CSS Alabama - Sweet Home Forever At Sea

Today we look at the short but active career of CSS Alabama, the most successful Confederate raider to take to the high seas.
Want to support the channel? - / drachinifel
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Music - / ncmepicmusic
(No, I don't know where the weird snapping noises in the video came from)

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@Justin-rv7oy]

Can you do a video for the Bearn and and one covering the naval treaties of the 1920s and 1930s? 🤔

[@devinmeyer6843]

Can we get a video on weapon guidance and directors and their development please.

[@jakebeller934]

So you were speaking of the British military-industrial complex selling weapons and especially ships to other nations, regardless of any allegiances or laws. This sounded fairly egregious. To your knowledge, has the US conducted itself as such? What do you know about the selling of US naval ships and or US Building naval contracts for other nations? Was it as bad as (as prolific) the UK? Part of this may be above your specialty, but thanks for reading anyways! ;)

[@SouthernMilitaryGuru]

The CSS Alabama had a cheeky motto for a raider, were there any other ships you can think of with particularly funny or sarcastic mottos?

[@jbowers895]

Do a video on the Hunley..the first sub....edit sub with the first semi successful attack not the first sub

[@L0stEngineer]

"meep meep". -C.S.S. Alabama. I am always amazed at the facts I learn on this channel. (It's still far more accurate than the history channel)

[@artbrann]

considering the most accurate thing on there lately is probably Ancient ALIENS, that does set a low bar to shoot for

[@09Libertarian]

In the immortal words of Trey Parker .... "The History Channel: Where the Truth is History"

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@artbrann and to hit that bar, you'd have to blow your own feet in the process...

[@jamesharding3459]

@@artbrann The only way to get under that bar is two-dimensional

[@thecatwithatophat4069]

Graf Spee: Can I copy your homework? CSS Alabama: Sure, but change some things so that its not obvious. Edit: Thanks Drach, your approval of my stale memes means a lot.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

🤣 witty humor.

[@bkjeong4302]

Which Spee?

[@hajoos.8360]

@@bkjeong4302 The incapable admrial

[@mwnciboo]

Best Avatar ever.

[@thecatwithatophat4069]

@@hajoos.8360 I thought about it and technically it could apply to both

[@philipjooste9075]

In South Africa, the Alabama's visit to Cape Town is still remembered in the popular Afrikaans folk song "Daar kom die Alibama"(sic). It is part of the repertoire of any minstrel troupe performing at the Cape Carnival, which takes place (and have for over a hundred years) on January 2nd every year.

[@johncutten982]

Philip Jooste There are two important paintings of the CS Alabama which hang in Cape Town . One was made by artist Thomas Bowler in Cape Town bay ; he was an eyewitness of the two visits of the CS Alabama to Cape Town in 1863 and 1864 ; and a second large oil painting by Maritime Artist Peter Bilas , which hangs in the Table Bay hotel , Cape Town . I also own an oil painting of the CS Alabama ......which is better than Manet’s effort of the sinking of the CS Alabama in 1864 .

[@philipjooste9075]

@@johncutten982 Thanks, good to know. I believe a flag donated by Captain Semmes is displayed in the South African Museum in Cape Town.

[@earlwright3613]

I'm from Alabama and live in Alabama my whole life and Alabama was the capital of the CSA for some time, so love all this history!

[@williamedwards2512]

@@philipjooste9075 Is it still there with the communist take-over

[@robertnessful]

A little epilogue to the Alabama's career. James Bulloch, the Confederate commander who arranged for Alabama's construction remained in Britain after the Civil War because the Union would not offer him a pardon. His nephew Teddy would visit him on summer holidays and listen to Bulloch's stories of messing up the Union's economy through nautical daring do. Teddy would grow up to be a huge naval history fanboy, which lead to his appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy just in time to let him start the Spanish American War. A brief charge up San Juan Hill later, Theodore Roosevelt was a national hero and eventual US President. If TR were alive today, he'd be a subscriber to your channel.

[@johnshepherd8687]

Roosevelt's Naval History of the War of 1812 is still the definative history.

[@greenflagracing7067]

​@Matthew Chenault Maj.Gen USV (former Lt. General CSA) 'Fighting' Joe Wheeler, during the Spanish-American War: "We've got the damn Yankees on the run again!"

