to the Naval Order of the United States in Jacksonville, Florida, and at the 238th Navy Anniversary Ball in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 2014 Veit delivered two talks at the 10th Maritime Heritage Conference in Norfolk, Virginia. This is his fifth book of naval or Civil War history and seventh overall.

All lectures are free and open to the public, no reservations are required.