Civil War Blockade Papers

[USS ALASKA]

Thornaby's Blockade Runner
During the American Civil War (1861-65) supplying arms and war materiel to the Confederate forces was a lucrative, if risky business. Not surprising, a large number of British ships were soon employed as 'blockade runners'. There were several of these purpose-built blockade runners built on the Tees. Perhaps the most well-known of these was the Bermuda - an iron-hulled screw-steamer weighing 1238 tons, built at the Thornaby yard of Pearse and Lockwood in 1862. She was built for Edwin Haigh of Liverpool whose main business interest was cotton. She was obviously built for the blockade-running business as it appears that, shortly after being completed, she was sold in secret to Messrs Henckle and Trenholme of South Carolina. She was then chartered to Frasier, Trenholme and Co., a British company that operated as the Confederate government's agent in Britain – they owned several of these blockade runners.

Full article with pic here - https://heritage.stockton.gov.uk/articles/stories/thornabys-blockade-runner/

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Blair & Co. Ltd., Marine Engine Builders
On the other side of the Atlantic, the Confederate Army relied on munitions supplied through seaports, on the Atlantic coast, and the Union Army knew if the supply line could be severed the length of the war would be shortened. They therefore established blockades around the major harbour and river mouths to restrict the movement of Confederate ships. In turn, the South responded by introducing fast ships to act as blockade runners. The blockades were also there to prevent any attempt at building replacement ships by isolating the shipyards the South used. Desperate for shipping, representatives from the Confederate Navy crossed the Atlantic looking for shipbuilders not involved in the war. Fossick & Hackworth engines now had another potential market, as at least three ships were to be purchased by the Confederate Navy. The partnership between Fossick & Hackworth was probably contractual and had a limited life-span which matured in 1864. At this time the factory was producing both locomotives and marine engines, the latter being instigated by George Y. Blair. The transition from locomotive to ships' engines was accelerated during the American Civil War. Thomas Hackworth was still very interested in the production of locomotives and he moved away leaving George Fossick to form a new partnership with George Blair and became Fossick & Blair, producing one or two further locomotives but switching the main production to Marine Engines.

Full article here - https://heritage.stockton.gov.uk/articles/organisations/blair-co-ltd-marine-engine-builders/

Cheers,
USS ALASKA