Robert Bunch
Robert Bunch KCMG (born September 11, 1820, died March 21, 1881) was a British diplomat, who was a secret agent present in the United States South during the American Civil War.[1][2] Before the outbreak of Civil War, he had served as a diplomatic representative, first in the North, and then replacing George Buckley Mathew in Charleston, who was causing diplomatic problems. [3] In particular, Mathew was vocally against South Carolina's recent rule of incarcerating British African sailors while in port.[3]
Life
Robert Bunch was from 1841 to 1845 attaché and private secretary of William Pitt Adams in Bogotá and Lima. In September 1844 he was sent together with Captain Sir Thomas Thompson as Joint Commissioner to the Supreme Junta of Government of Peru to Arequipa. On December 16, 1845 he was appointed Consular Agent in Lima. On February 6, 1846 he was appointed acting consul in Callao (Peru). Robert Bunch was vice-consul in New York City from October 25, 1848 to 1853. From 1853 to 1864, Bunch was consul in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1864 he became Consul General in Havana.[3] From 1866 to 1878 he served as Minister Resident and Consul General in Colombia. He then took on diplomatic posts in Venezuela and Peru. Robert Bunch had been married to Charlotte Amelia Craig since 1853. [4]
References
- ↑ Grandin, Greg (14 July 2015). "'Our Man in Charleston,' by Christopher Dickey" – via NYTimes.com.
- ↑ "Robert Bunch, Britain's Unlikely Spy in the American Civil War". 30 July 2015.
- 1 2 Dickey, Christopher (2015). Our Man in Charleston:Britain's Secret Agent in the Civil War South. p. 10 of 316.
- [3] James J. Barnes, Patience P. Barnes, Private and confidential: letters from British Ministers in Washington to The Foreign Secretaries in London, 1844–67, the foreign officer list and diplomatic and consular hand book 1877
- [4] R. Burnham Moffat, The Barclays of New York: They Are and Who They Are Not
