TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. THE UNDERSIGNED HAVING FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS GIVEN MUCH ATTENTION TO SYSTEMATIZING AND ENCOURAGING WHAT MAY BE TERMED PRIVATE WARFARE - NOT ONLY ON THE OCEAN BUT ON OUR COASTS, SOUNDS, BAYS AND RIVERS - DEEMS IT HIS DUTY AND PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS. .

[Sage, B(ernard) J(anin)]

Published by [np, 1863

About this Item

7, [1 blank] pp. At head of title: "[Not to be published.]" Folded, uniformly toned. "Mississippi" is in bold ink manuscript; the rest is printed. Very Good. Apparently Sage sent his pamphlet, advocating the use of "private armed vessels," to the several Confederate States. The Journal of Virginia's House of Delegates for 15 September 1863 records the receipt of this document, and its referral to the committee on military affairs. We can thus infer that Parrish & Willingham's suggested 1864 printing date is incorrect. Sage was "a New Orleans lawyer who enthusiastically promoted to President Davis and others in the Confederacy's high command the benefits of privateering and sabotage, both in America and abroad" [H-Net online review of Tidwell: April '65: Confederate Covert Action in the American Civil War.] Sage proposed establishing a volunteer navy charged with seizing Union vessels, for use by the Confederacy, and a system of bounties for the successful captors. "In 1863 a volunteer navy - - a modified version of privateering - - was authorized by the Confederate Congress. The man behind this idea was Bernard Janin Sage, who came from Connecticut, but had later settled in New Orleans, where he studied law and also became the owner of a sugar plantation." During the War he sought "investors in Richmond to form the Virginia Volunteer Naval Company" [Bennett: The London Confederates. The Officials, Clergy, Businessmen and Journalists who Backed the American South During the Civil War. Page 75.] Parrish & Willingham 5035 [1- GU]. Not located on OCLC as of April 2024. Seller Inventory # 39630

Bibliographic Details

Title: TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE OF THE ...

Publisher: [np

Publication Date: 1863

Binding: Soft cover