The American Civil War in Liverpool
the Confederates


The Civil War in Liverpool	Civil War Ships in Liverpool	the USA in Liverpool

James Spence

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32 Falkner Square

James Spence was an Iron Merchant and leading businessman, banker, shipper and stockbroker in Liverpool in the 1860's. He openly supported the South and said Liverpool was 'the headquarters of Southern sentiment.'. Spence gave a lot of time and money to help promote the South. For a time he was the Confederacy's financial agent in Europe. He encouraged Hotze to establish The Index, a pro-Confederate newspaper in England and offered his services as an editorial writer free of charge. Spence fell out with Hotze on the issue of slavery. James Spence lived at 32 Falkner Square, Liverpool.

Author of "The American Union; its effect on national character and policy, with an inquiry into secession as a constitutional right, and the causes of the disruption" and "On the recognition of the Southern Confederation". Important propaganda pamphlets promoting the South and criticising the North.

In September 1862 he organised a committee of leading Liverpool gentlemen to press for recognition of the South by the British Government. In June 1863 he expanded from Liverpool to establish Southern Clubs in Oldham, Manchester and Birmingham with the aim of spreading agitation to further the Confederate cause. Spence believed that through agitation British Government policy could be changed, in a similar way to the Corn Law issue. A change in British policy would lead to a change in European policy, France in particular was following Britain's lead in its relations with North and South.

Spence was one of the leading figures in the Confederate loans scheme. A initially successful scheme to raise millions of pounds for the South.

In 1864 Spence was one of the leading figures in establishing the London Independence Association. In 1864 he wrote letters to the Times calling for peace. He tried to popularize the support for the South in the British Public. Spence even wrote to Charles Darwin about the Civil War.

James Spence was the Honorable Secretary of the Southern Prisoners' Relief Fund, and it's Bazaar in Aid of the Southern Prisoners Relief Fund at St George's Hall.

Fraser Trenholm & Company
A branch of the Charleston cotton firm John Fraser & Co., Fraser, Trenholm & Company had its offices at number 10 Rumford Place in Liverpool's city centre. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. had almost unlimited credit in Europe and the South used this facility to fund its war effort. George A. Trenholm, was the Confederate Secretary of the Treasury. These offices became known as the Confederate Embassy in Liverpool. The Confederacy had trouble paying its bills during the war and was reliant on private companies like Fraser, Trenholm to loan money and to show that the blockade of the South could be beaten by blockade runners. As shipping brokers Fraser Trenholm bought and hired ships and the cargoes to go with them to trade between Liverpool and the South. Edward Haigh was the company's cotton broker.

Fraser Trenholm offices at Rumford Place	Plaque on the street front Number 12 is missing: Charleston House			Plaques in the courtyard

Charles K. Prioleau
The manager of Fraser Trenholm in Liverpool was Charles Kuhn Prioleau. Prioleau was originally from Charleston, South Carolina. For business reasons he became a British subject and married a local woman in Liverpool, Mary Elizabeth Wright. His wife's father owned Allerton Hall. Even before the Civil War had started Prioleau was helping the Confederacy. In December 1860 he presented the State of South Carolina with a "remarkable rifled canon, 12-pdr; superior to any other here..." The cannon was designed by the British Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely. This rifled cannon in particular was the first rifled cannon in the Americas, and the only one to take part in the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861. The gun was made in England and is was send to Illinois after its capture by the Union. it bore a plaque which read: "Presented to the Sovereign State of South Carolina by Citizens Residing Abroad, in Commemoration of the 20th of December, 1860." In 1861 Charles Prioleau lived on Darby Road in Garston, at that time there were only 3 houses on the road, surrounded by countryside. Only one of those buildings survives today. As a cotton merchant Charles was a rich man, in his house along with his wife and son he employed a butler, a coachman, a cook, a nurse a housemaid and a kitchen maid.
In 1862/63 Prioleau had a town house design and built for him at 19 Abercromby Square. This palatial house had the Palmetto tree of South Carolina on the ceiling of its front porch and flags of the Rebel States on its walls. In the stonework on the front of the house are the stars of the secession flag, the Bonnie Blue. Prioleau also owned Balkail House, Carlisle and a cottage outside of Liverpool which he rented out. In American Prioelau owned some of the most expensive land in Carolina.

19 Abercromby Square	Pediment with Star and Yellow Jessamine	8 Stars on the columns of the portico. South Carolina was the 8th State to join the Union	the Sabal or Cabbage Palmetto Tree of South Carolina in the foyer of Number 19	At the base of the Palmetto is a snake

From the ground floor looking up towards the central gallery on the first and second floors and the skylight above.	On the stair case to the first floor	On the stair case to the second floor	On the first floor, lady's head bearing the Bonnie Blue Star	On the first floor lady's head bearing the crescent moon of South Carolina.

