Our man in Charleston : Britain's secret agent in the Civil War South

Overview: Between the Confederacy and recognition by Great Britain stood one unlikely Englishman who hated the slave trade. His actions helped determine the fate of a nation. Between The Confederacy And Recognition By Great Britain Stood One Unlikely Englishman Who Hated The Slave Trade. His Actions Helped Determine The Fate Of A Nation. When Robert Bunch Arrived In Charleston To Take Up The Post Of British Consul In 1853, He Was Young And Full Of Ambition, But Even He Couldn't Have Imagined The Incredible Role He Would Play In The History-making Events To Unfold. In An Age When Diplomats Often Were Spies, Bunch's Job Included Sending Intelligence Back To The British Government In London. Yet As The United States Threatened To Erupt Into Civil War, Bunch Found Himself Plunged Into A Double Life, Settling Into An Amiable Routine With His Slavery-loving Neighbors On The One Hand, While Working Furiously To Thwart Their Plans To Achieve A New Confederacy. As Secession And War Approached, The Southern States Found Themselves In An Impossible Position.^ They Knew That Recognition From Great Britain Would Be Essential To The Survival Of The Confederacy, And Also That Such Recognition Was Likely To Be Withheld If The South Reopened The Atlantic Slave Trade. But As Bunch Meticulously Noted From His Perch In Charleston, Secession's Red-hot Epicenter, That Trade Was Growing. And As Southern Leaders Continued To Dissemble Publicly About Their Intentions, Bunch Sent Dispatch After Secret Dispatch Back To The Foreign Office Warning Of The Truth--that Economic Survival Would Force The South To Import Slaves From Africa In Massive Numbers.^ When The Gears Of War Finally Began To Turn, And Bunch Was Pressed Into Service On An Actual Spy Mission To Make Contact With The Confederate Government, He Found Himself In The Middle Of A Fight Between The Union And Britain That Threatened, In The Boast Of Secretary Of State William Seward, To 'wrap The World In Flames.' In This Masterfully Told Story, Christopher Dickey Introduces Consul Bunch As A Key Figure In The Pitched Battle Between Those Who Wished To Reopen The Floodgates Of Bondage And Misery, And Those Who Wished To Dam The Tide Forever. Featuring A Remarkable Cast Of Diplomats, Journalists, Senators, And Spies, Our Man In Charleston Captures The Intricate, Intense Relationship Between Great Powers On The Brink Of War-- The Little-known Story Of A British Diplomat Who Serves As A Spy In South Carolina At The Dawn Of The Civil War, Posing As A Friend To Slave-owning Aristocrats When He Was Actually Telling Britain Not To Support The Confederacy-- An Englishman Of The Americas -- Observations On The Price Of Negroes -- Quasi-war -- First Shots -- Wicked Designs -- The Reign Of Error. Christopher Dickey. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 330-338) And Index. "Between the Confederacy and recognition by Great Britain stood one unlikely Englishman who hated the slave trade. His actions helped determine the fate of a nation. When Robert Bunch arrived in Charleston to take up the post of British consul in 1853, he was young and full of ambition, but even he couldn't have imagined the incredible role he would play in the history-making events to unfold. In an age when diplomats often were spies, Bunch's job included sending intelligence back to the British government in London. Yet as the United States threatened to erupt into Civil War, Bunch found himself plunged into a double life, settling into an amiable routine with his slavery-loving neighbors on the one hand, while working furiously to thwart their plans to achieve a new Confederacy. As secession and war approached, the Southern states found themselves in an impossible position. They knew that recognition from Great Britain would be essential to the survival of the Confederacy, and also that such recognition was likely to be withheld if the South reopened the Atlantic slave trade. But as Bunch meticulously noted from his perch in Charleston, secession's red-hot epicenter, that trade was growing. And as Southern leaders continued to dissemble publicly about their intentions, Bunch sent dispatch after secret dispatch back to the Foreign Office warning of the truth--that economic survival would force the South to import slaves from Africa in massive numbers. When the gears of war finally began to turn, and Bunch was pressed into service on an actual spy mission to make contact with the Confederate government, he found himself in the middle of a fight between the Union and Britain that threatened, in the boast of Secretary of State William