[@Ultrawup]

I love how history is interconnected like that

[@johnyarbrough502]

@@johnshepherd8687 Very likely that TR's knowledge of sailing ships and naval tactics was the result of conversations with his Bulloch uncles.

[@davidtuttle7556]

@@johnyarbrough502 That and TR was an absolutely voracious reader and dedicated student.

[@iannacke2233]

"Nah mate, sounds right dangerous. Plus, I think I left me cat back home..." Best. Drachinifel. Quote. (so far).

[@TheSchultinator]

Left me cap* back home

[@kiiiisu]

@@TheSchultinator cat is more fun

[@TheSchultinator]

@@kiiiisu Eh, fair enough

[@elliottjames8020]

Assistant Surgeon Llewellyn was born in Wiltshire, England, and studied medicine at Charing-Cross Hospital in London, graduating in 1859. He accepted employment on the CSS Alabama.

[@corporaltommy4407]

Ah, British Sarcasm at its finest. Also, I cheered when Malacca was mentioned as I am Malaysian and a Malaccan at that. Further edit: I just saw the play on the title name. Very smart

[@raygiordano1045]

British humor is definitely one of my favorites too.

[@williamlydon2554]

It's strange to realize, the same waters in which the U.S Asiatic Fleet would meet it's end as part of ABDA were prowled almost a century before by their forefathers.

[@lwilde]

I'm a retired US Navy officer and historian. This is an outstanding video. Well done!

[@kendramalm8811]

Your geekiness is showing- "Lawful Neutral", "Meep! Meep!" 😋

[@colormedubious4747]

I still haven't stopped laughing at "Lawful Neutral!"

[@jamestheotherone742]

But is it really? "Lawful" means you respect the intent, spirit, of the law, not just the letter. In this case they (British industrialists) intentionally skirted around law in order to "meet market demand". Seems kinda chaotic to me. /nerd

[@stevensatak1592]

Hell, that's 'nerd cred' where I come from. I was playing 2nd Edition when you got beat up by your mates in the engine room for painting miniatures in a Pattaya Beach coffee shop rather than drinking with your buddies across the street - at 9am. In other words, before it was cool.

[@jimtalbott9535]

"A rather obvious NOT-A-WARSHIP...." Fantastic!!

[@AtomicBabel]

Drack! I had sent you an actual picture of the unexploded shell still stuck in the Kearsage's rudder! It's at the USN museum in DC.

[@dennisshank2715]

I absolutely loved this episode, especially all the snarky comments. I was eating my ham & cheese sandwich when you said " meep meeped out to sea" and I got to laughing so hard I almost spit my sandwich at the screen! Please keep up the GREAT work!

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

I think the CSS Shenandoah would be a good one to cover. Due to communications lag, still operating after even Kirby-Smith surrendered!

[@jamesritter1113]

Jon-Paul Filkins I would like to find out CSS Shenandoah would fared against fort point, Alcatraz, angle island, USS Independence, the iron clads USS Napa and USS Camanche, it wouldn't end well

[@alabamaal225]

The CSS Shenandoah has the distinction of being the last commissioned (i.e.: legitimate) Confederate military unit to surrender, in November 1865.

[@sarjim4381]

The British Empire and mercantile establishments of 1859 were as close to pure capitalist as it was possible to be. 160 years later, what remains of the British Empire has somewhat changed.

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

Capitalism in this case very literally endorsing slavery...

[@sarjim4381]

@@barleysixseventwo6665 No, only some capitalist countries of 160 years ago endorsed chattel slavery, and the UK wasn't one of them. They outlawed chattel slavery in 1834, and the US outlawed chattel slavery a few years after 1859, in 1865. The only places that have chattel slavery today are non-capitalistic totalitarian theocracies. Nice try though.

[@Nightdare]

@@sarjim4381 Yeah, people always seem to forget that slaves were kept in certain Muslim nations until 1951 and currently, in nations like Mali, which also is predominantly Muslim, slavery is very much still present ...but no, it's the big bad white man that died a 100 years ago we still need to persecute through their descendants

[@Zarastro54]

Sar Jim The US could only outlaw slavery after pacifying half of the country who wanted to keep it.

