Hoping for help with identification

Joined
Sep 8, 2021
Hello all! Very new here! Attached is a picture of a chest of drawers made by D.H. Silcox of Charleston SC during the war. I am hoping someone can either read the writing better than I can or can *especially* research more on the sailing vessel upon which this piece sailed. Thank you in advance!
@John Winn thank you for your help regarding your family, DH Silcox!
5B361947-B54C-4D9D-8E16-DCE5EB33648A.jpeg
 
Welcome to CivilWarTalk, Graham McGinnis. If you haven't done so already, you might stop by the Camp of Instruction for New Recruits to introduce yourself to some more CivilWarTalkers.

The address of 84 South St. NY seems pretty clear. That address would now be under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, close to the East River, so it seems like it would have been at or near a place where a vessel could have docked. The bridge, of course, did not exist during the Civil War.

The line above that appears to show a two-word proper name. The first word looks like Bentleys, but I can't make out the second word.
 
Welcome to CivilWarTalk, Graham McGinnis. If you haven't done so already, you might stop by the Camp of Instruction for New Recruits to introduce yourself to some more CivilWarTalkers.

The address of 84 South St. NY seems pretty clear. That address would now be under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, close to the East River, so it seems like it would have been at or near a place where a vessel could have docked. The bridge, of course, did not exist during the Civil War.

The line above that appears to show a two-word proper name. The first word looks like Bentleys, but I can't make out the second word.
I think the second word might be "Line" as in a merchant vessel company since it gives an address on the waterfront which could have been the offices.
 
I agree that it says:

DH Silcox
Charleston SC

Sail Vessel
Bentlings Line
84 South St
NY

Hard to say who owned the vessel but I can attest that DH did a lot of business with men in Boston so that might be a good place to start.
South Street Seaport Museum archives and collections may have information on the line as 84 South Street is at the northern edge of the historic district. Most of the buildings along South Street, Front Street and the adjacent cross streets were ships chandlers, shipping offices, and other related maritime businesses.

Mystic Seaport also has an extensive archival collection related to the 19th century maritime industry.
 
Possibly Daniel Hardy Silcox:

"Major Silcox was born at Charleston in 1870 His parents Daniel S and Carrie Olivia Spear Silcox are deceased His father was also a native of Charleston and a son of Daniel Hardy Silcox The family is of English origin and bears a highly honorable name in this state Major Silcox was educated in the public schools of Charleston and in New York City where the family lived for five years during his youth At the age of sixteen he became a clerk in the office of his uncle the late Ferdinand Augustus Silcox a prominent cotton factor and merchant of Charleston While there he was made a cotton grader and when his uncle died Major Silcox and his brother HW Silcox established the cotton business of Silcox & Company in 1897 For a number of years this has been one of the leading cotton firms of Charleston Besides his position as a cotton factor Major Silcox and his brother have extensive interests elsewhere especially in the land timber and mercantile business They own the Padgett Land and Mercantile Company in Colleton County and also the Silcox Mercantile Company in Harleyville in Dorchester County A popular and progressive citizen Major Silcox in many ways has exerted his influence in behalf of the modern growth and development of this historic city ."

History of South Carolina
https://www.google.com/books/editio...iel+hardy+silcox"&pg=PA88&printsec=frontcover
 
Find A Grave:

Daniel immigrated to the United States between 1827 and 1835 with brothers John and James. He first lived in New York City but by 1838 had moved to Charleston with brother James. Both were cabinet makers and in 1838 Daniel opened a furniture store on King St. He operated that store and, later, a steam-operated factory also on King St. In 1860 he purchased a building from the widow of William Enston and moved the store there (now Birlant Antiques at 191 King St.). He operated that store until his death in 1873 and his son, Daniel Seymour Silcox, operated it until his death in 1886.

Before the war between the states Daniel had been in the shipping business with the New York firm of Spofford & Tileston and owned shares in the Purcell House hotel in Norfolk, VA where those involved in the shipping industry often stayed. Shortly after the northern blockade began he made use of his contacts and began running goods into Charleston. He was a founding member of the Importing & Exporting Co. of South Carolina, one of the largest blockade-running conglomerates. He used his furniture store to sell these goods and opened another store explicitly for that purpose in Columbia which he operated until Columbia was burned by Sherman. For a while he also owned a plantation in Colletin County. He was a very successful business man and after the war he had to get a presidential pardon because he was worth more than $20,000.

