Cotton Market ALS [Written on Eve of Civil War]

ALS written on a printed report titled "Account of Sales and Imports of Cotton from the 15th to the 21st Instant". Both the manuscript letter and the printed report are dated to late March 1861. The printed report was put together by Hollinshead, Tetley & Co. and the letter was addressed to D. H. London of Richmond, Virginia from the British firm, Eyre Evans & Co. of Liverpool, England. The letter is datestamped "Liverpool Mr 23 61", debit handstamped "19 cents" and upon arrival in the U. S. datestamped "Br. Packet (? ) Apr 24 Boston." Measures 8 ½" x 11; mailing folds. Letter has moderate soiling, ½" closed tear where letter was separated from wax closure. Written on the eve of the American Civil War, this letter provides a look into America's leading export at the time, cotton. The cotton industry was one of the world's largest industries, and most of the world supply of cotton came from the American South. This industry, fueled by the labor of slaves on plantations, generated huge sums of money for the United States, and was later a bartering tool used to fund the purchase of weapons and ammunition for the confederate states (Dattel, Eugene, "Cotton and the Civil War," 2008). The letter was written to Daniel H. London, a prominent Richmond merchant, a pro-slavery advocate, and the president of the Southern Rights Association of Richmond. The confederate states seceded from the United States on April 12th, 1861, only a few weeks after this letter was written. The datestamps are significant showing that the letter arrived in Boston, on April 24th only days before the U. S. Government suspended the regular mail route to Richmond. Starting on May 23rd, 1861 letters to Richmond were diverted to the U. S. Dead Letter Office. Letters with the Dead Letter Office stamp have sold for around $1,500. Content of the letter shows that the cotton market and business dealings between the southern states and Great Britain were still active: "The cotton market has been active this week, stimulated by the falling off in receipts and the unfavorable political advices.we have had better demand this afternoon, swelling todays sale to 15,000 bales at fall prices." ; 4 pp.