President of the Confederacy Jefferson F. Davis was convinced that the British people supported the Confederate cause, and securing formal recognition was his top foreign policy objective early in the war. Most of the Southern landed class believed, and were loudly expressive, that withholding cotton exports to England and the economic dislocation that would result would suffice to pressure any recalcitrants in London to support recognition. Recognition would put the Confederacy on the same level diplomatically – that of a sovereign nation – as the United States and would greatly increase its chances for a successful secession. The South came close, and the hotheaded, obstinate, confrontational style of US Secretary of State William Seward vis-à-vis England almost sealed the deal. It eventuated, however, that even Seward’s “first folly”, so to speak, was not enough to push London, Parliament and Crown alike, past their visceral distaste for slavery in any form. Formal diplomatic recognition by Britain (or by France or any other European state) was never obtained.
Nothing new is this summary. What is new and a real treat is the story Christopher Dickey unspools to describe this. He starts with the appointment of one Robert Bunch, a relatively minor official in the British Foreign Office, as a replacement British consul in Charleston, South Carolina in 1853, and follows Bunch’s tenure until his eventual reassignment in February 1863. There were 14 British consuls in the United States, including 7 in slave states, all answerable to the British Minister (ambassador, as it were) in Washington, DC. They had a variety of tasks to perform. First and foremost was to facilitate the movement of British goods and people – to keep the lines of commerce open and flowing. A close second was to act as London’s eyes and ears in the US hinterland, monitoring and reporting back on commercial, cultural, political, military, and economic events that might prove important to British interests. Most of these consuls were part-timers who mixed their private business with their unpaid official duties, but Bunch was one of the few that was a full-time salaried professional. He would also prove himself to be one of the best and most prolific. His reports were comprehensive, detailed, and perceptive. He is an excellent vehicle through which to tell this story.
Three things I like about this book: First, it sheds light on a slice of Civil War history that hasn’t seen a lot of play in popular histories – the underlying Royal and Parliamentary anti-slavery sentiment, how the British Foreign Office worked, the source network that Bunch (and by interpolation the other consuls) developed, and how Bunch personally had to operate in the Deep South so as do his job without revealing his personal hatred of the South’s “peculiar institution”. Second, Christopher Dickey’s style. He is a trained and experienced journalist, and already an accomplished author prior to this book. Thus, he knows how to write. This is an easy, smooth read that flows linearly through time with seamless transitions between events, locales, and personalities – not only informative, but a joy to read. One downside is that Mr. Dickey’s abhorrence of slavery comes through the text. It doesn’t get in the way of the narrative, but it’s visible. And then, third, there is the description of the diplomatic motives and strategies initiated and played out within and between Britain, the Confederacy, and the United States. In what too often can be a dry topic, the maneuverings are not only described with pulse and pace, but their intricacies and backgrounds are well explained. Take, for example, the Negro Seamen Act of 1822 – a South Carolina law that was a thorn in Britain’s side. The law required free seamen of African descent working aboard domestic and foreign ships (including British ships) to be jailed while the ship was in any South Carolinian port for fear that if they were allowed free access to local slaves, riots and other unrest might ensue. Moreover, when it was time to leave, the ship’s captain had to pay a fine for the release of seaman held captive. You can imagine Britain’s reaction.
This book is a great read, and I recommend it highly. If you need more convincing, you might check out
http://www.c-span.org/video/?327546-1/christopher-dickey-man-charleston. Enjoy!
Our Man in Charleston: Britain's Secret Agent in the Civil War South
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Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries
SmartyPants
The story of Robert Bunch comes alive through Christopher Dickey
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2016Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Remarkably relevant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2018Verified Purchase
Ann
Quality
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2020Verified Purchase
Barbara Adams
Fascinating angle on an over-written subject
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2016Verified Purchase
Alexander McKay
first class
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2017Verified Purchase