Daniel owned two houses in Charleston both of which still exist. The first was 31 Archdale St. which he bought in 1851 and the second was 9 Franklin St. which he bought in 1861. During the war he moved the family to Anderson where he also bought a house but sold that one after the war and moved the family back to Charleston where he operated the furniture store until his death.
 
From House Flags of U.S. Shipping Companies:

Spofford & Tileston, New York (by 1845-at least 1874)
Spofford & Tileston were in business by at least 1845 running a steam packet service from New York to Charleston. In 1852 they began operating a packet service to Liverpool as well, and obviously, judging from the label on this flag in Manning, also served the West Indies. The flag was yellow with a blue cross, the letters S and T in white on the horizontal arm. The image here shows the letters spread out as in PSMNY; Manning shows them together at the center.
Sources: chart of "Private Signals of the Merchants of New York"; Manning (1874) as Spofford's West India Line).
Joe McMillan, 22 November 2001


Spofford & Tiletson. The letters being close together is also shown in "South Street" (Richard C. McKay) who gives the partnership as being formed by Paul N. Spofford and Thomas Tileston in 1819 as commission agents, later becoming agents for a line of sloops operating New York-Boston and then charterers and finally owners, being involved in the first two coastwise steamships "Southerner" and "Northerner" which commenced trading in 1846 and 1847 respectively, and starting a Liverpool Line in 1852. Up until 1860 they had a mail contract to Charleston, Savannah, Key West and Havana which seems to cover the West Indies reference.
Neale Rosanoski, 1 August 2004


The flag of the 19th Century US shipping company of Spofford & Tileston can be seen on a page describing a print (ca. 1846) of the 'Southerner', flying the house flag. The image is clickable, leading to this page. Here, too, the company initials are spread out. Relevant extract added here and free to look at, whereas the print will cost you 3,500 USD.
 
D.H. Silcox & Sons was the largest furniture dealer in Charleston. It was established in 1838 and continued after the death of D.H. in 1874 but his son (Daniel S.) continued operations.

My brother has a marvelous painting of South Street in Manhattan. It was an extremely commercial area and I doubt that anyone really lived here. According to the Manhattan Directory of 1876, that address was occupied by H.K. Corning and Son. Most likely that would be Hanson K. Corning, a ship merchant who died in 1878 and who is buried in Brooklyn (his forename and the Brooklyn location may mean that he had ties to the Scandinavian community). The business handled shipments and insurances.

The fourth line may read "sail vessel". If this is so, the words "Bentleys [Bentley S.?] may refer to ship to which delivery was to be made. BUT commercial and shipping notifications refer Bentley Smith & Company, a shipper with ties to North Carolina; perhaps that line is "Bentley S[mith] Line.

Puzzlement: why would someone ship something from South Carolina to NYC only to redirect it to North Carolina?
 
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I read, "Bentleys Tailor"

There is a modern day Bentleys Tailor registered in NYC since 1958 - maybe there was an earlier iteration of the company ?

https://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory/bentleytailorinc-newyork-ny-21756479.html

Surely NYC has City Directories which would tell you who or what was at the South Street address ? Like the Kelly's Directories here in UK ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly's_Director
There are NYC Directories for that time period (My great grandfather is in the 1865 directory). I won't be able to look tonight but I can access them on Ancestry and the NY Public Library tomorrow.
 
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Find A Grave:

Daniel immigrated to the United States between 1827 and 1835 with brothers John and James. He first lived in New York City but by 1838 had moved to Charleston with brother James. Both were cabinet makers and in 1838 Daniel opened a furniture store on King St. He operated that store and, later, a steam-operated factory also on King St. In 1860 he purchased a building from the widow of William Enston and moved the store there (now Birlant Antiques at 191 King St.). He operated that store until his death in 1873 and his son, Daniel Seymour Silcox, operated it until his death in 1886.