Beer and wine	Turkey	Central ceiling piece in the dining room showing figures in classical dress.	Fish	Venison

		Flowers on the second floor

The house is now part of the University campus.	Mary Elizabeth Prioleau, the Belle of Allerton Hall	A Yellow Jessamine	Ceres by Samuel Walters the yacht is flying the flag of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club and Prioleau's own flag based on the Southern Cross	Allerton Hall used by Prioleau and the Confederates during the war and owned by Charles' wife's father Mr. Wright
Prioleau ordered the Alexandra (see below), which was apparently intended a gift from Fraser, Trenholm and Co. to the Confederacy. While waiting for the Alexandra to be built 16 year old Confederate Navy midshipman James Morris Morgan, (1845-1928) had to wait in a cold Liverpool. Recalling a meeting at 10 Rumford Place Morgan describes Charles Prioleau as being "very affable". Prioleau gave him two letters of introduction, one to a fashionable London tailor and the other to the firm of Dent, the celebrated chronometer makers of the day. James Morgan was accompanying Commodore Maury to a meeting with James Bulloch in Liverpool, at first staying at the Adelphi hotel. He spent a lonely winter in Liverpool in 1862, and was invited to spend Christmas with Prioleau's family and friends at Allerton Hall. Even though Prioleau gave James �50 from Mr. Trenholm the 16 year old Morgan did not enjoy his Christmas due to the unfriendly teenage girl he was asked to escort to a banquet. Morgan mentions the hothouses at Allerton Hall which had flowers and tropical fruit in December, a complete contrast to the boarding house he stayed in down Upper Newington near the Adelphi Hotel. Prioleau as manager of Fraser Trenholm & Co was responsible for ordering shipping, arranging cargoes and buying and selling the merchandise carried across from America to Britain. James Bulloch give Prioleau credit for ensuring the safety of Richmond in the spring of 1862 during the time of General McClellan's advance on Yorktown. By giving credit to Major Huse to buy arms and material and organising its shipment to the Americas. Without these shipments the battles of Seven Pines and Chickahominy could not have been fought. Prioleau owned an impressive auxiliary schooner, the steam yacht Ceres built in 1859 by Tod & McGregor of Glasgow. Prioleau bought the yacht for �5500 in 1864. He spoke about a holiday on the Ceres to Norway of 18-20 days in a letter to his compatriot Mr. J.T.Welshman. What role, if any, this private yacht played in the Civil War remains a secret.
In 1867 Charles K. Prioleau set up in business in London. Charles and Mary had two sons. Lynch Hamilton Prioleau born 1861 in Liverpool went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in 1881. His younger brother was Major William Louis St. Julien Prioleau who died aged 50 on 17th October 1919 serving with the Norfolk Regiment in Egypt. In 1897 Mary Prioleau died in Sainte Croix, Bayonne almost 10 years after her husband Charles.

James Dunwoody Bulloch
	James Dunwoody Bulloch was born on the 25th June 1823 near Savannah, Georgia. His father was Major James Stephen Bulloch, and his half-sister Martha Bulloch married Theodore Roosevelt Snr. and was the mother of President Roosevelt. James Bulloch served in the United States navy and resigned his position when war broke out. . After the outbreak of war Bulloch was sent by Stephen Malloy (Secretary of the Confederate States Navy Department) to Liverpool to purchase and / or build ships for use by the Confederate navy. Bulloch arrived in Liverpool on 4th June 1861 and quickly started work. His first point of contact was Charles Prioleau at Fraser, Trenholm in Rumford Place. Unfortunately Bulloch had arrived late in the day and all businesses were closed, so he found lodgings for the night and returned early the next day before going to London to meet the Confederate commissioners there. Bulloch was given offices at Rumford Place, with an entrance at the rear to allow him to come and go out of sight of Union spies. Bulloch has been described as the head of the Confederate secret service in the British Isles.

12 Wellington Street Waterloo	3 Wellington Street, Waterloo James Bulloch lived at number 3 during the Alabama's launch and escape.		30 Sydenham Avenue Sefton Park Liverpool	76 Canning Street Liverpool James Bulloch died here at the home of his son in law.	the Liver Hotel Said to be the location of a meeting between Bulloch and Semmes.
Bulloch started work quickly with a visit to Liverpool shipbuilder William Miller. He discussed plans and arranged for the Oreto to be built. he then met the Lairds and arranged for the 290 to be built. With two ships in progress, Bulloch was keen to keep active. He took the Fingal to run the blockade. He had bought the Fingal in Glasgow and used her to take 14000 rifles, 3000 cavalry sabres and assorted war material to the South. After successfully running the blockade Bulloch arrived in Savannah in November 1861, he left the Fingal in America and returned to Liverpool to take change of the 290 and Oreto preparations which had been left in the hands of Prioleau. James Bulloch died on the 7th of January 1901 at 76 Canning Street in Liverpool aged 77. He died from cancer and cardiac failure.