[@sarjim4381]

@@Zarastro54 I don't think "pacify" is quite the right term, since it was four years of bloody, brutal warfare before the Confederacy was worn down enough to surrender. It's rather like saying the Allies pacified Germany or Japan in WWII.

[@whydoyougottahavthis]

You make a Southerner proud :) CSS Alabama is something to be proud of in a little known aspect of that horrific war

[@petercar96]

sister ship CSS Shenandoah also built at Lairds, performed the last act of the civil war. The mostly Liverpool crew returned home and surrendered to Fort Perch Rock, at the mouth of the river Mersey. A lot of skulduggery took place in Liverpool during the war with both sides having consulate's in the city.

[@thomasnuyts9725]

One suggestion for another review: The French navy ship the LASEMILLANTE that was shipwrecked, with tragically a great number of casualties and surprisingly some of the survivors were actually named after the ship, one of its decendants is a colleague of mine.

[@FrakkinGaiusBaltar]

Ah yes. While the Royal Navy was the closest thing we ever had to Starfleet, the British shipyards were the closest thing we had to the Ferengi.

[@justnotg00d]

I built the USS Kearsarge quite a few years ago, as it was built in New Hampshire, where I live. I read a controversy that the crew of the Alabama were frustrated when shells "bounced" off the Kearsarge. I guess your mention of the powder condition was the answer to it. Some had said that the crew was drunk from celebrating in France. Too bad I do not have that model anymore. I tried to find out when the first "pivot" gun was used, but only found some vague mention of ships built in the 1810-1820 range. Great video. Thanks.

[@ashwhite2308]

Fun little fact: when they were first designing torpedo boat destroyers ( later called destroyers) the Americans and British looked at old commercial raiders(like the alabama) to get inspiration for a ship that can destroy smaller ships and bully bigger ships and soften them up until bigger back up came.

[@SteamCrane]

"It's not personal, it's strictly business."

[@nlforces2079]

I love to listen to your videos to help falling asleep. Now I'm not saying you're boring, you simply have a calm, relaxed voice. Nice to listen to :)

[@enscroggs]

Under the command of Captain Raphael Sims CSS Alabama accomplished a wonderful feat of arms - for the British merchant navy. Before the Civil War, American-built clippers and windjammers were Britain's chief rivals for the lucrative tea trade, and American whalers dominated the whale oil industry. However, the predations of raiders like Alabama erased much of America's maritime advantages over the British by driving up the insurance rates on American-flagged hulls. Bellowhead's rousing rendition of the famous shanty: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpe7eYaIrZiAa9E

[@simonwaldock9689]

War is war, but business is business

[@billhuber2964]

I totally agree sir .​@simonwaldock9689

[@billbrockman779]

Leading to the 100th anniversary of the ACW, a number of USN ships of the CF Adams class were named for CSN and USN veteran captains. I served on the USS Tattnall, and the USS Semmes was a sister ship. We believed in reconciliation in those years.

[@bigwitt187]

Should reconciliation still be necessary 100 years later? It's not our fault that the south can't get over losing.

[@xfhghe]

Considering the low casualty rate and civil behavior on both sides, the adventures of CSS Alabama seems almost more like sport than war.

[@MarcStjames-rq1dm]

The civil war was about slavery.... reconciliation? how about compensation then? The south's cause was BS then and is BS now. argh but this isn't the channel for displays of political bad will.

[@billymule961]

@@MarcStjames-rq1dm So why did you do it?

[@jacobc722]

@@MarcStjames-rq1dm yeah the union where so anti slavery that’s why they had slaves longer than the confederacy

[@alecblunden8615]

The Alabama Arbitration is one of the foundational cases in public international law. By the way, if I remember correctly, the USS Kearsage's victory was scorned because her captain has "unfairly" protected his engines with chain.

[@trog7986]

Yea and the Alabama had a habit of approaching with British colors

[@vdp1451]

The Alabama had quite an impact on Cape Town as its visit(s?) there became part of mid 1800's 'pop culture' and thus we have the folk-song to this day 'Daar kom die Alabama'. I have often wondered why this ship was so celebrated and weather it was only one or several visits. I suspect that due the ship being a raider the crew had losts of money to spend in Cape Town.

