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American Civil War - British Compensation

• Message 1.Μύ

  Posted by pc1973 (U13716600) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  Having just finished an excellent book by Amanda Foreman which details in depth about British Involvement in the above conflict I was astounded to read that the British Government paid compensation after the war to the Federal's.
  
  The claim mainly related to the CSS Alabama which was built and converted to a warship in British ports and became quite a thorn in the Federals side.
  
  Documents proved though that both Russell and Palmerston did everything in there power to prevent the ship from leaving British waters but they were up againist Confederate agents with a lot of cash and Pro-Confederate port cities such as Liverpool.
  
  Given the pre-war threats from the Federals to invade Canada that forced the British Government to send additional forces to Canada at great expense I was amazed that the British agreed to pay them anything.
  
  I was just wondering what other posters thought that the British Government were right to pay the compensation, albeit It was a token amount but it does than show an acceptance of liability which I believe was not there especially given the amount of British Citizens that had been illegally forced into the Union Army.
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by AlexanderLiberty (U14397753) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  Having just finished an excellent book by Amanda Foreman which details in depth about British Involvement in the above conflict I was astounded to read that the British Government paid compensation after the war to the Federal's.
  
  The claim mainly related to the CSS Alabama which was built and converted to a warship in British ports and became quite a thorn in the Federals side.
  
  Documents proved though that both Russell and Palmerston did everything in there power to prevent the ship from leaving British waters but they were up againist Confederate agents with a lot of cash and Pro-Confederate port cities such as Liverpool.
  
  Given the pre-war threats from the Federals to invade Canada that forced the British Government to send additional forces to Canada at great expense I was amazed that the British agreed to pay them anything.
  
  I was just wondering what other posters thought that the British Government were right to pay the compensation, albeit It was a token amount but it does than show an acceptance of liability which I believe was not there especially given the amount of British Citizens that had been illegally forced into the Union Army.
  Μύ Hi PC1973,
  
  How many British citizens fighted in the American Civil War? There was any ancient "contractor"? How many fighted for CS Army?.
  
  
  I'm very interested in this topic.
  
  Thanks bye.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by pc1973 (U13716600) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011

  Hi Alexander,
  
  I do not have exact figures but there was quite a lot that voluntered for both sides as well as being forced. Any British subject was liable to be conscripted into either army although the Union army was more notorious for it.
  
  There are stories of British subjects in New York being assaulted , plied with drink and waking up in a Union Uniform, with most of there bounty money gone and being told they has spent it. It could take months for the British Legation to find out and try and do something about it but which time a lot of the men had been killed or taken POW.
  
  The men who joined the South had to be a bit more determined as it was harder to get to, although plenty did. A lot were officers or former offices from the British army looking for a bit of adventure.
  
  There was one Medal of Honor won by a British Subject and the last veteran died around 1906.
  
  Regards,
  
  Paul.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by White Camry (U2321601) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011

  Here's the Wiki on the Alabama Claims:
  
  
  
  

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by AlexanderLiberty (U14397753) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011

  Hi Alexander,
  
  I do not have exact figures but there was quite a lot that voluntered for both sides as well as being forced. Any British subject was liable to be conscripted into either army although the Union army was more notorious for it.
  
  There are stories of British subjects in New York being assaulted , plied with drink and waking up in a Union Uniform, with most of there bounty money gone and being told they has spent it. It could take months for the British Legation to find out and try and do something about it but which time a lot of the men had been killed or taken POW.
  
  The men who joined the South had to be a bit more determined as it was harder to get to, although plenty did. A lot were officers or former offices from the British army looking for a bit of adventure.
  
  There was one Medal of Honor won by a British Subject and the last veteran died around 1906.
  
  Regards,
  
  Paul. Μύ Thanks Paul,
  
  if you have any additional information on this argument post it.
  

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Piltdown (U6504098) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011

  Any use?
  
  
  
  I think it was the loss of cotton imports that prompted support for the South, it must've caused some real poverty in the textile industry. The North were angered by British built blockade runners enough to stage a raid on a British town which built many of them (it's name escapes me) which after a promising start descended into farce. The American raiders got drunk and when they tried to set fire to the place discovered nobody had any matches.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by cloudyj (U1773646) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011

  The North were angered by British built blockade runners enough to stage a raid on a British town which built many of them (it's name escapes me) which after a promising start descended into farce. The American raiders got drunk and when they tried to set fire to the place discovered nobody had any matchesΜύ
  
  Are you sure you have the right war? This sounds very much like the American Navy's raid on Whitehaven during the War of Independence.
  
  
  

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Piltdown (U6504098) on Thursday, 24th March 2011

  You could be right.
  
  I'll blame the HD painkillers I'm on at the moment not my increasing years.

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by MB (U177470) on Friday, 25th March 2011

  Any use?
  
  
  
  I think it was the loss of cotton imports that prompted support for the South, it must've caused some real poverty in the textile industry. The North were angered by British built blockade runners enough to stage a raid on a British town which built many of them (it's name escapes me) which after a promising start descended into farce. The American raiders got drunk and when they tried to set fire to the place discovered nobody had any matches.Μύ
  
  Lancashire did not support the South in the American Civil War.
  
  ... I know and deeply deplore the sufferings which the working people of Manchester and in all Europe are called to endure in this crisis. It has been often and studiously represented that the attempt to overthrow this Government which was built on the foundation of human rights, and to substitute for it one which should rest exclusively on the basis of slavery, was unlikely to obtain the favour of Europe.
  
  Through the action of disloyal citizens, the working people of Europe have been subjected to a severe trial for the purpose of forcing their sanction to that attempt. Under the circumstances I cannot but regard your decisive utterances on the question as an instance of sublime Christian heroism which has not been surpassed in any age or in any country. It is indeed an energetic and re-inspiring assurance of the inherent truth and of the ultimate and universal triumph of justice, humanity and freedom.
  
  I hail this interchange of sentiments, therefore, as an augury that, whatever else may happen, whatever misfortune may befall your country or my own, the peace and friendship which now exists between the two nations will be, as it shall be my desire to make them, perpetual.
  β€”Abraham Lincoln, 19 January 1863
  

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Hastur1 (U14272072) on Wednesday, 30th March 2011

  Given Abraham Lincoln's ambivalence as regards to slavery (he was driven by politics rather than the saintly crusade that was later put on him), this is the usual rhetoric directed to would be intervening powers of the evils of that practice. Indeed many in the slums of England endured as worse through their working lives as slaves, albeit that they had an illusion of freedom.
  
  Strangely enough the cotton crisis was brought about more from a Confederate embargo on cotton sales in the early war years rather than an effective Union blockade - the US simply did not have enough ships. The South's view was that by creating an economic crisis in Europe would force intervention. Perversly the sale of cotton early on may well have funded the CSA to enable it to establish and equip its military and acheive its aims that way.
  
  

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