Historical research being done on the Denbigh Project has revealed a growing volume of original documents that relate to the ship and her career. These documents, which range from the Laird, Sons & Co. builder's ledger to a Federal naval officer's dispatch reporting her destruction on Bird Key, offer detailed and valuable glimpses into Denbigh's remarkable career. Follow the links below to review a sampling of these documents:
Laird, Sons & Co. builder's ledger, Birkenhead, England, 1860
Denbigh launch, fitting out and trial record, Birkenhead, England, August 18 to September 26, 1860
Report by U.S. Consul Thomas Dudley at Liverpool, October 20, 1863.
Mobile Register, February 4, 1864 -- Denbigh runs aground near Fort Morgan.
Galveston Weekly News, September 21, 1864 -- Notes on yellow fever, the blockading fleet and desertions.
Galveston Weekly News, October 26, 1864 -- Notes on Denbigh, other blockade runners and yellow fever in Galveston.
Galveston Weekly News, January 11, 1865 -- An account of life in the blockading fleet off Galveston.
Galveston Weekly News, February 15, 1865 -- Speculating on sabotage aboard blockade runners.
Galveston Weekly News, April 5, 1865 -- Narrow escapes by blockade runners at Galveston.
Galveston Weekly News, April 26, 1865 -- Blockade runner Lark fights off a Federal boarding party.
Galveston Weekly News, May 31, 1865 -- Denbigh destroyed.
Denbigh cargo manifest, April 5, 1864 (Confederate Quartermaster Dept. consignment only)
Denbigh cargo manifest, June 1864 (Confederate Quartermaster Dept. consignment only)
Letter from W. B. B. Cross, Major and Quartermaster at Richmond, Virginia, to Capt. R. B. Winder, Assistant Quartermaster at Americus, Georgia, April 15, 1864, regarding supplies brought into Mobile by Denbigh.
Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Rear-Admiral Farragut, U.S. Navy, forwarding consular information from Havana regarding the movements of blockade runners Mail and Denbigh, June 10, 1864
Letter from the Acting U.S. Consul-General at Havana to Capt. T. P. Greene, U.S. Navy, regarding the movements of blockade runners, August 25, 1864
Report of Captain Benjamin F. Sands, U.S. Navy, on the grounding and escape of the blockade runner Denbigh, April 21, 1865.
Report of Captain Benjamin F. Sands, U. S. Navy, regarding the destruction of the blockade runner Denbigh, May 24, 1865.
Denbigh Project investigators would like to thank all those researchers who have provided access to materials related to Denbigh. We would like to extend particular thanks to Dr. Stephen R. Wise, author of Lifeline of the Confederacy, and Robert Holcombe of the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center in Columbus, Georgia, for generously sharing their files on Denbigh.