Thomas E. Sebrell II - Persuading John Bull: Union and Confederate Propaganda in Britain, 1860–65

Persuading John Bull

LEXINGTON BOOKS

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sebrell, Thomas E., II.

Persuading John Bull : Union and Confederate propaganda in Britain, 186065 / Thomas E. Sebrell II.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7391-8510-0 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-7391-8511-7 (electronic)

1. United StatesHistoryCivil War, 18611865Propaganda. 2. United StatesHistoryCivil War, 18611865Foreign public opinion, British. 3. Propaganda, ConfederateGreat Britain. 4. Confederate States of AmericaForeign public opinion, British. 5. United StatesHistoryCivil War, 18611865 Press coverage. 6. JournalistsEnglandLondon. I. Title.

E468.9.S434 2014

973.7'88dc23

2014023718

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Researching for and writing this book has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life to date, and as it has been a great task it was impossible to plan or complete on my own. Indeed, many people have contributed in some way or another to this project.

I wish to start by thanking Dr. Clare Jackson of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, for encouraging me to pursue the subject of Great Britains roles in the American Civil War. I took her advice and within a month began selecting a subtopic within this greater study, and am very thankful for the assistance of Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr., and Professor William C. Davis, both formerly of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Dr. Jonathan P. Parry of Pembroke College, Cambridge, with this task, which resulted in choosing the topic of this book.

During the four-year period of research for this book, I was given great assistance by most helpful staffs at numerous archives in London to include the British Library, St. Pancras; British Library Newspapers, Colindale; National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office); University of London Archives, Deposited Collections and Manuscripts; University College, London, Special Collections; London Metropolitan Archives; Bishopsgate Institute; Royal Geographical Society; Natural History Museum; Geological Society; Royal Institute of British Architects; Royal Astronomical Society; Royal College of Physicians; and the Royal Society. In Liverpool, I found the staffs at the Merseyside Maritime Museum Archives, Liverpool Record Office and Local History Service, and University of Liverpool Special Collections and Archives of great help. Archivists at Kings College and Trinity College, both at Cambridge, proved immensely useful, as did those at Bodleian Library, Oxford. I also must extend thanks to the staffs at Manchester Archives and Local Studies and John Rylands Library, University of Manchester, Southampton University Special Collections, University of Birmingham Special Collections, Birmingham Oratory, University of Nottingham Archives, Nottinghamshire Archives, Sheffield Archives, West Sussex Record Office, Centre for Kentish Studies, Warwickshire County Records Office, Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, Somerset Archives and Record Service, and Hatfield House Archives. Several research journeys to the United States were necessary, where the archivists at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the Eleanor S. Brockenbrough Library at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia, particularly Dr. John and Ruth Ann Coski, were most friendly and provided great assistance.

I am also indebted to the Institute of Historical Research, Universities of Manchester, Birmingham, Sussex, Northampton, Lancaster, and Wolverhampton, Queen Mary, University of London, London Metropolitan Archives, Liverpool History Society, Library of Virginia, Museum of the Confederacy and the UK American Civil War Round Table for giving me opportunities to present my work, as it progressed, at their seminars and lecture series.

My former PhD supervisor at Queen Mary, University of London, Dr. Peter Catterall (now of the University of Westminster), is and will always remain the individual to whom I am most indebted for assistance, guidance, and support throughout this project. His level of enthusiasm in support of this books development was tremendous, and I will never be able to fully repay him for all he has done.

A special thanks also to Dr. Joanna Cohen of Queen Mary, University of London, who read some of my work and provided valuable feedback and constructive criticism.

Other scholars and readers of the American Civil War have been very helpful with providing feedback on my work, including Dr. Gary McKay, David Waller, S. Waite Rawls III, Patrick Reardon, Lee Ruddin, David Hearn, Professor N. Turk McCleskey, Greg Bayne, and a number of my former undergraduate students at Queen Mary, University of London.

Adrian and Gillian Padfield were gracious enough to allow me to stay at their home (and feed me quite well, I should add!) in Sheffield while researching in that citys archives. I am also grateful for Patrick Macgills putting me up for a few nights at his flat when I was researching in Birmingham and Warwick. Additionally, thanks to Willow Reed for allowing me to stay at her place for a night in Taunton during a trek to the Somerset Archives and Record Service.

The vicars and wardens at St. Peters Churches in Belsize Park and Hammersmith were kind enough to escort me around their houses of worship showing me plaques and memorials relevant to the American Civil War and allowing me to photograph them for my research. Also, I thank David Le Conte and Derek Wallace for aiding my research of Warren and William Frederick De La Rue, and am grateful for Malcolm Goddards assistance in learning more about his ancestor, Samuel Aspinwall Goddard.

Adjusting to the English lifestyle was an experience in itself and I am grateful for having wonderful flatmates who were able to put up with my seemingly endless late nights cataloguing research findings and writing this bookTom Garbett, Rachel Law, Phil Rothwell, and Anthony Coleridge. Yall also made the whole experience more bearable for me!

There are far too many supportive family members to mention in this section, but I do wish to express an appreciation for my Moms and Dads every ounce of support and encouragement they showed throughout this project.

On the subject of family, I would like to thank my cousin Margy and her husband, Tim, and their three children, Jinny, Tim, and Bella, for allowing me to have a wonderful family experience in London and ensuring I got one decent meal a week when they lived in Kensington during the first three years of researching for this book.