[@Kwolfx]

I understand you can see some artifacts of the CSS Alabama at museums in Cherbourg, France, Mobile, Alabama and the Museum of the U.S. Navy (Washington Navy Yard). The wreck of the Alabama belongs to the U.S. Navy, but it is the custody and protection of France. This is not unusual from a legal standpoint as a nation's warships are considered to be property of that nation even if they sank elsewhere; plus, there is no Confederacy, anything that belonged to it became the property of the United States, even if it sank off the coast of France. The wreck of Alabama is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep and it can only be dove upon for short periods of time at slack tide. Visibility can range anywhere from 5 to 75 ft and the bottom can be easily stirred up. This is a technically difficult dive, which means further recovery of items may continue; at a very slow pace, for years to come. I also read that the rudder of the Kearsarge; or at least a large part of it, along with the 100-pound shot that became embedded in it, is in the Washington Navy Yard Museum.

[@stephenknowles1420]

Drach! Nice vid! One of my fav maritime stories, actually wrote a paper on it in college. You did miss one of the most hilarious stories I have heard... When in NE raiding up the coast, Alabama raided a small port I believe in Maine, the objective was to burn all shipping. This was done with a shore raiding party. Once ashore they did burn most of the shipping and near by warehouses however, the parties own boat was seized by armed locals. In the face of being sent to a POW camp, they determined to commandeer the local Coast Guard revenue cutter and make good an escape back to Alabama. Once in the harbor, they were approached by a Union gunboat sent to respond to the mischief. It was only when the senior man aboard ordered the raiding crew to load the single gun that the sailors found that this cutter was not ready for sea and had no shot aboard. What to do? Well there were some 50lb cheeses found in the ships stores.... LOAD IT! LOL So as the gunboat approached, they were given a "taste" of cheese shot! Love the moxie of this! Consequently, as the commander of the Union gunboat was unimpressed with this effort, the raiding crew from the Alabama was seized.

[@bmouch1018]

Hey Drach, just wanted to take the time to say thanks for the great work you do and the accuracy and efficiency with which you do it. Theres a reason why you've got years and years of requested content and Q & A. Keep rocking on. Also, I've always wanted to request this, can you do a special on the most modern topic you feel comfortable talking about, I just want to see where the line is for the channel as far as staying away from current events goes.

[@_datapoint]

In 2000 I was stationed on the USS Mt Whitney (LCC-20) which temporarily replaced the USS Kearsage as the command ship for Sixth fleet in the Mediterranean. The Kearsage went into Toulon, France to dry dock. Seems too coincidental. I don't know if Navy staff knows their history too well or what.

[@bikebrains]

23:08 I love the irony of the "more harm than good" comment. Thanks for another superb video!

[@charlespichler1057]

In 1983 i wrote a 20 page research paper on the C.S.S. Sumter for my history 200 class If i ever find it again I will e-mail a copy to you. Most of the research i did came out of the official records of the war between the states. thank you for another excellent video.

[@SynchroScore]

The Kearsarge's sternpost, with the dud shell still embedded in it, was removed after the battle and is now on display at the Washington Navy Yard.

[@wideyxyz2271]

My kind of ship......What a fantastic bit of naval history. You can't make this stuff up. It would make a fantastic series with modern CGI and the like.....Great video as always Drach 10 kudos points to you sir!

[@ronclark9724]

Frankly, I would rather see a film of the SMS Emden... Her glory is still the pride of the German navy...

[@davidmcmanamy1386]

One of your best yet my friend, from an old Hippie that loves Naval History

[@NicolaiVE]

The battle between the Uss Kearsage and the Css Alabama was an inspiration for a Belgian comic book called "Duel in the Channel" (the 2 main protagonists are actually members of the USS cavalry, but they get booted around frequently to conviently be at every great Civil war event :D ) www.dupuis.com/catalogue/NL/al/1218/duel_in_het_kanaal.html

[@chrisdugas1226]

There's even a song about the CSS Alabama. Look it up, it's called Roll, Alabama, Roll.

[@maxwellbeer6757]

Immortalised in the song “Roll Alabama, Roll” of which Bellowhead did a rousing version

[@Unsound_advice]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXaWh2WOf7-kgpo

[@jacq135]

I have a wreckpiece of the css alabama washed ashore on the beach of cherbourg france

[@Ad_Valorem]

Initially, the South harbored the conceit that "King Cotton" was so vital to Britain's economy that it would actively intervene on the South's behalf, i.e., end the North's blockade. Cotton was indeed important, but Britain could also get cotton from India and could afford to stick to its principles. An excellent and very readable history of this period is "A World on Fire - Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War" by Amanda Foreman.

