THE SOUTHERN BAZAAR
FOR WOUNDED PRISONERS
OCTOBER 1864

The Bazaar at St. George's Hall, Liverpool began well yesterday and so, according to the proverb, "Well begun is half done," the Southern Club may hope that the seal of success has been set upon their benevolent '. If the next three days during which the bazaar continues open furnish anything like a proportionable contribution to the treasury the end result will be something very handsome - that "something" representing several thousand pounds sterling, which will go a long way to provide many little comforts and necessaries for the sick and wounded men who have lost liberty in fighting for the Southern cause.

The fund, it may be stated, will be dispensed through the medium of Southern ladies resident in the North, who have received permission to visit and to assist their distressed and imprisoned countrymen. The total receipts yesterday were not far short of £3,000. At eight o'clock last evening the returns from the different stalls were as follows --- Virginia, £250; North Carolina,; £300, South Carolina, £300; Georgia, £200; Florida, £100; Alabama, £250; Mississippi, £150; Louisiana, £220; Texas, £150; Arkansas, £100; Tennessee, £200; Kentucky, £150; Missouri, £80; total £2250 . To Missouri, it should be stated, has been allocated the dining department in default of space for a separate stall. Besides the above amount, £275 was paid at the doors for admission, exclusive of £270 represented by season tickets. An additional £75 was obtained in half-guinea subscriptions towards a raffle for a pretty little Shetland pony, presented by a gentleman named Pate, and the net proceeds were something like £3170.

To the making up of this goodly sum a large number of fashionable visitors with well filled purses contributed. From the opening of the bazaar at noon till its close, about ten, the floor of the hall was for the most part thronged --- in fact, at times there was an almost inconvenient crush, notwithstanding that the pressure was relieved by a large number of the promenaders finding repose and refuge in the galleries. The crush was greatest about two o'clock, and the committee request that on the remaining days visitors will circulate through the galleries, and that they will move in a stream upon the right hand, so as to avoid the confusion and pressure to which erratic wanderings in a crowded assembly give rise. Among the visitors were His Worship the Mayor [Charles Mosley, Esq.] Lady Eardley, Mr. Mason, [Confederate Commissioner], Lord Warncliffe, Lord Campbell, Sir Henry de Hoghton, Mr. J. Laird, [M.P. for Birkenhead] , Mr. Aspinall Turner, [M.P. for Manchester], and Mr. Beresford Hope, who by the lectures which he delivered at various places in Kent (where he has a large estate derived from Marshall Lord Beresford of Peninsular fame), was amongst the first to place the Southern cause before the English public in its true light.

When the hall was filled with ever-moving throng, the appearance, especially from the galleries, was exceedingly animated. The finishing touches of the upholsterer had given a completeness to the decorations which was wanting when we paid the hall a visit on Monday afternoon.

The lower part of the broad flight of steps leading from the great hall into the Crown Court had been converted into an elegant lounging place for ladies, flanked on each side by pretty foliaged plants. Higher up is an impromptu orchestra, within which a band of musicians under the direction of Mr. Streather, discoursed from time to time most eloquent music, including "God Save the Queen" as a mark of loyalty to the English throne, and the Southern national air, as a mark of sympathy for the Confederate States, whose colours were displayed overhead upon a large and handsome flag, the work of Lady de Hoghton. The effect of the mirror placed at this point was very beautiful. It reflected upon a miniature scale, the gay and bustling scene below --- a very kaleidoscope of shifting colours, in which the red, white and blue bars of the Southern colours were most prominent.

Nothing could be prettier than the appearance of the various stalls filled to overflowing, with handsome and costly furniture, except, perhaps, the dresses of the ladies in attendance at them, and it may be added, the ladies themselves. If the fair merchants had been Southerners, pleading the cause of sick and wounded brothers, husbands, and sweethearts, they could not have thrown their hearts more entirely into their work. Of course, with such an assembly as that of yesterday, the greater part of the purchases were made at the stalls, but a tremendous body of skirmishers light artillery, they might be called, having regard to the bright glances they shot around --- from time to time made incursions amongst the crowd, and seldom returned without some substantial booty.