Seward, to 'wrap the world in flames.' In this masterfully told story, Christopher Dickey introduces Consul Bunch as a key figure in the pitched battle between those who wished to reopen the floodgates of bondage and misery, and those who wished to dam the tide forever. Featuring a remarkable cast of diplomats, journalists, senators, and spies, Our Man in Charleston captures the intricate, intense relationship between great powers on the brink of war"-- Provided by publisher Between the Confederacy and recognition by Great Britain stood one unlikely Englishman who hated the slave trade. His actions helped determine the fate of a nation. #160; When Robert Bunch arrived in Charleston to take up the post of British consul in 1853, he was young and full of ambition, but even he couldnt have imagined the incredible role he would play in the history-making events to unfold. In an age when diplomats often were spies, Bunchs job included sending intelligence back to the British government in London. Yet as the United States threatened to erupt into Civil War, Bunch found himself plunged into a double life, settling into an amiable routine with his slavery-loving neighbors on the one hand, while working furiously to thwart their plans to achieve a new Confederacy. #160; As secession and war approached, the Southern states found themselves in an impossible position. They knew that recognition from Great Britain would be essential to the survival of the Confederacy, and also that such recognition was likely to be withheld if the South reopened the Atlantic slave trade. But as Bunch meticulously noted from his perch in Charleston, secessions red-hot epicenter, that trade was growing. And as Southern leaders continued to dissemble publicly about their intentions, Bunch sent dispatch after secret dispatch back to the Foreign Office warning of the truththat economic survival would force the South to import slaves from Africa in massive numbers. When the gears of war finally began to turn, and Bunch was pressed into service on an actual spy mission to make contact with the Confederate government, he found himself in the middle of a fight between the Union and Britain that threatened, in the boast of Secretary of State William Seward, to wrap the world in flames. #160; In this masterfully told story, Christopher Dickey introduces Consul Bunch as a key figure in the pitched battle between those who wished to reopen the floodgates of bondage and misery, and those who wished to dam the tide forever. Featuring a remarkable cast of diplomats, journalists, senators, and spies, Our Man in Charleston captures the intricate, intense relationship between great powers on the brink of war Between the Confederacy and recognition by Great Britain stood one unlikely Englishman who hated the slave trade. His actions helped determine the fate of a nation. As the United States threatened to break into civil war, the Southern states found themselves in an impossible position: Their economic survival would require reopening the slave trade, banned in America since 1807, but the future of the Confederacy could not be secured without official recognition from Great Britain, which would never countenance such a move. How, then, could the first be achieved without dooming the possibility of the second? Believing their cotton monopoly would provide sufficient leverage, the Southerners publically declared the slave trade dead, even as rapacious traders quickly landed more and more ships on the American coast. The unlikely man at the roiling center of this intrigue was Robert Bunch, the ambitious young British consul in Charleston, S.C. As he soured on the self-righteousness of his slave-loving neighbors, Bunch used his unique perch to thwart their plans, sending reams of damning dispatches to the Foreign Office in London and eventually becoming the Crown's best secret source on the Confederacyeven as he convinced those neighbors that he was one of them. In this masterfully told story, Christopher Dickey introduces Consul Bunch as a key figure in the pitched battle between those who wished to reopen the floodgates of bondage and misery, and those who wished to dam the tide forever. Featuring a remarkable cast of diplomats, journalists, senators, and spies, Our Man in Charleston captures the intricate, intense relationship between great powers as one stood on the brink of war From the Hardcover edition. "The little-known story of a British diplomat who serves as a spy in South Carolina at the dawn of the Civil War, posing as a friend to slave-owning aristocrats when he was actually telling Britain not to support the Confederacy"-- Provided by publisher