Crenshaw Company facts for kids

The Crenshaw Company was a special business during the American Civil War. It helped the Confederacy get important supplies by "blockade running". This meant their ships tried to sneak past the Union navy's blockade, which was stopping goods from reaching Southern ports.

The Crenshaw Company: Supplying the Confederacy

The Crenshaw Company was started by two brothers, James and William Crenshaw. They were from Richmond, Virginia. Their main goal was to help the Confederacy by bringing in goods that were hard to get.

Who Started It?

James and William Crenshaw were the founders of this important company. They had many ships built specifically for their mission. These ships traveled between places like Bermuda, Nassau, England, and Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington was a key port for the Confederacy. James Crenshaw worked as the company's agent in Nassau. William Crenshaw was the agent in Liverpool, England. An agent is like a representative who handles business in a specific place.

Moving Supplies During the War

In early 1864, the Crenshaw brothers made a deal with some important people from Atlanta, Georgia. These people were Richard Peters, Vernon Stevenson, and Richard Wilson. Their job was to move cotton from inland areas to Wilmington. At that time, Wilmington was the best port still controlled by the Confederacy.

Richard Wilson was in charge of selling the cotton to England. In return, the ships would bring back important supplies. These supplies included food like beef, pork, and coffee. They also brought materials needed to pack the cotton, such as iron hoops and special cloth called gunny cloth.

Important Ships and Journeys

During this time, the company had two main ships: the Marie Celeste and the Atlanta. The captains were George M. Horner, who was English, and Michael Philip Usina from Savannah.

Captain Usina made the first trip on the new ship, the Marie Celeste. This ship was a sidewheeler, meaning it had large paddle wheels on its sides to move through the water. It sailed from Wilmington to Bermuda carrying 1,000 bales of cotton.

The Atlanta was finished in March 1864. It reached Bermuda in April. Over the next three months, the Atlanta made four trips to Wilmington. One of its last trips was very exciting. Captain Usina was in command, and they had a very close call with the Union blockade. Luckily, he was able to escape into the Cape Fear River and deliver his cargo safely.

On June 20, 1864, both the Marie Celeste and the Atlanta were docked in St. George, Bermuda.

The End of a Ship

The Marie Celeste left Bermuda again on September 26, 1864. It was heading for Wilmington with a full load of canned meats. However, tragedy struck. The ship hit a reef and sank very quickly, in just six minutes. The ship was completely lost. Today, the wreck of the Marie Celeste is a popular spot for divers to explore.