HISTORICAL NOTES

The American Civil War divided public opinion in Great Britain. While many of the working classes despised the slave system, there was respect for the bravery of the Confederate soldiers. The sometimes high-handed attitude of the Federal Navy also created resentment among some people.

Scottish fishermen lived perilous lives with many casualties, often due to the open boats they used in the treacherous waters off the Scottish coast. Until 1883, there was no obligation to report the death of a fisherman at sea. From that year, any death at sea had to be reported to the Board of Trade.

The ship name Alexander MacGillivray was the son of an exiled Jacobite and a Cree Indian. In the eighteenth century, he became chief of the entire Cree nation. History claims that he commanded over 30,000 warriors and at one time held the balance of power in the American South when Great Britain, Spain, and the United States competed for control .

Uniforms: the Confederate Navy found it difficult to obtain sufficient uniforms, so often used whatever they could, charging the poorly paid recruits for the privilege.

Men: perennially short of men, the Confederate Navy filled its ships from whatever sources it could. Attempts to draft from the army often failed as commanders refused to part with soldiers who were precious when facing a numerically superior enemy. Confederate naval commanders often asked for volunteers from the ships they captured, so the sailors who manned Federal merchant vessels would often change allegiance to avoid imprisonment.

Ratcliffe Highway – was a famous or notorious seaman's haunt in the nineteenth century. A street of bright shops and shady pubs, at night it teemed with prostitutes and sailors. Well-known for its sudden violence, the Highway was backed by a network of horrible lanes and alleys, into which it was not advisable to stray. The White Swan or Paddy's Goose was perhaps the most famous seaman's pub in the Highway .

Leviathan – the first train ferry in the world, opened between Granton, near Edinburgh, and Burntisland in Fife in 1850. The ferry was designed by Thomas Grainger and built by Thomas Napier in Govan. The arrangements for loading were designed by Sir Thomas Bouch, who later designed the ill-fated first Tay Bridge that collapsed in 1879. The opening of the Forth Bridge in 1890 ended this rail ferry across the Forth.

Malcolm Archibald