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“…his middle son, John…”

The mystery of what happened to Matthew Fontaine Maury’s son John plays out over several months in the Maury family letters.

Letter from F.L. Maury to Ann Maury, from Old Mansion, March 11, 1863, held in the Maury Family materials at the Special Collections department of the Swem Library at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/betty-herndon-maury-maury-papers/articles-and-essays/the-maury-family/

“…short pieces of propaganda…”

Williams, F. L. (1963). Matthew Fontaine Maury: Scientist of the sea. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, p. 412.

“…worked to secure loans…”

June 22, 1863, entry in the diary of Matthew Fontaine Maury, held in the Maury Papers at the Library of Congress.

“…the Society for Promoting the Cessation of Hostilities in America…”

Williams, F. L. (1963). Matthew Fontaine Maury: Scientist of the sea. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, p. 412.

“…the HMS Victor…”

Williams, F. L. (1963). Matthew Fontaine Maury: Scientist of the sea. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, p. 410.

“…England’s declaration of neutrality…”

Merli, F. J. (2005). Great Britain and the Confederate Navy, 1861-1865. Bloomington, Ind: Indiana University Press, pp. 186-87.

“…rumors that Charleston had been taken…”

From the July 29, 1863, entry of the Parisian war diary of Dabney Minor Scales, a relative of the Maury family. The transcription was completed by Russell Hooper, who is in possession of the original diary as well. As noted many times above, I’m very grateful to Mr. Hooper for his wisdom as to all things related to the Maury family, and for his generosity with his substantial collection.

“…Port Hudson had been starved out…”

From the August 6, 1863, entry of the Parisian war diary of Dabney Minor Scales, a relative of the Maury family. The transcription was completed by Russell Hooper, who is in possession of the original diary as well. As noted many times above, I’m very grateful to Mr. Hooper for his wisdom as to all things related to the Maury family, and for his generosity with his substantial collection.

“…Jackson and Yazoo City had been sacked…”

From the August 20, 1863, entry of the Parisian war diary of Dabney Minor Scales, a relative of the Maury family. The transcription was completed by Russell Hooper, who is in possession of the original diary as well. As noted many times above, I’m very grateful to Mr. Hooper for his wisdom as to all things related to the Maury family, and for his generosity with his substantial collection.

“…fought and lost at Gettysburg…”

The battle concluded the day before Rutson Maury wrote this letter—accurate news of the battle, hindered by propaganda actively attempting to interfere with the flow of accurate accounts of the war, would have made those in Europe suspicious of whatever they heard coming from America.

Letter from Rutson Maury to Ann Maury, July 4, 1863, held in the Maury Family materials at the Special Collections department of the Swem Library at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia.

“The navy shifted its attention to Louis Napoléon…”

See “…England’s declaration of neutrality…,” above.

However, I’m actually approximating the argument made in F.J. Merli’s Great Britain and the Confederate Navy, 1861-1865.

“…his ongoing war in Mexico…”

France’s interest in Mexico, and how it influenced their attitude toward the South, plays out over many letters, and is documented more fully below.

Letter from Henry Shelton Sanford to William Seward, June 9, 1863, held in the State Department archives at the Archives II facility in Washington D.C.

“…four ironclad clipper corvettes…”

Merli, F. J. (2005). Great Britain and the Confederate Navy, 1861-1865. Bloomington, Ind: Indiana University Press, p. 190.