Cargo Manifest for the Clotilda
On February 27, 1860, the schooner Clotilda, commanded by Captain William Foster, departed Mobile, AL, for what this document describes as “St. Thomas or a market.” Actually, the vessel sailed to the coast of West Africa where it loaded a cargo of 103 captives for transport back to the Mobile area. The ship entered Mobile Bay in early July 1860, carrying its human cargo, fifty-two years after the United States legally abolished the international slave trade.
Our holdings related to Clotilda include additional U. S. Customs Service records that document the vessel’s activities transporting cargo after its commissioning in 1855 until its final voyage in 1860. Additionally, U. S. District Court and Circuit Court records document the criminal charges against the illegal voyage’s organizers.
Cargo Manifest, dated February 27, 1860. National Archives Identifier: 1088770
This manifest is one example of the many records held at the National Archives at Atlanta, GA. You can explore more of our holdings by visiting the National Archives Catalog or by visiting the National Archives at Atlanta. This record is located within Record Group 36: U.S. Customs Service, Series: Cargo Manifests, 1822–1905. Many of the records in this collection have yet to be digitized. We encourage researchers to visit us onsite to explore these records and learn more about the archival collections held in the National Archives at Atlanta.