Description:

(UNION NAVY) HENRY H. BELL DISCUSSES CAPTURED BLOCKADE RUNNERS
HENRY H. BELL (1808-1868) U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, commander of U.S. Asiatic Squadron (1865). His squadron anchored in Osaka Bay to increase pressure on Japanese government to open Hyogo Port, as committed. Bell died at sea when his boat capsized en route to shore at Hyogo. During the Civil War, he served as Fleet Captain of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under Farragut, helping in the capture of New Orleans, and gradually opening of the Mississippi River. Fine content and association, war-date A.L.S. ‘H H Bell' as fleet captain of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, 4pp. 8vo., Havana, Feb. 2, 1864, to fellow rear admiral THEODORUS BAILEY (1805-1877). In full: ‘I am thus far on my way home by permission of the Dept. and shall leave at 11 Am. No news at N Orelans the Admiral [David G. Farragut] was to have left for the blockade off Mobile Pensacola & Texas yesterday. I wrote you a hurried note the day before I left, intending to mail the letter here – but I have lost sight of it, and therefore have briefly to give you the information about your prizes [captured blockade runners] which you requested viz ‘Bagly' & cargo sold for $21540.73 ‘Montgomery' 20248.94 Lizzie Davis 18351.19 Alabama 80,000 Cargo of Alabama – 51364.10. Expenses are to come out of these amounts. The Army got possession of the Alabama by unfair means giving the court an order on the Treasury for the amount $80,000. But the Admiral says Secty [Gideon] Welles told him the army will not pay an cent for anything they call government property – that is to say Genl [Henry] Halleck and Secretary [Edwin] Stanton will not – prize steamers came under this head. We shall therefore have to whistle for this fund, by petitioning congress through greedy agents at Washington. The [blockade runner] Alice Vivian was to have been sold on the 30th but there was such a combination against her that she will not bring over $25,000 although Genl [?] was willing to take her for $37,000 - but [Navy commander William M.] Walker [captain of USS DE SOTO, which captured the Alice Vivian] wanted 42,000 – I believe – It is said that the Quartermasters Depart[ment] and a private company will not let her sell for more than the amount I have named – we shall see. Please excuse my hurried note and its bad writing especially.' He signs at the conclusion in black ink and addresses the letter to Bailey in Key West, adding a post-script: ‘Ad'l Farragut says he wrote you in answer to your proposal about the Bagly.' Shows folds throughout, with ink show-through not detracting from legibility, and with old mounting remnants and an archival tape repair to a split on the final page, otherwise in very good condition overall. Interestingly, of the captured blockade runners Bell lists, the WILLIAM BAGALEY, LIZZIE DAVIS and ALICE VIVIAN were flat-bottomed Alabama river steamers, and were wildly unsuited for running the blockade to transport cotton between Mobile and Havana. Only Alice Vivian would make a complete round trip to Cuba and back before her capture.

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March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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