A piece of Civil War history in Fleetwood, UK (economy, slavery, confederacy)

[BereniceUK]

I was wandering round Fleetwood Cemetery, Lancashire, on Saturday and came across a headstone for Captain Arthur Sinclair of Norfolk VA. It seems that he was a Commander in the Confederate Navy and the ship he was on, the Lelia, was going to try to run the Union blockade but it sank in heavy seas four hours out from Liverpool.

http://www.csa-dixie.com/liverpool_dixie/Lelia.htm

The inscription reads:-

SACRED
to the Memory of
Captain Arthur Sinclair
of Norfolk, Virginia
who perished in the wreck
of the Lelia
January 14th 1865

"Not lost but gone before"

[Ulsterman]

I have visited Commander Bulloch's grave in Toxeth Cemetery Liverpool. I also heard of two brothers who are buried in Dungiven graveyard in Ulster. They were on opposing sides in the war. In Moyola graveyard in Newtownards there is a soldier of the Federal army buried.

Liverpool gave a lot of support to the Confederate side in the war.

[andywire]

Originally Posted by Ulsterman

Liverpool gave a lot of support to the Confederate side in the war.

Most folks don't realize how dependent the south was on the aid of other nations. Their economy was centered around agriculture with relatively little industry. Very difficult to fight an effective war while supplying your army when you hold 1/5th the industrial strength of your opponent. Also a huge motivation for the south to fight to protect the institution of slavery. Their economy was entirely dependent on slave labor. Curtailing the flow of slaves would be like cutting off the flow of oil into our nation today. Most people focus on the obvious ethical dilemma while failing to acknowledge the south's economic dependance on the practice.

[Ulsterman]

They ran a big bazaar in Liverpool to aid the Confederacy and of course its shipyard was building ships for them and included the Alabama among them.

Your reference to oil brings it down to basics. What would life be like today without it.

Some of the slaves were treated fairly well but I think it was the idea of actually owning a person which was the stumbling block.