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Henry Hotze (September 2, 1833 – April 19, 1887) was a
Swiss American Swiss Americans are Americans of Swiss descent. Swiss emigration to America predates the formation of the United States, notably in connection with the persecution of Anabaptism during the Swiss Reformation and the formation of the Amish commun ...
propagandist for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He acted as a Confederate agent in Great Britain, attempting to build support for the Southern cause there. Hotze attempted to use liberal arguments of self-determination in favor of national independence, echoing the failed European revolutions of 1848. He also promised that the Confederacy would be a low-tariff nation in contrast to the high-tariff United States, and he emphasized the consequences of cotton shortages for the industrial workers in Britain, as caused by the Union blockade of Southern ports.


Early life and career

He was the son of Rudolph Hotze, a captain in the
French Royal Service French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
, and Sophie Esslinger. He was educated in a
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setting and emigrated to the
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in his youth. He became a naturalized citizen in 1855, and lived in
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth-most-populous city in Alabama, ...
, where he made important connections through his social skills and intelligence. He had strong racial opinions. In 1856 Hotze was hired by
Josiah C. Nott Josiah Clark Nott (March 31, 1804March 31, 1873) was an American surgeon and anthropologist. He is known for his studies into the etiology of yellow fever and malaria, including the theory that they originate from germs. Nott, who owned slaves ...
to translate
Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau Joseph Arthur de Gobineau (; 14 July 1816 – 13 October 1882) was a French aristocrat who is best known for helping to legitimise racism by the use of scientific racist theory and "racial demography", and for developing the theory of the Aryan ...
's '' An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races'' entitled ''The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races''. In 1858, he went to the southern commercial convention as a delegate for Mobile. He was a secretary for the U.S. legation in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
in 1858 and 1859, and when he returned, worked as an associate editor of the ''Mobile Register'', owned by John Forsyth. He joined the
Mobile Cadets Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...
when the Civil War began. On May 30, 1861, he became a clerk in Richmond to the adjutant general. Secretary of War
L. P. Walker LeRoy Pope Walker (February 7, 1817 – August 23, 1884) was the first Confederate States Secretary of War. Early life and career Walker was born near Huntsville, Alabama in 1817, the son of John Williams Walker and Matilda Pope, and a gran ...
ordered Hotze to go to
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
to assist in providing funds for Confederate agents in Europe, and help with the acquisition of munitions and supplies for the conflict. He went through the North and Canada before his departure, and collected some intelligence on the Union's mobilization efforts.