the Bulloch Graves	K960	American by Birth	Englishman by Choice

F.S.Hull

88 Rodney Street

Frederick S. Hull, Attorney at law hired by Bulloch to look for loopholes in the British law regarding building ships for the Confederacy, the Foreign Enlistment Act and the Queens Neutrality Proclamation. Bulloch calls these acts the "most annoying foes" on this side of the Atlantic. Hull was described by James Bulloch as "prudent, cautious and conscientious" and a "watchful and safe mentor". While the Florida and the Alabama were being built British law involving the forfeiture of a ship had not been brought to court, there was therefore no precedent. Mr. Hull therefore drew up a general case and submitted it to two eminent barristers for their consideration. The result of this was the decision that British shipyards could build any ship provided it did not equip it for war within British territory and given that the shipyard knew nothing about and had no hand in the intended actions of the purchaser it would be within the law. As long as the shipbuilder didn't ask and wasn't told about the end use of the ship, and there were no guns or items of war onboard when it left British Territory the ship was legal.

Mr. Hull acted as Bulloch's lawyer throughout the war.

Frederick S Hull, originally from Suffolk, lived at 88 Rodney Street with his wife and eight children, his niece who was helping out with the children and 3 staff.

Allen S. Hanckel

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The grave of
Allen S Hanckel

An employee of Fraser Trenholm originally from South Carolina. Hanckel acted as a representative of James Bulloch on occasions when Bulloch was unavailable. He was onboard the Trent during the boarding and witnessed the events that took place. Hanckel carried papers for the South to England, including the papers the diplomats were carrying on the Trent. Hanckel was used as a nominal owner of ships including the Bermuda, which carried a huge amount of war supplies to the South.

Hanckel died at The Roselands in Formby north of Liverpool on the 4th May 1894
The Grave of Allen S Hanckel can be found in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church, Wavertree Liverpool

the Roselands
Formby

Captain John Low
	John Low was born in Aberdeen, his parents died shortly after his birth in 1836. At the age of 16 John Low went to sea. John's uncle, Andrew Low, was a business man in Savannah. John was in Savannah at the outbreak of war. He went to Virginia with cavalry from Georgia. He was later ordered to go to England to help obtain naval craft for the Confederacy. John Low was sent to Greenock by James Bulloch to be second officer on the Fingal. He was described by Bulloch as "an able seaman, a reliable and useful officer in every situation". After the successful run on the Fingal he was made Master on Bulloch's recommendation and returned with him to England. When the Oreto left Liverpool John Low was onboard, he was responsible for the hand over of the ship to its captain John Newland Maffit. When the US Bark Conrad was captured by the CSS Alabama on 20 June 1863 it was renamed CSS Tuscaloosa and Low was given command on the 21st. After the war John Low set up business in Liverpool, he was known as the Devil of the Alabama and after his death September 6, 1906 had a large funeral before being buried in Golbourne Churchyard. Hoole, William S. Four Years in the Confederate Navy: The Career of Captain John Low on the C.S.S. Fingal, Florida, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and Ajax. Athens: Univ. of Georgia Press, 1964. 147 pp.

The grave of Captain John Low in Golbourne

Irvine Stephens Bulloch
	Half-Brother of James Bulloch. Acting Fifth Lieutenant on the C.S.S. Alabama. Served on the CSS Nashville. Lived in Liverpool after the war as a merchant.
b: 1842 d: 1898

1 Sydenham Avenue	77 Canning Street Home and office of Irvine Bulloch	Grave of Irvine S. Bulloch Toxteth Cemetery, next to that of James Bulloch.

Henry William Allcot

101 Esmond Street

Born in Liverpool. Served on the Alabama as a warrant officer, he was a sale maker. He survived the battle with the Kearsarge. He also served on the CSS Shenandoah. He died on March 3 1891 at 101, Esmond Street, Anfield, Liverpool and is buried in Anfield cemetery, in section 7, grave 138, Nonconformist Division. His first wife, Elizabeth 'Betsy' Hicklin, is buried in section 2, grave 682, Nonconformist Division (though I have had no luck in finding these graves)

John Caren

15 Monastery Street

Born in Douglas, on the Isle of Man John Caren enlisted on the Alabama in the Azores and served on board throughout the campaign until the final battle with the Kearsage in which he was wounded. He retired to work in Liverpool as a cotton porter and died at his daughter's house, 15 Monastery Street in Anfield Liverpool. He was buried in a public grave at the Liverpool (Anfield) Cemetery on March 11th, 1914, in section 7, grave 642, Church of England Division.