📜 September 13, 1850 — Letter to Messrs. Southmayd & Harrison (New Orleans)
Bales, Freight Discrepancies, and the Mechanics of Shipment
Introduction
This letter, dated September 13, 1850, addressed to Messrs. Southmayd & Harrison of New Orleans, represents the practical side of the Rio Grande trade system. Unlike advisory or relational correspondence, this document is focused almost entirely on shipment details, freight calculations, and accounting adjustments.
It reflects the day-to-day realities of commerce—where profit depended not only on goods themselves, but on accurate measurement, correct freight charges, and proper handling of bonded merchandise.
Full Transcription (Cleaned, No Paraphrasing — Key Terms Preserved)
Brownsville Sept. 13th 1850
Messrs. Southmayd & Harrison
Gentlemen,
By the Brig Amanda Parsons from New York, we receive due invoices of 41 bales and four cases of Mdse, all bonded goods; all of the samples we shall require. If any of them should be on the invoice please pay duties on the same.
The last meas. is good and upon the measurement on the back of each bill of lading it turns out that our previous meas. is 19½ ft. Freight from England was paid on 531½ ft but for the same goods this difference was not manifested to him in New York and he returned to the latter measurement; consequently you will pay freight only on 531½ ft.
No. 85 to 92 — 31 bales domestics, which have been imported in several entries say 1 bale, 2 bales, 3 bales, 10 bales, & 12 bales, each quantity on entry by itself.
No. 81 — one entry
No. 85 — one entry
No. 89 — one entry
No. 90 to 102 — one entry
No. 160 — pay the duties on it
No. 223 — other entry
No. 235 & 36 — one entry
No. 237 & 38 — one entry
These goods you will please forward to our consignees after their arrival, and we would in time and we will advise for them.
Yr. Servants,
C. Stillman & Bro.
Analysis
This letter provides a clear view of the logistical precision required to sustain long-distance trade in 1850. Every element—bales, measurements, freight, and duties—is accounted for in detail, underscoring how closely profit depended on accurate documentation and verification. Even a discrepancy in measurement, such as the difference between recorded and billed cubic footage, required correction to avoid unnecessary expense.
The repeated reference to bales reflects the standardized packaging of goods, particularly textiles, which formed the backbone of the trade. By breaking shipments into multiple entries—sometimes as small as a single bale—merchants could manage customs procedures, duties, and documentation more flexibly. This fragmentation of cargo was not incidental; it was a deliberate method of handling goods within the regulatory framework of bonded trade.
The mention of bonded goods is equally significant. These were goods held under customs control until duties were paid, allowing merchants to defer payment and manage cash flow more effectively. Instructions to pay duties only on certain items indicate careful financial management, ensuring that obligations were met without overpaying or prematurely releasing goods.
The brig Amanda Parsons represents the maritime link in this system, connecting Atlantic trade routes to the Rio Grande frontier. Once landed, however, the complexity of the process increased: goods had to be measured, recorded, entered, and redistributed through a network of agents and consignees. The letter’s closing instructions to forward goods upon arrival further emphasize the layered nature of distribution, where multiple parties handled the same shipment at different stages.
Taken together, this document shows that the success of the trade network depended not only on access to markets, but on discipline in execution. Every bale, every entry, and every measurement formed part of a system where small errors could have meaningful financial consequences.
📜 Editorial Note
This letter, dated September 13, 1850, was addressed to Messrs. Southmayd & Harrison of New Orleans and concerns the receipt, measurement, and forwarding of bonded merchandise shipped aboard the brig Amanda Parsons. The transcription preserves original terminology such as “Mdse” (merchandise) and reflects the structured listing of bale entries as recorded in the document. Minor standardization has been applied for readability.
Excellent—this is the perfect companion piece. It ties directly into your “bales, bales, bales” letter and gives readers the context they need to understand why all that detail mattered.
📦 What Is a Bale?
Packaging, Measurement, and Profit in the 1850 Rio Grande Trade
Introduction
In the commercial letters of Charles Stillman & Bro., one word appears again and again:
👉 “bales.”
At first glance, the term seems simple—a way of counting goods. But in the mid-19th century trade system, a bale was far more than packaging. It was a unit of commerce, a measure of value, and a basis for calculating freight, duties, and profit.
Understanding the bale is essential to understanding how the Rio Grande trade actually worked.
What Was a Bale?
A bale was a tightly packed bundle of goods, usually wrapped in heavy cloth, canvas, or hide, and bound with rope or iron bands.
In the Stillman letters, bales most often contained:
Textiles (mantas, domestics, prints)
Occasionally other compact trade goods
Each bale was designed to be:
durable for long transport
stackable in ships and warehouses
manageable for handling by laborers
There was no single universal size—but consistency within a shipment was expected.
Why Bales Mattered
A bale was not just a container—it was the basic unit of trade calculation.
Merchants tracked:
number of bales
contents of each bale
value per bale
When Stillman writes about:
“31 bales domestics…”
he is describing not just quantity, but inventory, capital, and risk.
Measurement and Freight
Beyond counting bales, merchants measured them.
Freight charges were often based on volume (cubic feet) rather than simply number of items.
In your September 13 letter, we see:
goods measured in feet (ft.)
freight paid on 531½ ft.
disputes arising from measurement differences
This matters because:
👉 A small change in measurement = real money lost or saved
Every bale had to be:
measured
recorded on the bill of lading
verified upon arrival
Bales and Customs Entries
One of the most revealing details in your letter is how bales were entered:
“1 bale, 2 bales, 3 bales, 10 bales…”
Each group was recorded as a separate customs entry.
This practice allowed merchants to:
manage duties in smaller increments
control timing of payments
organize goods across multiple transactions
It was a flexible system—one that could be adjusted depending on cash flow, regulation, or strategy.
Bonded Goods and the Bale
Many of these bales were bonded goods, meaning:
they remained under customs control
duties had not yet been paid
release depended on payment
This gave merchants an advantage:
👉 goods could be moved and stored before duties were settled
But it also required careful tracking—each bale had to be accounted for precisely.
From Ship to Interior
A bale’s journey did not end at the port.
After arriving by ship (such as the brig Amanda Parsons), bales were:
unloaded at the coast
transported inland by cart or wagon
redistributed to merchants, ranches, or interior towns
By the time a bale reached places like Monterrey or beyond, it had passed through:
👉 multiple hands
👉 multiple records
👉 multiple cost calculations
Profit in the Details
The letters make one thing clear:
Trade was not only about buying and selling—it was about precision.
Profit depended on:
correct measurements
accurate entries
controlled freight charges
proper duty payments
A single miscalculation in a bale’s size or classification could erase margins.
Conclusion
The bale was the foundation of the trade system.
It carried goods, but also:
value
information
and risk
In the Rio Grande commerce of 1850, every bale represented a chain of decisions—from packing in New York or Europe, to measurement at the coast, to sale in the interior.
To read these letters carefully is to see that nothing was casual.
Not even a bale.
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