[@Ad_Valorem]

@Matthew Chenault I used to think that, too, but Foreman's book doesn't present any evidence that the South was ever one victory away from British recognition. Instead, her book says that it was the French who wanted intervention, but the British thought instead they should offer mediation. Lee's defeat at Antietam had the effect of foreclosing any thought of recognition. Popular opinion in Britain, she indicates, was massively pro-Union and against any intervention, and the Liberals, known for their anti-slavery views, were in power. Incongruously, the strongest proponents of recognition of the South in the government were Palmerston, the premier, for economic reasons, and Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer, possibly because his father owned thousands of slaves. The Wikipedia entry for Palmerston indicates that a crisis in the Balkans with the Russians forced a choice of priority.

[@peterdavy6110]

There's a memorial to the Alabama's surgeon David Llewellyn in the parish church at Easton Royal in Wiltshire. His father was the vicar of the parish.

[@MrAwsomenoob]

"I was a business man, doing business" Great Britain (probably)

[@Reepicheep-1]

I think you've reached new heights of tongue-in-cheekiness and wit with the first few minutes.

[@WildBillCox13]

Thank you for demonstrating a good, solid, understanding of how alignment works. Eshkalar* salutes you. *The world's greatest Canadian Wizard

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

Drachinifel , I found your channel by MHV's video on the "early" Africa Korps scenario. Being a bit of a naval nut myself, I absolutely love your channel - great work!!

[@PatrickLink]

Alabamian here, thanks for the video.

[@jeffreyvonaspern1081]

Thank you for this. There was a confederate raider that infiltrated new York harbour she was lost along with her adversaries in a duel in the Caribbean can't remember her name but I'm sure you could make a great episode on it

[@mikus4242]

This is interesting information on confederate raiders. I did not know of the British fallout over building raiders.

[@joeford860]

Another excellent video. Thanks

[@AtheistIII]

can you pls review the Seeadler?Beeing one of the most sucessfull commerce raiders in WW1 as a sailing ship while staying almost completely nonlethal is a story worth to be told in my opinion.

[@googacct]

One thing I had never given much thought to before was that the Amercian civil war ranged over a much wider area than just the continental US.

[@johncolasont6195]

Ah The CSS Alabama; the ship that prompted the Union Naval Command's decision to require all blockading warships to sail in sets of no lower than 2.

[@bzzcks]

A very brave effort at Tuscarora. More of a "tusk-ah-roar-ah" sound than the spelling would suggest.

[@bobhealy3519]

I find myself repeatedly watching . Repetition drills it into my head. Important history. Thanks again Drach.

[@Charliecomet82]

Britain: "We abolished slavery first!" Also Britain: builds commerce raiders for slavers.

[@rustyslug2943]

One was done by the state, one was done by a private shipyard.

[@redjacc7581]

They were called Laird Rams, those turreted ships that the CSA had ordered. I doubt the Union sea & ocean going navy could have done much to them as they didnt posses ocean going ironclad vessels, i don't count New Ironsides in that category.

[@GeneralKenobiSIYE]

"A Kraken might get it." "Made like the Roadrunner and 'MEEP MEEP'd' all the way over the horizon and out into the Atlantic." CLASSIC!! hahahaha!! The Roadrunner. Otherwise known as Speedipus Rex.

[@sebastienhardinger4149]

"Gigantic armored referee"

[@dugclrk]

Thanks for the neutral and highly factual video on a chapter of America's War Between the States.

[@MrMustang1945]

It’s not a warship, it’s a Surprise Civilian Refit.

[@lorenrogers9269]

A most excellent video Drach. Thank you.