Before the war between the states Daniel had been in the shipping business with the New York firm of Spofford & Tileston and owned shares in the Purcell House hotel in Norfolk, VA where those involved in the shipping industry often stayed. Shortly after the northern blockade began he made use of his contacts and began running goods into Charleston. He was a founding member of the Importing & Exporting Co. of South Carolina, one of the largest blockade-running conglomerates. He used his furniture store to sell these goods and opened another store explicitly for that purpose in Columbia which he operated until Columbia was burned by Sherman. For a while he also owned a plantation in Colletin County. He was a very successful business man and after the war he had to get a presidential pardon because he was worth more than $20,000.

Daniel owned two houses in Charleston both of which still exist. The first was 31 Archdale St. which he bought in 1851 and the second was 9 Franklin St. which he bought in 1861. During the war he moved the family to Anderson where he also bought a house but sold that one after the war and moved the family back to Charleston where he operated the furniture store until his death.
My gg grandfather. I wrote that.
 
There are NYC Directories for that time period (My great grandfather is in the 1865 directory). I won't be able to look tonight but I can access them on Ancestry and the NY Public Library tomorrow.
Whoa! Great eyes and great information! Thank you for digging, I’m really grateful! I’m going to start my research tonight! I’ll let you know if I find anything! Thanks again!
 
I read, "Bentleys Tailor"

There is a modern day Bentleys Tailor registered in NYC since 1958 - maybe there was an earlier iteration of the company ?

https://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory/bentleytailorinc-newyork-ny-21756479.html

Surely NYC has City Directories which would tell you who or what was at the South Street address ? Like the Kelly's Directories here in UK ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly's_Directory
They do. See #11: it was HK Corning & Son (ship merchant)
 
D.H. Silcox & Sons was the largest furniture dealer in Charleston. It was established in 1838 and continued after the death of D.H. in 1874 but his son (Daniel S.) continued operations.

My brother has a marvelous painting of South Street in Manhattan. It was an extremely commercial area and I doubt that anyone really lived here. According to the Manhattan Directory of 1876, that address was occupied by H.K. Corning and Son. Most likely that would be Hanson K. Corning, a ship merchant who died in 1878 and who is buried in Brooklyn (his forename and the Brooklyn location may mean that he had ties to the Scandinavian community). The business handled shipments and insurances.

The fourth line may read "sail vessel". If this is so, the words "Bentleys [Bentley S.?] may refer to ship to which delivery was to be made. BUT commercial and shipping notifications refer Bentley Smith & Company, a shipper with ties to North Carolina; perhaps that line is "Bentley S[mith] Line.

Puzzlement: why would someone ship something from South Carolina to NYC only to redirect it to North Carolina?
You probably can scratch "Bentley Smith & Company". It was located at 72 South Street--and it simply doesn't seem reasonable that something would be delivered to #84 only to have it lugged down the street to #72.
 
You probably can scratch "Bentley Smith & Company". It was located at 72 South Street--and it simply doesn't seem reasonable that something would be delivered to #84 only to have it lugged down the street to #72.
But SO close! Off by about a block!!! Maybe the company had two buildings or addresses?? I think it may still be in the running! I’m hoping from what you’ve found along with @Llewellyn and @SandiD are providing, we can put a company name to 84 South Street. If the company doesn’t look anything like “Bentleys”/“Bentlings” “Line”/“Tailor” I think it’s safe to assume that this (whichever spelling one sees for themselves!) is the name of the vessel! Thank you all so much for your help! I had no idea how helpful y’all would be or that this would even get a reply- so I’m ecstatic! I am going to take some better photos tonight and maybe that could help the effort! Thanks again!
 
But SO close! Off by about a block!!! Maybe the company had two buildings or addresses?? I think it may still be in the running! I’m hoping from what you’ve found along with @Llewellyn and @SandiD are providing, we can put a company name to 84 South Street. If the company doesn’t look anything like “Bentleys”/“Bentlings” “Line”/“Tailor” I think it’s safe to assume that this (whichever spelling one sees for themselves!) is the name of the vessel! Thank you all so much for your help! I had no idea how helpful y’all would be or that this would even get a reply- so I’m ecstatic! I am going to take some better photos tonight and maybe that could help the effort! Thanks again!
84 South Street was the H.K. Corning & Son (see post #11).
 
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