1863-65 - Confederate Imports and Blockade Bibliography

[Barclay]

In another thread, a new theory was mentioned related to increased emphasis on Confederate usage of domestic material to supply its armies, as opposed to imported supplies from England (i.e. uniforms, equipment, etc.) during the late 1863 through 1865 time frame. It appears the basis of this theory relates to utilization of the Confederacy's domestic resources to supply its army during the mid to late war period, in part due to economic considerations, and exhorbitant import prices required by foreign contractors.

Personally, I have done extensive research on this subject at the National Archives, and through reading of secondary sources. Based upon my research, it is my personal opinion that the Confederate armies, particularly the Army of Northern Virginia, were issued tremendous quantities of English uniforms starting in late 1863 through 1865. Of course, CS domestic production did continue right up until the end of the war, but the increased reliance upon English and other foreign imports for war material, as well as domestic consumer goods is apparent.

Further, it is well documented that the South was experiencing a severe wool shortage crisis starting in the summer of 1862. Just as King Cotton was plentiful, wool was equally scarce. For primary and secondary source documentation, see generally Richard D. Goff, Confederate Supply, Duke University Press 1969 (available sometimes via www.abebooks.com). See also Harold S. Wilson, Confederate Industry: Manufacturers and Quartermasters in the Civil War, Univeristy Press of Mississippi (2002) for discussion of the "wool famine" pages 21, 23-24, 27, 29-31, 33, 37, 39, 43, 62, 64, 81, 138, 160, 218, 224, 307.

Given that we are entering a 1864 cycle of events, I thought I would share a small amount documentation (primary and secondary sources) that you may wish to consult to draw your own conclusions. This list is not definitive by any means, but a good starting point for serious scholarship on this subject.

Primary sources:



National Archives, Records Group 109, [Confederate] Quartermaster Department Letters Sent, XVIII 554-55, Lawton to Lee, January 20, 1864 [hereinafter QMDLS] (regarding foreign supply and blockade run uniforms, blankets and shoes).

For Peter Tait Contracts with CS Quartermaster Department: Cross to Dillard Dec. 26, 1863, p. 469, QMDLS, XVIII; Lawton to Tait, Dec. 19, 1863, pp. 447-48 (regarding contract with Peter Tait & Co. for 50,000 each of overcoats, suits of jackets and pants, flannel shirts; 100,000 blankets, pairs of shoes and pairs of socks for a three month period from January 1, 1864 through March 31, 1864).

Secondary Sources:

Confederate Blockade Running through Bermuda, 1861-1865; Letter and Cargo Manifests, Frank Vandiver, ed., (univeristy of Texas Press 1947).

The Supplies for the Confederate Army, How They Were Obtained in Europe and How Paid For. Personal Reminiscenses and Unpublished History. Caleb Huse (CS purchasing agent in Europe), T.R. Martin, 1904.

Lifeline of the Confederacy, Blockade Running During the Civil War, Stephen R. Wise (university of South Carolina press, 1988).

I could list more, but this should be a good start. I will post in a separate thread an example of one day of uniform fabric inventory at the Richmond Depot in October 1864 to show the near complete reliance on English wool, as opposed to domestic manufactured uniform fabric.

Lets try to emphasize more scholarship and less speculation on this Forum.

My couple of cents,

respectfully,

Bret Sumner
4th Virginia, SWB
bretsumner@hotmail.com

https://www.wythegrays.org

[Barclay]

Re: Statistical compilation: 1863-65 - Confederate Imports

I thought the following excerpt from Wilson's book on Confederate Industry would be of interest.

By way of background Bayne was the CS agent for the Quartermaster Bureau in charge of foreign cotton sales.

From Wilson, page 178:

Thomas Bayne's reports .... indicated that [82] steamers on Quartermaster Bureau accounts entered Wilmington and Charleston between early April and late December 1864. These vessels carried 311,521 pairs of shoes, 169,868 blankets, and 803,761 yards of uniform cloth. [primary source citation: National Archives, W.F. Alexander to W.W. Peirce, War Department Collection of Confederate Records, T131, Reel 9].

In his official report for 1864, Secretary Seddon increased that quantity, probably adding other foreign sources, to 545,000 pairs of shoes and 316,000 blankets. [primary source citation: Inspection report, January 20, 1865, Letters Received by Confederate Quartermaster General, National Archives, M469, Reel 13.]

In the final months of the war, the Confederate army received substantial supplies from imports, but these figures should not obscure the considerable domestic production raised by [QM] Lawton's mobilization [of CS domestic resources]. For 1864, Lawton issued 744,851 pairs of shoes, of which 545,000 pairs were imported; the [QM] bureau manufactured 199,851 pairs. Since the Confederacy was almost bereft of blanket machinery, probably most of the blanket issues in 1864 were from the 316,000 [blanket] items imported.

