C.A. Huey
Corky always had a deep, abiding interest in his home state of South Carolina’s history, particularly during the American Civil War. As a youngster, he focused on the English arms and material imported by Confederate forces and his interest never wavered throughout his lifetime. Early on, he gathered an extraordinary collection of examples of this material and added to it over the years. At his death, his collection was the finest assemblage of Confederate used English arms and equipment in the world.
Corky willingly shared his knowledge and expertise with anyone who approached him, and exhibited his collection publicly on many occasions. His presentation at the Civil War Library and Museum in Philadelphia for six months during 1994, “Imports from the United Kingdom 1861-1865”, became the catalyst for this book. It was the first comprehensive exhibit on blockade running and received considerable attention.
Corky played a primary role in the discovery of the McRae Papers, the most important manuscript archive pertaining to Confederate arms acquisitions in England to be uncovered in the last century. He immediately recognized the collection’s importance and was instrumental in the acquisition of the papers by the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in Columbia, an institution he championed for years.
He steadfastly worked on the preparation of this book for years never losing his enthusiasm, even in the face of great difficulties. For him to pass away just as this book was finally coming together was truly tragic. He will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have crossed his path.