Tag: emancipation-proclamation

CSA Flyer Calling for Naval Volunteers!

CSA: Confederate Navy – Black & Foreign Workers! (15.10.2025)

The CSA Navy was primarily tasked with defending the waterways leading from the coastal areas (and the open sea) into the Southern hinterland from attack by the Union. The secondary mission was to venture out into the coastal areas and the open sea to attack any approaching Union ship. The problem with this latter requirement is that once CSA ships were drawn away from the protection of CSA estuary and coastal batteries – the Confederate ships were often sitting ducks. This being the case, and given that stocks of new iron were low, the secondary objective was only rarely exercised. Of course, Confederate submarines did do some surprising damage to Union shipping – but this technology was still new, quite often unreliable, and usually deadly to its own crew. Despite being side-lined in favour of the CSA Army – the CSA Navy (and those who administered it) did an extraordinarily good job against incredible odds. African-Americans, both free and still in slavery, assisted the CSA in its naval requirements.

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Judah P Benjamin - Jewish Confederate!

British Judah P. Benjamin [1811-1884] – “Jewish” Confederate Attorney General! (16.11.2024)

Many who knew Judah, however, have stated that his legal arguments and his personal views were two different things. In reality, Judah, his family, and his broader community in the South were generally in favour of slave-ownership. He believed that slaves were “property” and that a government had no right to interfere in the ownership of property. Particularly a “property” guaranteed in the 1776 Constitution. He thought that freeing slaves was impractical because this population had no idea of how to survive as free-functioning individuals. Such a transition, if it could happen at all, would take a very long time involving preparation. For those who supported slavery, these attitudes were common amongst the “White” community. Another justifying argument involved the idea that Biblical texts justified the enslavement of Africans – with slavery being god’s will. In 1862, Judah P. Benjamin was appointed Confederate Secretary of State, and he pursued the foreign policy of attempting to pursued Great Britain and France to recognise the Confederacy. In 1864, Confederate General Patrick Cleburne (of the Army of Tennessee) suggested that all the slaves in the South should be freed and immediately armed – to form “Black” Regiments in the Confederate Army. Jeferson Davis vettoed this idea (even though Judah P. Benjamin had been discussing this since 1863).

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