All from Wilson's book: Confederate Industry - published in 2002; probably still available on amazon.com. It is an excellent piece of scholarship and demonstrates painstaking research of primary source material from the National Archives - no easy accomplishment.

I hope you find this of interest.

-Bret Sumner
bretsumner@hotmail.com

https://www.wythegrays.org

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: 1863-65 - Confederate Imports and Blockade Bibliography

Outstanding. Many Thanks.

[Reserve]

Re: 1863-65 - Confederate Imports and Blockade Bibliography

Thank you for posting this. I was working on a posting with some of these numbers from the OR's last night, however I clicked on something else and lost it (duh...). In looking through the Blockade Run items year end report for 1862 I figured up the number of knapsacks alone imported would mean that 1 in 4 CS soldiers (if distributed evenly) in a major army would have had British or other import knapsacks. This is based upon figures collected from OR Series 4 Vol. 2 part 1 page 383. The numbers go up when considering blankets, clothing and other "raw goods".

Thanks for the bibliography as well!

[Barclay]

Re: Imported vs. CS Domestic produced uniforms April - December 1864

Greg, Ethan, and everyone - I found the additional information on ratios of imported vs. domestically produced uniforms issued to the CS armies.

The following block quote is also from the book Confederate Industry: Manufacturers and Quartermasters in the Civil War, by Harold Wilson (University Press of Mississippi 2002) - Page 179.

Background: This information covers the April to December 1864 time frame only: during this time frame eighty two blockade runners delivered a total of 803,761 yards of English uniform cloth.

Book Excerpt:

The scant million yards of woolens brought through the blockade would have produced no more than 200,000 uniforms [i.e. a uniform = 1 jacket and 1 pair of pants], while [Quartermaster] Lawton issues 458,131 field jackets and 744,851 pairs of pants. That left two-thirds of Confederate issues, or 258,131 field jackets and 544,851 pairs of pants, that were made of domestic goods. Imports contributed significantly to the war effort, but the Confederate army depended upon millions of sandbags, grain sacks, undergarments, shirts, cotton uniforms, water-proof coverings, bunches of thread, coils of rope, and tents that came solely from Southern production.

Wilson, page 178.

Does anyone have stats on the total number of finished uniforms that Peter Tait & Company delivered to the Confederacy from 1863-1864?

I know of one document that denotes one of the Tait blockade runners delivered by itself 4,400 uniforms in one trip - so, I imagine that since Tait had 3 blockade runners dedicated to his Confederate client from 1863-1865, I would guess that it is a pretty substantial number (but this is just speculation on my part - we may never know the true number of Tait imports).

YOS,
Bret Sumner

[SCTiger]

Re: 1863-65 - Confederate Imports and Blockade Bibliography

Bret:

Consider this, the Union captured scores of blockade runners, were the confiscated goods from the Southern blockade runners ever used for the Union Army; the cloth, accouterments, and weapons? If they were then the blockade runners were supplying both armies. I know that Admiral Porter and his Captains were paid "prize money" for every blockade runner they captured.

Capturing a "luxury" laden boat was probably a good day for a Union Captain as well.

[tmattimore]

Re: 1863-65 - Confederate Imports and Blockade Bibliography

D.D. Porter's Naval History of The Civil War has a list of captures. For example The steamer A.D. Vance captured soley by the Santiago de Cuba. Sold for $288,286.49 minus expenses of $5,047.71 leaving for distribution $283,238.78 in prize money. The crew of any ship in sight received 40% the officers 50% the Squadron commander and fleet admiral the remainder. The Santiago De Cuba was the most succesful ship in the fleet and even a coal heaver onboard for the war would have retired a wealthy man at the end. The prize money was considered the only way to motivate the crew for tedious and dangerous duty. From the list it seems that many more ships were captured out bound then inbound as cotton bales abound as cargo or capture ashore. German U-boats in a later conflict off the same coast also sank more outbound then in. The record for any individual is held by Lt Cushing who with the three surviors of his crew divvied up$77,298.70 for the disabiling and capture of the Ram Albemarle.
Tom Mattimore

[tmattimore]

Re: 1863-65 - Confederate Imports and Blockade Bibliography

Greg
I am trying to find the answer for you. I belive but can not find the cite that arms and accoutrements along with any other martial goods were considered contraband and when siezed became property of the federal gov't. Arms at least would have been issued if servicable as niether side had enough. Cargo's of civilian goods and cotton were considered prizes.