[@sirrliv]

Thanks for this fascinating swashbuckling tale. Always had a soft spot for the Alabama since I saw a do about her raising on the History Channel way back in the day. And, of course, obligatory brief nod to her presence at one of my home state's only brief contributions to the naval theater of the Civil War, the Battle of Galveston, Texas, i.e. the smackdown between Alabama and USS Hatteras. On the topic of British-built Confederate warships, might I put forward a request for a look at what was supposed to be the Rebel Navy's last ironclad, the CSS Stonewall, which after passing through a dizzying array of owners, including the British, the French, the Spanish, and even the Union Navy, would end up in the hands of the Japanese as the Kotetsu, in which guise she would reach prominence in the Boshin War, Japan's own civil war, at the Battle of Hakodate in May, 1869. Likewise, you made repeated mention of the Trent Incident throughout this tale. I am vaguely aware of that event, but a supplementary video going into greater detail might not go amiss. Finally, following the legacy of the Alabama, a more tangential request would be for the German commerce raider SMS Seeadler, the world's last fighting sail, or in more romantic terms, "The Last of the Pirate Ships" (despite the classifying of commerce raiders as pirates being a somewhat fuzzy area, but it's all in the marketing).

[@stewartmarshall4112]

As to Texas' contributions, remember the Battle of Sabine Pass, where a very small handful of artillery volunteers under an Irishman, Lt. Dick Dowling, turned back an entire Union invasion force by landing an artillery salvo on the lead gunboat, USS Clifton, and blowing her up in mid channel. This saved Texas from Union occupation (some principle arsenals were there) and these were the only medals of valour ever awarded by the Confederate government, those given to Dowling and his men, so dramatic was their victory considered.

[@williamharvey8895]

Don't know how I missed this episode, and it's been decades since I heard "lawful neutral "

[@bobhealy3519]

The kraken might get it. Love it.

[@billbolton]

Another fine video, thanks.

[@rock3tcatU233]

Oi m8, why does your cargo vessel have mounting points for cannons?

[@dextercochran4916]

Fun fact: British port authorities were pressured into seizing the soon-to-be Alabama by US counter-agents operating in Britain, but they arrived too late to stop her from leaving Liverpool and 'Emrica' escaped into the Atlantic with mere hours to spare. Destination: The Azores.

[@roybaker6902]

Meep meep.

[@crgkevin6542]

This video is absolutely dripping with sarcasm! Drach in top form here!

[@knutdergroe9757]

What a great video. Made your break for Tank feast, did you some good. 😎😉

[@matthewadkins7973]

Thanks

[@thomasbaagaard]

Suggest you also take a look at the ship Sphynx / Stærkoddder / CSS Stonewall / Kōtetsu that was build in Bordeaux.

[@F1ghteR41]

23:58 Or, the British authorities just used the public uproar to buy themselves a nice pair of ships, since their overseas partners were now clearly loosing the war and were of no use in supplying cotton.

[@BrockRuby]

Great vid on this subject. Again Dracht has my entire attention focused on this vid. I have the Revell large scale plastic model of the Alabama. Really thinking about starting construction after watching this vid.

[@BNRmatt]

I love how Drach went from dry and matter of fact to having that signature British humor. "Who knows what might happen? A kraken might get it!"

[@EslayerTM]

"sweet home forever at sea" could be a cool sea song

[@Mathwayb]

What a fantastic video Drac! Informative, funny and highly entertaining. Keep up the good work.

[@jimtalbott9535]

At 23:45 - as usual, some of your most "provocative" content is near the end - what I'm getting from this is that the Confederate Navy could have synchronized their purchase and provisioning of these ships, and acquired a "mini commerce raiding navy" in some way? Sounds like a fascinating "what if" video!

[@TonboIV]

It would be hard enough to get three ships delivered simultaneusly now, let alone in the days of communication by letters on boats.

[@jamesoneill3922]

Roll Alabama roll.... Most of the crew were British I believe? Properly constituted Privateering cannot be compared to piracy, however If you took anything or did anything beyond that expressly permitted by your letter of marque then the Captain entered a legal hell from which he was unlikely to emerge with even a shred of reputation intact. Great care was required.

[@dddpvt]

Consider reading Memoirs of Service Afloat...by Rafael Semmes...GREAT read

[@williambefort5327]

Just finished it. Semmes was an exact contemporary of Lincoln's, aged 52 when he went to war in the Sumter. A first-class navigator and sailor, a formidable legal mind (he could spot the hole in any prize's neutrality papers), and a wholehearted partisan of the Confederate cause, he was also an amateur oceanographer with ideas ahead of his time.

[@robertmorgan5173]

Excellent, informed and entertaining commentary.

