1854 – A short business letter that goes on to report the beginning of the Crimean War and Russia’s search for allies

Liverpool, England, 1854. Envelope or Cover. Very good. This three-page quaker-dated stampless folded letter, which measures 17” x 10½” unfolded, was sent by a businessman, David Wealtensun(?) in Liverpool, England to his cousin, James C. Bell in New York. It is datelined “Liverpool 2nd Mo 7th 1854.” It was carried to New York by the Ship Baltic and bears several postal hand stamps from Liverpool and Boston. One page of the text is written in the same hand, but in read instead of black ink.

After detailing his attempts to settle an open account with a “contemptible” and “insolent” company, David goes on to provide an update about the developing (truncated) crisis in the Crimea and its effect upon business. It reads in part:

“War is now all but declared by Russia against England & France & the two latter are . . . in the Black Sea at war with Russia. The Czar is making a last effort through Count Orloff to form an alliance with Austria & Prussia, they will only not be so blind to their own interests as to adopt so fatal a step. I cannot believe it. In the event of their not doing so Russia will have Europe combined against her. The government seem to think there is no chance of Peace as thou will now see by the Parliamentary reports, yet Russia I believe must yield to the pressure from without, but will first make a great shew of resistance & likely carry on war . . . in the Danubian provences for a time.” . Indeed, the war in the Crimea had already begun. The Russians, taking advantage of the weak Ottoman Empire, occupied its Danubian Principalities (now part of Romania) in October 1853, and the Turks declared war upon Russia and began to put up a strong defense. After the Turkish stronghold at Kars, was besieged, Britain and France sent fleets into the Black Sea in January of 1854 to intimidate the Russians and maintain the current balance of power.

As David predicted in this letter which was written just after the British and French fleets entered the Black Sea, Austria and Prussia remained neutral. However, Russia did receive some support from Greece, and Sardinia-Piedmont joined in alliance with Turkey, Britain, and France. After Sevastopol fell in 1856, the Russians sued for peace and subsequently were prohibited from basing warships in the Black Sea and forced to withdraw from the Turkish Danube, leaving the Ottoman vassal states of Wallachia and Moldavia virtually independent.

(For more information, see Figes’s The Crimean War: A History, available online.)

A concise assessment of the developing crises in the Crimea from the perspective of an international trader with ties to New York. . (Inventory #: 010366)