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When Colin J. McRae stepped onto English soil in 1863 to serve as the Confederacy’s chief financial agent in Europe, he had no idea his mission would generate great interest 150 years later. Thanks to the discovery and recent acquisition of a vast collection of General McRae’s personal papers, historians can now begin to understand the fascinating story of the Confederacy’s purchasing efforts abroad. This short essay will serve as an introduction to this astounding collection and will attempt to put it into historical perspective.
Colin J. McRae was a native of Mississippi and served as a member in the House of Representatives early in the conflict. McRae also served as a CS Ordnance agent working on Mobile’s fortifications and assisting in establishing the Selma Arsenal. Drawing on his vast entrepreneurial business experience, McRae quickly proved adept in contracting and in manufacturing, as well as other financial matters related to the business of war. Due to his business professionalism, as well as his key government contacts, McRae was chosen by the Confederate government to serve as its chief financial agent in Europe.
Upon arrival in England, one of his first responsibilities was managing the disbursement of the huge Erlanger loan to the Confederate purchasing agents. A second assignment was the immediate investigation into the purchasing practices of Confederate agent, Major Caleb Huse of the Ordnance Department, and his close and possibly conflicting professional and personal business relationships with the English outfitting firm of S. Isaac & Campbell Company.
Caleb Huse was sent to England in 1861 as the Confederacy’s chief purchasing agent abroad. He immediately originated a network of well established brokers and outfitters to fill the Confederacy’s immediate needs for weapons, accoutrements, shoes, clothing, etc. One of the leading houses that Huse dealt with was owned by Samuel Isaac. Isaac held large government contracts for the equipping of the British Army. Samuel and his brother/partner, Sol, had earlier started England’s first and most successful shoe manufacturing facility. Samuel Isaac’s government and established business connections made S. Isaac Campbell & Company a natural choice for Huse to rapidly acquire large amounts war material.
Huse quickly ran up enormous debt purchasing and shipping provisions for the Confederate Army. He pioneered the concept of purchasing and shipping bulk goods through the naval blockade around the Southern coast. Due to questionable purchasing practices and other financial anomalies, Huse’s relationship with S. Isaac Campbell & Co. came under Confederate government scrutiny in late 1862. Colin McRae audited Huse’s accounts. Huse was ultimately exonerated of any malfeasance and continued to fulfill a vital role in purchasing European arms and supplies.
Recently, a large amount of McRae family papers were discovered in the attic of an historic Southern Victorian house. Among these papers were approximately 2500 papers relating to General Colin McRae and his brother, former Mississippi governor and Confederate congressman, John McRae. Almost 1000 documents were relative to McRae’s audit of Caleb Huse’s purchasing of Confederate material.
What is the historical significance of this discovery? First, McRae’s collection focuses on the individual invoices and direct purchases of Caleb Huse, literally hundreds with S. Isaac Campbell & Co. There are literally dozens of categories of research in this collection. These documents will completely change our understanding of the material resources available to the Confederate soldier, early in the war. There are invoices for a wide variety of goods and products, including cloth, shoes, blankets, bulk leather and accoutrements. The significance of this collection to our understanding of Confederate government supply and finance relative to the individual soldier can not be overstated.
I am happy to announce that this phenomenal collection has recently been acquired by the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum, the state-funded military history museum with an emphasis on South Carolina’s Confederate era. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, one of only twelve out of approximately 225 museums in S.C. to pass the AAM’s rigorous accreditation process. The museum boasts a significant Confederate collection and a professional staff dedicated to the preservation S.C. military history. It has been my pleasure to work with them on this project over the last year.
The S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum just contracted in January to purchase this collection and is currently raising private money to support the acquisition. By contract the museum has one year to raise enough money to purchase the collection. There will be no public announcement regarding the acquisition of this wonderful and unique collection until the museum’s director and governing authority feel confident in the success of their fund-raising efforts. Because of their limited funds, the S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Museum must rely primarily on private donations. These donations from private organizations and individuals will insure that this collection stays intact to preserve the integrity of the unexplored historical information inherent in the McRae Archives. It would be a great tragedy if this collection was sold piecemeal on eBay or in auctions. This collection will generate a wide variety of future research, discussions, and publications that will forever expand our knowledge of the Confederate soldier in the field.
Now here’s why this announcement is being made here, on the Authentic Campaigner. Collectively, we need to start acting more like historians and less like reenactors. The use of the information held in the McRae papers should help us to greatly enhance our impression and our interpretive efforts. Secondly and most importantly, the SCCRR&MM needs our help to preserve this collection for future generations. Viewers of this thread will notice that there is a preservation folder too. Please visit that folder to see how one can get involved with these efforts.
Since beginning this undertaking, I have envisioned a great team of AC folks to assist with this massive project. I must publicly thank Paul Calloway, Dusty Chapman, Brian Koenig, Dave Burt, John Hopper, and Ken Knopp for their help and guidance. You will see several of them heading up preservation efforts. It will take the staff of the S.C. Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum approximately a year to inventory, condition report, and catalog this tremendous collection, but they are committed to beginning this work immediately. Questions and comments are welcomed and encouraged. This web-based project is a long-term, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in which you can take an active role!
