The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-19
CONFEDERATE MONEY.
Narrative OF One Of the Survivors Of
the English photographers.

/
the English LithOgraphers.
Money Was NTnde.
(WashinQton Star.)
One of the serious problems to which
the confederate governments had to turn
it's attention early in the coursa of its
struggle was that Of supplying cur
1eDcy. There were but two means Of
meeting this need. One was to levy on
the resources OF the southern states and
the other was to set in motion the print
ing presses. Great as were the available
resources of the south, they were alto
gether inadequate for the carrying on
of the tremendous conflict that engaged
the land and the alternative had to be
accepted as a matter Of necessity. hus
the task of turning out great mass OF
raper currency was in itself difficult
one. In the seoessionist states there was
no paper mill manufacturing the kind
of paner suitable for money, and no
printing establishment equipped for the
production of notes and bills in any
quantities.
| For time "state money" and the
speoie on nj at tbs outbreak Of the war
was relied upon. Early i'll 1851 this was
supplemented by notes Of small denoml-
nations issued in the name of the con-
| federate states Of America, and printed
| in Richmond, the seat uf the confederate
government. These earlier efforts COM
manded little respect, even among the
ardent supporters Of the confederacy.
| The notes were oontemptuously termed
"rag' money. They wers poor quality
Of paper, and the design was calculated
to excite the pity of even an unskillful
counterfeiter.
'sIn July, 1861" in the words of
President Davis, ''the confederate leaders
realized that they had entered on a des-
perate struggle, and the plan then adopt
ed was to issue treasury notes convertible
at the pleasure of the holder into bonds. !"
More than six hu ndred millions OF
these treasury notes were issued within
the next two years. Befcrs tho WORK
could even be begun on any large scale
liz was necessary to smuggle the paper
and presses, the outfit for large l1tho-
graphing establishment, and the men to
run this establishment through the block
ads which President Lincoln had de-
clared on all southern ports.
ONE TIE FEW SURVIVORS.
| Like most of their other supplies the
confederate leaders got th"se from Eng
land and brought them in by way of the
| West Indies. How the task Of turning
out millions Of paper money, which the
confedersoy had set for itself, was car
ried out forms as interesting chapter In
the unwritten history of tine confederate
movement, and is here set down for the
first time in the narrative of Mr.. John
Hodge, one of the few survivors of the
group of young English printers and
photographers brought to Charleston 3.
G., in 1882. for the express purpose OF
making confederate money. Mr.. Hodge
| is now an American citizen.
ain April, 1862, when was in my
| twenty fourth year, was working In
London for Charles Strsksr &c Sons, q
large lishographing establishment. had
| thon been eight years at my trade as
| photographer, and was considered fairly
good workman. All England was greatly
| interested in the American struggle. and
therefore we looked with curiosity at
man of distinguished appearance, plainly
an American, who visited our shop one
agent of the confederate states. engaged
in purchasing supplies. Our interest was
greatly increased when story got about
| that the American gentleman had pur-
chased the machinery for "a large litho-
graphing plant from our firm, and was
looking about for number Of young
| follows to man this establishment,
| which was to be devoted to printing
money for the oonfederacy.
"The prospect of large pay and lively
adventure was as attractive to me as 1t
| is likely to be TO young fellow of that
age. and went to the head of the firm
with the request that he should recon-
mend me to our American visitor. AS
result was invited to visit Maj. Evans
of Charleston. S. O., at his hotel and
went to see him in company with ten
other workers at my craft. We found the
major very agreeable person, and the
upahot of our interview was that we
agreed to go to Charleston to work for
the confederate government. We were
promised $50 week in gold and liberal
rate of piece work pay, and each man
on signing his contract received from 20
pounds to 60 pounds to pay the expenses
of repairing for the journey.
HOW THEY CAME TO THIS COUN-
TRY.
"We left London on May 10, 1862 On
the ship Leopard Of Glasgow. We weEe
the only passengers except three southern
officers and Major Evans, who joined us
at Cardiff, where our ship stopped to
make some additions to her cargo. We
stopped again at Queenst own and from