The Fleets
The United States Mail Line was formed in 1848 by George Law, Marshall O. Roberts, Bowes R. McIlvaine and the trustees of the mail contract. The line was to run services from the Atlantic coast of the USA to the Isthmus of Panama with calls at New Orleans and Havana. They only operated for 11 years and with the expiry of the mail contract in 1859, the company withdrew from the trade. There was little public regret at the passing of the line and its directors were said to be more interested in immediate financial returns, than in providing a good service.
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central America | 1852 | ex- George Law, 1857 renamed Central America. 1857 sank on voyage from Chagres to New York, Septemer 12, 1857 with reported loss of 423 lives. | 2,141 |
| Empire City | 1849 | 1861-1864 used as a Civil War transport. | 2,000 |