Agent in Europe

He arrived in London on October 5 and came to the determination that the Confederacy needed a strong diplomatic and propaganda effort in Europe. He returned to Richmond and made his argument to the Confederate leadership. On November 14, he was created an agent with the core task of influencing British public opinion toward supporting the Confederacy. Hotze was given $750 by the Confederate government to influence the British press with pro-Confederate propaganda. Until the end of the war, he made substantial and vigorous activities to this end. Hotze realized that propaganda effort had to be about more than cotton alone. He appealed to
anti-American sentiment Anti-Americanism (also called anti-American sentiment) is prejudice, fear, or hatred of the United States, its Federal government of the United States, government, its Foreign policy of the United States, foreign policy, or Americans in gen ...
in the United Kingdom, British naval rights, and the rights of smaller nations. He paid English journalists to support the cause and wrote his own pieces in the ''
Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning P ...
'', the '' London Standard'', the ''
Herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
'', and the financial weekly paper ''
Money and Market Review Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...
''. His first piece in the British press was published on 23 February 1862 in the influential ''
Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning P ...
'', the newspaper loyal to then British Prime Minister
Lord Palmerston Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865) was a British statesman who was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Palmerston dominated British foreign policy during the period ...
. In May 1862, he created a weekly journal, '' The Index'', which was perhaps the best Confederate propaganda activity in Europe. It had a circulation of around 2,000 and was distributed primarily in Britain but was also read in France,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, and even sent back to the Union itself. Hotze's realism and subtlety in his propaganda differed with other Confederate agents in Europe like Edwin De Leon, James Williams,
Felix Senac Felix Senac (July 28, 1815January 27, 1866) was a Confederate States Navy agent to Europe from 1862 to 1865. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Senac married in Mobile, Alabama, and moved his family to Key West just prior to the American Civil ...
,
John Slidell John Slidell (1793July 9, 1871) was an American politician, lawyer, and businessman. A native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man and became a Representative and Senator. He was one of two Confederate diplomats captured by the ...
, and
Paul Pecquet du Bellet Pierre-Paul Pecquet du Bellet (or du Bellay) (April 6, 1816January 21, 1884) was an American attorney, author, and unofficial diplomatic agent of the Confederate States of America in France. Early life, Family and Career Pierre-Paul Pecquet du Be ...
. With a total of sixteen pages, ''The Index'' appeared every week on Thursdays. The newspaper cost six pence and thirty shillings for an annual subscription. By the month of July 1864, though sales had been increasing very slowly since 1862, sales revenue of ''The'' ''Index'' finally became sufficient to amortize the total running costs of the paper. The offices of ''The Index'' were located on London's
Fleet Street Fleet Street is a major street mostly in the City of London. It runs west to east from Temple Bar at the boundary with the City of Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the London Wall and the River Fleet from which the street was n ...
, two doors down from ''The London American'', the official pro-Union propaganda journal. Contributors to ''The Index'' included British authors, as well as Americans living in London such as Albert Taylor Bledsoe and
John Reuben Thompson John Reuben Thompson (October 23, 1823 – April 30, 1873) was an American poet, journalist, editor and publisher. Biography John Reuben Thompson was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1823. He graduated in law from the University of Virgini ...
. According to Serge Noirsain of the Confederate Historical Association of Belgium, "Hotze called upon the assistance of professional journalists on the European continent. Filippo Manetta was a long-standing Italian friend of a member of the Confederate diplomatic mission in London, who had lived for a while in Virginia. Using the same methods as Hotze in England, Manetta managed to successfully infiltrate the Italian media, in particular the Turin press. This complicity produced a profitable exchange of information between ''The Index'' and the best newspapers on the European market. When sources were available, Hotze developed topics that influenced or helped the Confederate envoys in their official missions. As a result, his columns in ''The Index'' and their echoes in other well-known newspapers helped consolidate the logic behind the policies of the South". Hotze participated in a number of other important activities to support the south. He assisted in writing Lord Campbell's speech against the
Union blockade The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlanti ...
given in the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in ...
on March 10, 1862. He also had an important dinner with
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
(according to Gladstone's papers, July 31, 1862), where he stressed that the Union and Confederacy could negotiate their boundaries in a mediation effort. As 1862 moved on and after the
battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union ...
and the
Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal st ...
, Hotze became more frustrated over the course of public opinion in Great Britain. In London, Hotze took under his wing the famous Confederate spy Belle Boyd who had fled to England. Boyd had landed in Liverpool and made her way to London to meet Hotze, upon the recommendation of the Confederacy's Secretary of State. Boyd soon after married Union naval officer Samuel Wylde Hardinge in London on August 24, 1864. Though a shock to many, in light of the Civil War raging back home, the ceremony was nonetheless attended by influential Confederates such as Hotze, Caleb Huse, John Walker Fearn,
John L. O'Sullivan John Louis O'Sullivan (November 15, 1813 – March 24, 1895) was an American columnist, editor, and diplomat who used the term "manifest destiny" in 1845 to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Country to the United States. O'Sulliva ...
(who had coined the phrase "
Manifest Destiny Manifest destiny was a cultural belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America. There were three basic tenets to the concept: * The special virtues of the American people and th ...
") and James Williams. Both O'Sullivan and Williams had previously been US Ambassadors; O'Sullivan to Portugal and Williams to the Ottoman Empire.


Last efforts and post-war activities

After the death of
Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in near ...
prompted some sympathy for the south, Hotze attempted to organize pro-Confederacy meetings in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
,
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and ...
, Preston and elsewhere to support a
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
resolution, initiated by
J. A. Roebuck John Arthur Roebuck (28 December 1802 – 30 November 1879), British politician, was born at Madras, in India. He was raised in Canada, and moved to England in 1824, and became intimate with the leading radical and utilitarian reformers. He was ...
, for recognition of the Confederacy. Its failure and withdrawal on July 13, 1863, seemed like the end of hope for diplomatic solutions to Hotze. When
James M. Mason James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798April 28, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as senator from Virginia, having previously represented Frederick County, Virginia, in the Virginia House of Delegates. A grandson of George Ma ...
was withdrawn, Hotze was the only remaining agent for the Confederacy in Britain. He continued to draw on negative sentiments related to Union actions against Confederate attempts to build ironclad ships in Britain and concerns over occasional Union actions against British shipping. He also worked to obtain signatures for petitions for peace and was able to influence French newspapers by affecting Havas Agency telegraphs. According to Serge Noirsain, Hotze "took time to analyze the routing of information in France. He learned that it was the Havas Agency that spread the world news to the French press. By way of intrigues, he managed to make friends with Auguste Havas and convince him to exploit his exclusive information coming supposedly directly from the New World. Of course he took care not to reveal his true sources...In addition to France and Great Britain, Hotze was soon put in charge of Confederate propaganda in Ireland and in the German kingdoms. However, those nations had gradually passed under the control of Union agents who were provided with considerable funds. In spite of some local successes, Richmond advised Hotze not to focus on those areas because of the enormous amount of energy that this operation would require." In the long run Hotze's strong feelings about slavery made him averse to work with
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
, whose final offer to accept emancipation in exchange for European recognition he flatly rejected. After the war, he refused to return to the United States and remained in Europe working as a journalist, mostly Paris. He returned to London during the Franco-Prussian War and is known to have visited
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for a newspaper assignment. Shortly after the war, Hotze joined the rifle manufacturing company Martini, Tanner & Co. as senior partner. The company was later renamed Martini, Hotze, & Co. The company operated from the ''rue de Lisbonne'' in Paris. Hotze died of a
stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymp ...
in Zug,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
on April 19, 1887 at the age of 53.