[@wingy252]

How do you think the US Navy would have faired if the Royal Navy squadrons sent to the US East coast during the Trent affair actually commenced their planned blockade?

[@ravenwing199]

Poorly for 6 months and still would have won. The only difference would be Montreal is that annoying french speaking American city.

[@wingy252]

@@ravenwing199 😂

[@silentsurvivor2197]

A kraken might get it is probably my new favorite line of yours

[@johnlamb6095]

The largely Laird's built CSS Alabama (finished on a desert island) became the largely Lairds built submarine Nautilus (finished on a desert island) in Jules Verne's 1869 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Captain Nemo (eventually revealed as the Indian Prince Dakar) is an abolitionist whereas Raphael Semmes defended slavery. Captain Nemo's motto is Mobilis in Mobile, guess where in Alabama, Raphael Semmes lived? The Afrikaan song "Daar kom die Alibama" mentioned elsewhere gives the true origin of Prince Dakar as a swift rearrangement of just two letters gives the code Dakar om die Alibama. See the Raphael Semmes Wikipedia page.

[@ireviewshtuff]

That warship boxing match is a historical event I would pay any amount of money to be at lol

[@Ostenjager]

My my! What a crazy series of fortunate coincidences…

[@adamdubin1276]

Made like the Roadrunner and meep-meeped all the way out to sea. Thank you Drach

[@sanuku535]

I would say. "Even in death you wont get my ass!"

[@johnwhite7219]

Lawful Neutral? Drac did you play AD&D?

[@jacktattis]

If I remember rightly I think this ship visited Australia during the war

[@robertmarsh3588]

Very interesting history. Thank you.

[@1IbramGaunt]

Definitely handed over with a wink and a grin lol

[@voivod6871]

"A nods as good as a wink to a blind bat".

[@scotthill8787]

I have read that one of the factors keeping Great Britain officially neutral was Union diplomats telling their British counterparts that many Union officers were drooling at the thought of becoming privateers, with English ships an obvious target.

[@EzioDeCreeper]

All those damn coincidences make me dizzy.

[@ronclark9724]

There is a tale of a Philadelphia teenager running to a shipyard with the news the USS Constitution had been ordered. Later in his naval career that teenager skippered that frigate. There is still in the US Navy today, and probably always will be one warship named USS Decatur... The Stephen Decatur of Tripoli fame...

[@hillbillyscholar8126]

The Russian Czar put an end to the looming intervention by the European powers when he sent two squadrons of warships to support the Union efforts. It's not that the squadrons would have changed the course of the war here, but their involvement would have meant hell to pay elsewhere.

[@purplespeckledappleeater8738]

Michigan repaid the favor. Did nothing but really anger the Bolsheviks.

[@hillbillyscholar8126]

@El Bearsidente www.voltairenet.org/article169488.html Nobody had plans?

[@stewartmarshall4112]

Under slightly different circumstances, we could have had WWI about half a century earlier and on a different continent.

[@hillbillyscholar8126]

@@stewartmarshall4112 I think the conflict would have been on the European mainland just the same, but no matter. You get it. Even many Civil War historians disregard the international aspect of the conflict in general.

[@DavidSiebert]

The idea that England supported the Union because of their dislike of slavery is really kind of smoke and mirrors. The mills in the UK bought a lot of cotton from the South and the South actually hoped that England would actually help them. As you said business is business.

[@jasonirwin4631]

"England" as you put it was pretty bipolar about there feelings about the war. The general population did not support slavery and as a result did not support the confederation. The business side of England supported the Confederacy so long as they had money or cotton. Towards the end of the war when money and cotton started to run out the support of English business also started to run out.

[@ihateyankees3655]

Public support for the Confederate States was actually rather high in the UK. Parliament at the time was controlled by people who loved free trade and hated the Union's Morrill tariff. Writers and public figures generally understood that there was more at stake than slavery and that the states had a right to unilaterally secede, Karl Marx being the notable exception.

[@adamdubin1276]

The things British shipbuilders will do to make a sale...

[@BHuang92]

So this is like the naval version of Oberin vs the Mountain fight........

[@fransiscozip1459]

To rake the deck ..is a load of bbs launched down the long axis of the ship...buck shot raking a stay would likely cut the ropes...