Discovering a Collection

The Colin J. McRae Papers

The newly discovered Colin J. McRae Papers contains over 2500 documents, of which approximately 1000 documents relate directly to the Civil War. This exciting collection belonged to Colin J. McRae, the Confederacy’s chief financial agent in Europe during the second half of the Civil War. The documents, primarily invoices used for Confederate purchases, were used to investigate Caleb Huse, a previous purchasing agent, for corruption. McRae's investigation cleared Huse, allowing Confederate purchasing agents to continue their business with European contractors. The information contained in these documents sheds new light on the little understood importance of English imports to the Confederate war effort.

Currently, Civil War research lacks an understanding of the impact that imported foreign arms and munitions made on the ability to conduct the war and equip the Confederate soldier in the field. The main reason for this lack of knowledge has been the almost complete absence of primary source material.

The undisturbed and intact papers of McRae are one of the greatest collections of primary source Confederate materials discovered in the last one hundred years because they help fill this void.

The McRae Papers reveal the story of the Confederacy’s lifeline to England, the involvement of South Carolina’s business community in financing the war effort, as well as the types and amounts of English good that were reaching the Confederate soldiers on the battlefield.

Click on the various topics to learn more about the McRae Papers and find out how you can support this priceless collection. 

Discovery  -  Caring for the Papers  -  Research Opportunities

Future Exhibits  -  Ongoing Fundraising  -  Sneak Preview

Now Available - McRae Finding Aid (PDF)

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Special Fundraising Partnership with the Civil War Historian magazine!

For every new subscription and renewal that uses offer code "McRae," the museum will receive $5.00 towards the preservation of the McRae Papers. There will also be an article about the importance of the collection in the next issue of Civil War Historian magazine.

The museum is within $8,000 of the $250,000 purchase price of the collection and is now also working on funding conservation efforts, digitization (to make the papers electronically searchable), and a major exhibit for the Civil War Sesquicentennial. When you renew or start a new subscription, be sure to use the offer code "McRae."  Click here (PDF) for the subscription form.   

The Civil War Historian  magazine provides interesting articles to enthusiasts and living historians interested in the Civil War Era. The magazine often features interesting articles on the Union and Confederate Armies as well as the "stuff" used in everyday 19th Century life.