I look forward to many productive discussions over time!
Regards,
Neill Rose
PLHA
Colin J. McRae was a native of Mississippi and served as a member in the House of Representatives early in the conflict. McRae also served as a CS Ordnance agent working on Mobile’s fortifications and assisting in establishing the Selma Arsenal. Drawing on his vast entrepreneurial business experience, McRae quickly proved adept in contracting and in manufacturing, as well as other financial matters related to the business of war. Due to his business professionalism, as well as his key government contacts, McRae was chosen by the Confederate government to serve as its chief financial agent in Europe.
Upon arrival in England, one of his first responsibilities was managing the disbursement of the huge Erlanger loan to the Confederate purchasing agents. A second assignment was the immediate investigation into the purchasing practices of Confederate agent, Major Caleb Huse of the Ordnance Department, and his close and possibly conflicting professional and personal business relationships with the English outfitting firm of S. Isaac & Campbell Company.
Caleb Huse was sent to England in 1861 as the Confederacy’s chief purchasing agent abroad. He immediately originated a network of well established brokers and outfitters to fill the Confederacy’s immediate needs for weapons, accoutrements, shoes, clothing, etc. One of the leading houses that Huse dealt with was owned by Samuel Isaac. Isaac held large government contracts for the equipping of the British Army. Samuel and his brother/partner, Sol, had earlier started England’s first and most successful shoe manufacturing facility. Samuel Isaac’s government and established business connections made S. Isaac Campbell & Company a natural choice for Huse to rapidly acquire large amounts war material.
Huse quickly ran up enormous debt purchasing and shipping provisions for the Confederate Army. He pioneered the concept of purchasing and shipping bulk goods through the naval blockade around the Southern coast. Due to questionable purchasing practices and other financial anomalies, Huse’s relationship with S. Isaac Campbell & Co. came under Confederate government scrutiny in late 1862. Colin McRae audited Huse’s accounts. Huse was ultimately exonerated of any malfeasance and continued to fulfill a vital role in purchasing European arms and supplies.
Recently, a large amount of McRae family papers were discovered in the attic of an historic Southern Victorian house. Among these papers were approximately 2500 papers relating to General Colin McRae and his brother, former Mississippi governor and Confederate congressman, John McRae. Almost 1000 documents were relative to McRae’s audit of Caleb Huse’s purchasing of Confederate material.
What is the historical significance of this discovery? First, McRae’s collection focuses on the individual invoices and direct purchases of Caleb Huse, literally hundreds with S. Isaac Campbell & Co. There are literally dozens of categories of research in this collection. These documents will completely change our understanding of the material resources available to the Confederate soldier, early in the war. There are invoices for a wide variety of goods and products, including cloth, shoes, blankets, bulk leather and accoutrements. The significance of this collection to our understanding of Confederate government supply and finance relative to the individual soldier can not be overstated.
I am happy to announce that this phenomenal collection has recently been acquired by the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum, the state-funded military history museum with an emphasis on South Carolina’s Confederate era. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, one of only twelve out of approximately 225 museums in S.C. to pass the AAM’s rigorous accreditation process. The museum boasts a significant Confederate collection and a professional staff dedicated to the preservation S.C. military history. It has been my pleasure to work with them on this project over the last year.
The S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum just contracted in January to purchase this collection and is currently raising private money to support the acquisition. By contract the museum has one year to raise enough money to purchase the collection. There will be no public announcement regarding the acquisition of this wonderful and unique collection until the museum’s director and governing authority feel confident in the success of their fund-raising efforts. Because of their limited funds, the S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Museum must rely primarily on private donations. These donations from private organizations and individuals will insure that this collection stays intact to preserve the integrity of the unexplored historical information inherent in the McRae Archives. It would be a great tragedy if this collection was sold piecemeal on eBay or in auctions. This collection will generate a wide variety of future research, discussions, and publications that will forever expand our knowledge of the Confederate soldier in the field.
Now here’s why this announcement is being made here, on the Authentic Campaigner. Collectively, we need to start acting more like historians and less like reenactors. The use of the information held in the McRae papers should help us to greatly enhance our impression and our interpretive efforts. Secondly and most importantly, the SCCRR&MM needs our help to preserve this collection for future generations. Viewers of this thread will notice that there is a preservation folder too. Please visit that folder to see how one can get involved with these efforts.
Since beginning this undertaking, I have envisioned a great team of AC folks to assist with this massive project. I must publicly thank Paul Calloway, Dusty Chapman, Brian Koenig, Dave Burt, John Hopper, and Ken Knopp for their help and guidance. You will see several of them heading up preservation efforts. It will take the staff of the S.C. Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum approximately a year to inventory, condition report, and catalog this tremendous collection, but they are committed to beginning this work immediately. Questions and comments are welcomed and encouraged. This web-based project is a long-term, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in which you can take an active role!
I look forward to many productive discussions over time!
Regards,
Neill Rose
PLHA
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