Request sources of info on inventories of cargoes seized from blockade runners

Is there perhaps a clearer, darker version of that middle ad? I can't read it.

New Supply of

Watches Jewelry

Solid ‘s Silver and Plated Ware.

The subscriber has lately purchased a very extensive supply of the above articles. His purchases being made directly from the manufacturer, he is therefore enabled to sell at a very small advance on cost and persons may rest assured that all his articles are warranted to be what he represents them to be.

Watches and clocks carefully repaired and will receive my personal attention.

R. E. Beckwith

Ad first run in this paper Nov. 27, 1861
 
New Supply of

Watches Jewelry

Solid ‘s Silver and Plated Ware.

The subscriber has lately purchased a very extensive supply of the above articles. His purchases being made directly from the manufacturer, he is therefore enabled to sell at a very small advance on cost and persons may rest assured that all his articles are warranted to be what he represents them to be.

Watches and clocks carefully repaired and will receive my personal attention.

R. E. Beckwith

Ad first run in this paper Nov. 27, 1861

Thank you very much, Dave! "Purchased directly from the manufacturer" would suggest that the merchandise came through the blockade, unless they were unused old stock, as there were no watch manufacturers in the South.
 
I have been looking at the Charleston Mercury issues to see if there are any watches in the runner auctions. After checking about 20 of them, I found, in the Dec 1 '62 issue this:

Peremptory Sale – Assorted Merchandize

By John G. Milnor & Co.

On Thursday, 4th December, at 10 o’clock, will be sold, at our Store, No. 185 Meeting Street,

Groceries and Medicines (items listed)

Shoes and Hats (items listed)

Dry Goods, &c (items listed)

Also,

One Heavy Double Cased Old English Gold Watch.
 
Thank you for that, Dave. I was trying to assess how many watches might have come through the the blockade. While I haven't found much data on confiscated blockade runner cargoes, I am reaching the conclusion that the paucity of watches for sale in the South, as suggested by the rarity of watch ads there, would suggest that the supply of new watches had been pretty effectively choked off.

The ad you cited was for a single watch, rather than for a supply of watches, which further tends to attest to the scarcity of the commodity.
 
Thank you for that, Dave. I was trying to assess how many watches might have come through the the blockade. While I haven't found much data on confiscated blockade runner cargoes, I am reaching the conclusion that the paucity of watches for sale in the South, as suggested by the rarity of watch ads there, would suggest that the supply of new watches had been pretty effectively choked off.

The ad you cited was for a single watch, rather than for a supply of watches, which further tends to attest to the scarcity of the commodity.
I checked several more issues, going to the end of February '65. By mid '64, I began to see watches mentioned (no details) in personal sales and auctions of private possessions. So by then, watches could probably be more easily purchased from distressed citizens than runners.
 
Remember that we are looking at ads for public auctions. Watches could have been brought in on an account, for the Government, or sold before the auction ads were compiled. I would still think sailors and officers bringing in small quantities for their own private sale was likely. I'm saying we cannot read too much into the silence of the ads.
 
Remember that we are looking at ads for public auctions. Watches could have been brought in on an account, for the Government, or sold before the auction ads were compiled. I would still think sailors and officers bringing in small quantities for their own private sale was likely. I'm saying we cannot read too much into the silence of the ads.

Well, I doubt that individual sailors bringing in small numbers of watches on their own account would have significantly expanded the total population of watches available in the South during the war. For one thing, even relatively cheap watches were sufficiently expensive that few sailors would have been in a position to buy very many at one time.
 
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