July 5, 1862
? in Washington, D.C. to Arthur Kirkland in London
Dear Sir Arthur Kirkland,
One of the greatest regrets I have in this past year is that in all the turmoil of the present age, (which has, I understand, spread even so far to your side of the Atlantic) I have not, since the revelatory new beginnings of my person, had the chance to meet with you in person. It is therefore quite presumptuous and even rude of me to be sending you this missive now, and I have agonized over the matter for some weeks. For this breach in etiquette, I implore you to accept my sincerest apologies and regrets. Should I have the opportunity, I should love nothing more than to travel to London and make a proper introduction, but as I'm sure you're aware, current circumstances make this impossible.
In my absence, I have every confidence that Messrs. Mason and Slidell have made a proper representation of me and my people, and of our vision for the future. You and your people are, of course, at the forefront of that vision, as our preeminent trading partner. The British Empire has been our chief partner for decades, and even as the world shifts in wonderful new ways, I see no reason for this to end. On the contrary, it is my hope that our bond may grow stronger with time. Every day, shipping time from Charleston to Southampton grows shorter. Perhaps one day, cotton and tobacco may reach across the Atlantic in less than a week: what a world it would be! I look forward to such a future with desperation, for at the present hour, we are both shackled to the dark reality that is the United States and their disastrous blockade.
Though it pains me, I must abandon pretense and make my point bluntly. The Confederate States and our brothers in the British Empire are linked by economic ties too strong for the Union to sever. However, every day the blockade is allowed to continue is another day where our people—yours as well as mine—go hungry. For every ship that manages to slip past these tyrants' hands, ten more are stopped, and fifty more kept ashore for fear of the Union's guns. It cannot continue. One of my men recently shared with me a newspaper shipped to him from his cousin in Lancashire, where he worked in a textile factory up until recently. My heart was moved to tears for the Englishmen and their families—our very own blood relatives—who now must go without food because of the United States' treachery. The blockade must end, for both of us.
While our spirits burn brightly in concert with the sentiments of our brethren across Europe, I am sure you are aware that we are, at present, at some disadvantage in ships, arms, and armaments. Our Navy is capable and fierce, but too few in number to take on the sheer size of the Union fleet. There is no one in the entire world, I expect, who understands the importance of naval potency than you, Sir. I have the understanding from one Commander James Bulloch that there is a ship newly launched to the River Mersey of which I have you to thank. Upon seeing the designs for the ship I was immeasurably heartened, and I feel certain that it will be a boon to my Navy. I am writing to ask sir, if I have any reason to hope it will not be the last such boon I might receive from my dear friends across the water.
The British Empire's neutrality in this ongoing conflict is of course a natural choice; I scarcely see how you could have positioned yourself otherwise in any circumstance. However, as shortages reign and the Union tightens its fist, I hope that, whether officially or through quieter means such as that now underway at Birkenhead, you might help me to end our misery sooner rather than later. When the unpleasantness of the present day is over and done, I look forward to returning to Europe to prove myself anew as a worthy trade partner and, I hope, a diplomatic ally. When I do, I hope you shall not hold my appearance against me; it is a face you have seen many times before, but I assure you, I am of a heart and mind renewed, and a spirit envigored by God. I fear I lost myself some time ago, but after a long, meandering path, I have found myself and my name in the heart of Virginia, that land on which we first knew each other so many years ago.
With deepest respect and admiration,
Andrew Fitzhugh Jones
Historical Notes:
1. I believe we've already discussed the Union Blockade, so I will not wax poetic about it here, but a quick reminder that the Union was blocking any and all shipping to and from Southern ports. The Confederate Navy was not big enough to attempt to return the favor. Some ships did manage to sneak through, but the vast majority were scared off by the mere thought of coming up against union warships.
2. Mason and Slidell are the men appointed by Davis to represent the CSA to the United Kingdom. They are, incidentally, the same Mason and Slidell that were captured by Union officers off of the RMS Trent. They represented the CSA to England for the duration of the CSA's existence.
3. The ship on the River Mersey, or in Birkenside, to which Alfred—er, Andrew is referring is none other that the CSS Alabama, which was a Confederate screw sloop-of-war that was, in fact, manufactured in England. Because England was neutral, there were laws forbidding shipbuilders from building arms, armaments, or other instruments of war for belligerents. However, there was a loophole, and the shipbuilders contracted by the Confederate Navy found it: if you build a ship that's made for canons, guns, and ammunition, and is made with reinforced decks that can hold the weight of those canon, but you don't actually install those weapons until you're out of British waters, it's all perfectly legal. So that's what they did. Known first as "hull number 290", this British-made gunless warship was launched on the 15th of May in 1862 under the name Enrica. It eventually quietly sailed out of Birkenhead on the 29th of July. A Union officer was actually in Southampton at the time, and was supposed to intercept the boat (which the Union was aware of) before it left British waters, but he failed in this endeavor. From there, the new ship met up with her Confederate captain and they sailed to the Caribbean, where they outfitted her with eight guns (one of them a 100-pound, 7-inch long rage pivot canon, YIKES) and initiated her into the fledgling Confederate States Navy.
4. The Commander James Bulloch mentioned is the Confederate officer who negotiated the manufacture of the Alabama. The actual contract was arranged by the Fraser Trenholm Company, which was a cotton broker in Liverpool that had ties to the Confederacy (surprise surprise.)