They were distinguished by sashes either of red, or white, or blue, upon which was inscribed the name of the State on whose special behalf they were soliciting. Here was to be a fair Virginian offering State grown cigars at sixpence a piece and cheap at the price, there, was a Georgian maiden successfully seeking for subscriptions to a lottery for something or another, now we come across a Louisianian who is very anxious to dispose of some elegant trifle and so on through the whole list of the States, each having it's charming band of workers doing their best, and that best an effectual one to help forward the charitable cause they had espoused. Equally active and energetic were the gentlemen members of the committee whose distinctive badge was a silver buckle upon the left breast, with the motto, 'Aide toi, Dieu t'aidera,' up to the sentiment of which they have fully acted.

Mr. Spence, the hon. secretary, Mr. Stoess, Mr. Oldershaw, Mr, Forwood, Mr. Trappmann and other members of the executive showed an activity almost amounting to alacrity which only the heartiest enthusiasm for the project they have in hand would induce.

When the visitor has glanced along the stalls, to attempt anything like a minute examination of their contents would be a work of days --- has admired the taste with which they are set out, has expended sundry pounds in whatever may hit his fancy, has invested sundry shillings in raffles, and hazarded numberless sixpences for a plunge into the lucky bag, has taken a peep at the curiosity stand in the centre of the hall, looked at the little dress worn by General J. H. Morgan when he was a baby and other things there exhibited, has examined a large and beautifully furnished doll house in one corner of the hall, and taken a glance at a number of very handsome dolls in another corner --- when he has done all these things, let him then for a further two pence, repose to the tent of Mr. Frank Toole, of London, whose services, in order to give a humorous phase to the proceedings, the committee have very wisely engaged. He has extemporised an entertainment --- indeed the only comic seen at once intensely laughable and peculiar. Within a zig zag tent, placed against one of the partially glazed doors, he exhibit's a panorama of life in Liverpool, with decidedly novel and natural effects. Here, too, a real Southern mermaid gave spiritual manifestations of the most extraordinary kind, and equalled, if not surpassed, its knowledge of future events, the disembodied spirits who are said to come at the call of the Davenport Brothers. Keeping at present secrets secret, we can honestly vouch for the lifelike character of the panorama and the validity of the mermaid, the enjoyment created being testified by the roars of laughter which Mr.Toole's comments excited and the readiness with which his hands were filled with silver. All who yesterday witnessed this exhibition thoroughly entered into the spirit of the fun, whether his worship the Mayor, highborn ladies, or members of the committee. On the opposite side of the hall, a female Blondin and the famous painting bullfinch go through their performances before appreciative audiences. In the small concert hall the Queen's Operetta Company, under the able leadership of Mr. Henri Drayton, gave an admirable concert at half past twelve, and later on Mr. Drayton delighted an audience which ought to have been much larger and we hope will be today with a selection from his entertainment "Federals and Confederates," in which he introduced with great effect the "Eulogy on Stonewall Jackson," and other pieces inserted in yesterday's paper. There was also, in the musical way, a piano forte performance by Master Willie Pape, a prodigy of musical talent, who has already had the honour of playing before royalty.

These entertainments were under the management of Messrs Draper and Son, of Bold Street. In the course of the afternoon Mr. Best gave the visitors some idea of the powers of the great organ, upon which he played several pieces with his usual skill and ability.

There were several raffles during the day as explained yesterday, the arrangements made for collection with this part of the bazaar are of a character which almost preclude the possibility of mistake or dissatisfaction. A register of the winners is held, and yesterday they were as follows:

The other general arrangements worked yesterday in a highly satisfactory manner the estimate to which the dining room was patronised proved the usefulness of this adjunct to the bazaar and the dispositions of Mr Bliss were put to a test which they withstood. Amongst minor matters may be mentioned, as well worthy of imitation at future bazaars, the system for the dispatch of parcels to all parts of the town at a moderate charge, which worked admirably. Inspector Carlisle and a staff of detectives were in attendance at the hall yesterday on the lookout for suspicious characters, but the precautions taken by the committee obviated any necessity for their active services. Lost articles will be returned on application to Mr Green the keeper of the hall.

At half past nine o'clock, Mr Toole as Master of the Ceremonies, having sounded a vigorous beating of a gong announced the times of closing of the bazaar for that day and it's re-opening today at noon with many attractions.

The above article appeared in the ACWS Newsletter, Summer 2014