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The Chesapeake Affair was an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War. On December 7, 1863 Confederate sympathizers from Canada’s Maritime Provinces captured the American steamer ''Chesapeake'' off the coast of Cape Cod. The expedition was planned and led by Vernon Guyon Locke of Nova Scotia and John Clibbon Braine.〔Locke was born in Sandy Point, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia in 1827. At the advent of the rebellion, Locke offered his services to the south. He secured his ship ''Retribution’s'' letter of marque. His alias was John Parker to cover his privateering activities (See Marquis, p.136).〕 George Wade of New Brunswick killed one of the American crew. The Confederacy had claimed its first fatal casualty in New England waters.〔Marquis, p. 143〕 The Confederate sympathisers had planned to re-coal at Saint John, New Brunswick and then head south to Wilmington, North Carolina.〔Hoy, p. 180〕 Instead, the captors experienced difficulties at Saint John, which required them to move further north and re-coal in Halifax, Nova Scotia. American forces violated British sovereignty by trying to arrest the captors in Nova Scotian waters, which further escalated the affair. Wade and others were able to escape through the assistance of prominent Nova Scotian and Confederate sympathiser William Johnston Almon. The Chesapeake Affair was one of the most sensational international incidents that occurred during the American Civil War.〔Hoy, p. 179〕 The incident briefly threatened to bring Great Britain into the war against the North.〔Hoy, p. 182〕 == Historical context == The practice of slave-owning was outlawed in Nova Scotia (and all of the British Empire) by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.〔Hoy, p. 204〕 When the war began most Canadians were overtly sympathetic to the North.〔Hoy, p. vi〕 At the beginning of the American Civil War approximately 20,000 Canadians, almost half of them Maritimers, went to fight, primarily for the North.〔Hoy, p. 130〕 There were also strong family ties across the border. As the war went on, relations between Britain and the North became strained for numerous reasons and sympathy turned toward the South. Britain declared itself neutral during the war, which led to increased trade that went through Halifax to both Northern and Southern ports. Nova Scotia’s economy thrived throughout the war. This trade created strong ties between Halifax and merchants from both the North and South. In Halifax the main commercial agent for the Confederacy was Benjamin Wier and Co. – a company that flew the Confederate flag outside its office and accepted Confederate money.〔Hoy, p. 185; Marquis, p. 169〕 The informal headquarters for the Confederates was located at Waverley Hotel, 1266 Barrington Street (present day Waverley Inn).〔Hoy, p. 257〕 At the same time, Halifax became the leading supplier of coal and fish to the North.〔Hoy, p. 256; The Waverley Hotel previously was at the corner of Barrington and Blowers Streets.〕 While trade with the South was flourishing, the North created a naval blockade to prevent supplies getting to the South. Hundreds of Blockade runners would use the port of Halifax to ship their goods between Britain and the Confederate States.〔Hoy, p. 254〕 Much of the coal and other fuels used to run Confederate steamers went through Halifax.〔Hoy, p.255〕 Further Canadians became fearful of the power the North demonstrated in destroying the South and the possibility of wanting to annex Canada after the Southern defeat. Toronto, Montreal, St. Catharines and Halifax hosted a well-financed network of Confederate spies, escaped prisoners, and soldiers of fortune trying to influence government opinion in the war.〔Hoy, p.vii〕 The Confederates arranged various attacks on the south from Canada, such as the raid on St. Albans, Vermont. The plan to kill President Abraham Lincoln was made in the St. Lawrence Hall hotel in Montreal, Quebec.〔Hoy, p.viii〕 The Chesapeake affair was a plan created in St. John, New Brunswick by Confederate sympathisers to capture an American ship, which would become a blockade runner for the South.〔Marquis, p. 147〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chesapeake Affair」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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