The London Confederates

Although the British government declared its neutrality during the American Civil War, London nevertheless became an important center of Confederate overseas operations. This work examines the extensive Confederate activities in London, including diplomacy, propaganda, purchasing for the Army and Navy, spying, Cotton Loan, and various business associations.
Reflections of the Civil War in British art and literature; and the extent of British support for the South are revealed. And appendices cover London firms with Confederate links, pro–Confederate publications, Confederate music published in London, the Southern lobby in Parliament, the Southern Independence Association, and the British Jackson Monumental Fund. The work also includes a chronology of events and a gazetteer of Confederate sites in London.

Former reference librarian John D. Bennett lives in Leicester, England.

John D. Bennett
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 214
Bibliographic Info: 42 photos, gazetteer, chronology, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [2008]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6901-7
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

Introduction      3

1. London in the 1860s      5

2. A Diplomatic Presence      25

3. The Propaganda War      39

4. Supplies for the Confederate Army      51

5. Vessels Suitable for Our Purposes      62

6. The Spying Game      78

7. The Cotton Loan      87

8. Business with the Southern States      95

9. Artistic Reflections, Literary Echoes      110

10. Support for the South?      135

Epilogue      152

Appendix A. London Firms with Confederate Links      161

Appendix B. Pro-Confederate Publications and Their Publishers      164

Appendix C. Confederate Music Published in London      166

Appendix D. The Southern Lobby in Parliament      167

Appendix E. The Southern Independence Association of London      168

Appendix F. The British Jackson Monumental Fund      169

Appendix G. A Note on British Currency      170

Chronology      171

Gazetteer      175

Chapter Notes      183

Bibliography      195

Index      199

“invaluable”—North & South; “required reading for anyone interested in Civil War history or the inner workings of 19th century diplomacy”—Civil War News.