Confederate Blockade Runner Telescopes

[cwbuff]

I'm trying to find any information of the purchase of naval telescopes that were used on Confederate blockage runner ships. Specifically a purchase or purchased made by George Alfred Trenholm. As I understand it, Trenholm worked for a major cotton broker, John Fraser & Co. in Charleston. By 1853 he was head of the company. When the Civil War broke out, John Fraser & Co. became the Confederate government's overseas banker and financed its own fleet of blockade runners. In 1864 Trenholm was appointed Confederate Secretary of the Treasury. I was told that Trenholm purchased some number of British naval telescopes for use on blockade runners.

Does anyone have any information that would verify this story?

Thanks.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

I've searched through the McRae Papers and can't locate anything concerning the Trenholm/Fraser connection.

The English Connection however contains several pages of identified telescopes. The major English makers which turn up the most with CS associations were Spencer, Browning & Co., London,{ ID to Ella Warley, Albemarle, Shenandoah} and the CS Signal Corps telescopes made by Negretti & Zambra, London {a CS Government purchase}.

There would have been a good business in commercially imported optics, but the blockade runners and raiders would probably have been equipped when they were each made or refitted, on an as needed basis.

 

[cwbuff]

Thanks for the reply. Other than the telescope makers, have you seen any details on the scopes themselves?

 

[Package4]

I'm trying to find any information of the purchase of naval telescopes that were used on Confederate blockage runner ships. Specifically a purchase or purchased made by George Alfred Trenholm. As I understand it, Trenholm worked for a major cotton broker, John Fraser & Co. in Charleston. By 1853 he was head of the company. When the Civil War broke out, John Fraser & Co. became the Confederate government's overseas banker and financed its own fleet of blockade runners. In 1864 Trenholm was appointed Confederate Secretary of the Treasury. I was told that Trenholm purchased some number of British naval telescopes for use on blockade runners.

Does anyone have any information that would verify this story?

Thanks.

If you can pick up a copy of the English Connection it shows that Spencer, Browning & Company supplied quite a few marine glasses to John Frazer & Company vessels. The Ella Warley was captured with a manifest that included:

• 2 octave sextants
• 11 quadrants
• 20 "spy" glasses

The Albemarle was also captured with Spencer Browning & Company glasses on board, one marked to "Jas I Waddell" the commander of the Shenandoah

 

[Package4]

I've searched through the McRae Papers and can't locate anything concerning the Trenholm/Fraser connection.

The English Connection however contains several pages of identified telescopes. The major English makers which turn up the most with CS associations were Spencer, Browning & Co., London,{ ID to Ella Warley, Albemarle, Shenandoah} and the CS Signal Corps telescopes made by Negretti & Zambra, London {a CS Government purchase}.

There would have been a good business in commercially imported optics, but the blockade runners and raiders would probably have been equipped when they were each made or refitted, on an as needed basis.

Don't you have one or two of these?

 

[USS ALASKA]

...but the blockade runners and raiders would probably have been equipped when they were each made or refitted, on an as needed basis.

And only runners owned by, (or perhaps chartered by), the Confederate government - which were few compared to the vast numbers of commercial enterprises running supplies. I don't believe that Trenholm would have been spending money to outfit the profiteers. They were on their own.

If you can pick up a copy of the English Connection...

Amazon has them between $800 and $2,000...wow...

Cheers!
USS ALASKA

 

[cwbuff]

Here is a more reasonable price: https://www.collegehillarsenal.com/shop/product.php?productid=1565

 

[Lanyard Puller]

Here's a few photos of what they looked like... the small wooden covered one is ID'ed to an artilleryman in Stuart's Horse Artillery.

Spencer, Browning trade label is in the center circle of the decorative nautical label.

 

[AndyHall]

Trenholm was heavily invested in blockade running as a private/company venture, separate from his later role in the CS government. I'm not any sort of authority on telescopes, but my guess would be that the purchases would be made from the main suppliers in the UK and France (the latter generally being considered a leader in optical equipment at the time), on the open market. The actual purchasing would be done through agents in Europe or neutral ports (Bermuda, Nassau, Havana). It would be difficult or impossible to know if a particular piece was bought for or used on a runner from the piece itself; that information would have to come via the provenance of the artifact.

 

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

I know this question is only tangential to the current topic, but does anyone have any information on marine navigational chronometers or other timepieces that came through the blockade, or that were used by blockade runners?