Marriage to Ruby Angela Senac

Henry Hotze married Ruby Senac in 1867 at the American Legation in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. A religious ceremony was held on December 7, 1867 at the Church of Saint Augustine in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
by Rev. Crabod, 1st Vicar. Ruby Senac, born in Mobile on 4 January 1844, was the daughter of
Felix Senac Felix Senac (July 28, 1815January 27, 1866) was a Confederate States Navy agent to Europe from 1862 to 1865. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Senac married in Mobile, Alabama, and moved his family to Key West just prior to the American Civil ...
and Marie Louise Hollinger. She had come to England with her parents in 1863 and had appeared at Court, being presented to Queen Victoria. Ruby had been educated in the United States and had attended Georgetown Visitation Academy in Washington until 1858. Her father
Felix Senac Felix Senac (July 28, 1815January 27, 1866) was a Confederate States Navy agent to Europe from 1862 to 1865. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Senac married in Mobile, Alabama, and moved his family to Key West just prior to the American Civil ...
, born in
Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...
on 28 July 1815 to Pierre Senac and Agnes Senac, had been the Confederacy's purchasing agent and paymaster in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Felix Senac Felix Senac (July 28, 1815January 27, 1866) was a Confederate States Navy agent to Europe from 1862 to 1865. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Senac married in Mobile, Alabama, and moved his family to Key West just prior to the American Civil ...
, who had married Marie Louise Hollinger on 16 April 1843, began his military career in Florida in June 1834 before being dismissed as purser on August 15, 1856. Senac had been stationed on Key West's
Fort Taylor A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere ...
as Chief Clerk in the 1850s, responsible for the construction and budget of the newly built
Fort Taylor A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere ...
.
Felix Senac Felix Senac (July 28, 1815January 27, 1866) was a Confederate States Navy agent to Europe from 1862 to 1865. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Senac married in Mobile, Alabama, and moved his family to Key West just prior to the American Civil ...
enlisted in the Confederate navy on 22 July 1861 and died on 27 January 1866 in
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
, Germany. His widow and daughter returned to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and it was there that Ruby first met Hotze. The Senacs were related to Angela Sylvania Moreno, the wife of
Stephen Mallory Stephen Russell Mallory (1812 – November 9, 1873) was a Democratic senator from Florida from 1851 to the secession of his home state and the outbreak of the American Civil War. For much of that period, he was chairman of the Committee on Nav ...
, Secretary of the Navy of the Confederacy. The Senac family and Moreno family were related through Fernando Moreno (1771-1830), who had married Florentina Senac in 1788 in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
John Lawrence Rapier. The Hotze couple and Ruby's mother lived in the St Mary Abbotts area of
Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...
in 1871, and were still living in
Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...
as late as 1881. Following Hotze's death in 1887, Ruby survived her husband by several decades. She continued to live in England and then moved to Washington, D.C. with her mother Marie Louise who died on 2 October 1898. Ruby was employed in the Census Office on July 1, 1890 and then became a clerk in the Signal Corps. She was transferred to the
Weather Bureau The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...
in 1891. She died on January 3, 1929 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 84. She is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.


See also

*
Diplomacy of the American Civil War The diplomacy of the American Civil War involved the relations of the United States and the Confederate States of America with the major world powers during the American Civil War of 1861–1865. The United States prevented other powers from rec ...


Further reading

* Bennett, John D. ''The London Confederates: The Officials, Clergy, Businessmen and Journalists who Backed the American South During the Civil War'' (McFarland, 2008). * Bonner, Robert E. "Slavery, Confederate Diplomacy, and the Racialist Mission of Henry Hotze," ''Civil War History'' 51, no. 3 (2005): 288–316. * Burnett, Lonnie. ''Henry Hotze, Confederate Propagandist: Selected on Revolution, Recognition, and Race,''
University of Alabama Press The University of Alabama Press is a university press founded in 1945 and is the scholarly publishing arm of the University of Alabama. An editorial board composed of representatives from all doctoral degree granting public universities within Al ...
, 2008. * Crook, D.P. "Hotze, Henry"

American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Le ...
Online February 2000. * Cullop, Charles P. ''Confederate Propaganda in Europe, 1861–1865'' (1969) * Fleche, Andre. ''Revolution of 1861: The American Civil War in the Age of Nationalist Conflict'' (2012) * Oates, Stephen B. "Henry Hotze: Confederate Agent Abroad." ''Historian'' 27.2 (1965): 131-154.
in JSTOR


References


External links

* "The South's Man in London,' Andre M. Fleche,
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, 20 November 201

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hotze, Henry People of Alabama in the American Civil War 1833 births 1887 deaths Swiss emigrants to the United States American expatriates in the United Kingdom Proponents of scientific racism