With no officer willing to manage from the field, the LCMC hired contractors or sent out teams; this was only sporadically successful in getting coal to Philadelphia. Firewood and charcoal were expensive and hard to find in the eastern U.S. by the War of 1812. Before the war, the LCMC's record of getting coal to market was so dismal that coal imported from England was cheaper and more readily available. The war gave the company an incentive to send another expedition by independent contractors in 1813. After a year they had built five boats, but brought only two to market; this resulted in another loss for the company. The loss was the last straw for many of the company's backers, who were unwilling to fund more expeditions despite the two boats bought back by White and Hazard.