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Collection Reference Number GLC02437.02569
From Archive Folder The Henry Knox Papers [0065] 16-30 September 1783 
Title Return for the corps of sappers and miners at Constitution Island, New York
Date 26 September 1783
Author Bushnell, David (1740-1826)  
Document Type Military document
Content Description Return for the corps of sappers and miners at Constitution Island, New York.
Subjects Muster Rolls and Returns  Military History  Continental Army  Science and Technology  
People Bushnell, David (ca. 1740-1826)  
Theme Science, Technology, Invention; Government & Politics
Sub-collection The Henry Knox Papers
Additional Information David Bushnell built the first man-propelled submarine boat, called the "American Turtle." It featured a wooden magazine containing gunpowder and a clock mechanism for igniting it at any particular time. Although he was not successful in his attempts to destroy British ships during the American Revolution, he is recognized as the father of the modern submarine. While it could not be definitively confirmed that the writer of this document is the same Bushnell as the inventor of the submarine, it appears likely, as the inventor served as Captain of a corps of sappers and miners during the Revolution. David Bushnell's birth date appears as 1740 in most sources. His death date appears as either 1824 or 1826.
Copyright The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859