An opposing view: Descendant of black Confederate soldier speaks at museum

Thomasville Times-Enterprise ^ | 24 Feb 2004 | Mark Lastinger

[Non-Sequitur]

Oh I wouldn't go so far as to call Gianni a lunitic. He may be as unconcerned about accuracy as you are, but he isn't crazy.

[#3Fan]

I don't see why you think it strange that sailors would be armed when expecting fighting close to shore. I think frustration is causing you guys to overreact and forget common sense. From here we can see that the 300 men were called "sailors" (they weren't called "infantry") and they were expected to fight to bring the provisions:

We arrived off Charleston the 12th instant, at 3 a.m., and found only the Harriet Lane. Weather during the whole trine a gale. At 7. a.m. the Pawnee arrived, and, according to his orders, Captain Rowan anchored twelve miles east of the light, to await the arrival of the Powhatan. I stood in with the Baltic to execute my orders by offering, in the first place, to carry provisions to Fort Sumter. Nearing the bar it was observed that war had commenced, and, therefore, the peaceful offer of provisions was void.
The Pawnee and Lane immediately anchored close to the bar, notwithstanding the heavy sea, and though neither tugs or Powhatan or Pocahontas had arrived, it was believed a couple of boats of provisions might be got in. The attempt was to be made in the morning, because the heavy sea and absence of the Powhatan's gunboats crippled the night movement. All night and the morning of the 13th instant it blew strong, with a heavy sea. The Baltic stood off and on, looking for the Powhatan, and in running in during the thick weather struck on Rattlesnake Shoal, but soon got off. The heavy sea, and not having the sailors (three hundred) asked for, rendered any attempt from the Baltic absurd. I only felt anxious to get in a few days' provisions to last the fort until the Powhatan's arrival. The Pawnee and Lane were both short of men, and were only intended to afford a base of operations whilst the tugs and three hundred sailors fought their way in.

This guy is saying the three hundred sailors were needed to ensure provisions making it to the fort. That means that they would've offered protection while ships were being unloaded, and they needed arms to cover the offloading of provisions.

[#3Fan]

I take it you're endorsing the pet lunatic. It puts you in good company non-seq...probably somewhere in one of his odd battle formations on the rigging as you desparately try to shoulder a musket while the ship rolls and your foothold slips away from you.

See post #442. You guys really stepped in it this time.

[#3Fan]

Obviously, I didn't mean you when I said "you guys". Since they're trying to give you grief over this, I wanted you to see the proof also. :^)

[lentulusgracchus]

It doesn't matter anyway because you have yet to link me to the signed armistice so it's looking like there was no signed armistice to begin with.

Absence of evidence is evidence of absence?

[#3Fan]

Absence of evidence is evidence of absence?

In the case of an armistice, perhaps so. You don't think that the armistice that ended WW1 was misplaced or not entered into the record, do you? An armistice is a big deal and would've been entered into the record if it was official and signed. The fact that it wasn't leads me to believe it wasn't official, but just some kind of non-formal verbal arrangement the Bushanan Administration made to stall for time until Lincoln took over.

[#3Fan]

Bushanan? Whoa! I don't think Bush has much in common with Buchanan. Buchanan, rather.

[GOPcapitalist]

Odd. You would rather associate with a mentally unstable Jessica Lynch stalker than a normal person who simply takes a different view than you on the civil war. Then again, you also proudly associate with Bill Clinton's #1 cheerleader on FR: Wlat.

[GOPcapitalist]

(whispering) PSSST! He still thinks that I am conversing with him!

[GOPcapitalist]

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

[Gianni]

Oh, so that's why history remembers Lee as a criminal and Sherman as America's greatest general.

[Gianni]

The heavy sea, and not having the sailors (three hundred) asked for, rendered any attempt from the Baltic absurd.

Who were called sailors?

[Gianni]

One more thing: If the Secretary of the Navy was to be prohibited from knowing the Powhatan's secret mission, what makes you think Joe Schmo had clue 1?

[#3Fan]

Who were called sailors?

The three hundred men.

[Gianni]

The first Great War was not ended by an armistice.

[#3Fan]

One more thing: If the Secretary of the Navy was to be prohibited from knowing the Powhatan's secret mission, what makes you think Joe Schmo had clue 1?

Whether the mission was secret or not doesn't matter. This Joe Schmoe, a captain, confirms that the men were sailors and that they would fight their way in to deliver provisions. You guys act as if it were impossible that the men were sailors and that they were to fight if necessary. This letter proves you wrong because this captain fully accepted their status as fighting sailors.

[Gianni]

Three hundred men who weren't there, about whom Joe Schmoe apparently knew nothing.

[#3Fan]

The first Great War was not ended by an armistice.

Are you saying there was no armistice?

[#3Fan]

Three hundred men who weren't there, about whom Joe Schmoe apparently knew nothing.

Regardless of where they were, he expected 300 fighting sailors. So if fighting sailors were an impossibility, this captain was not aware of that impossibility. lol

[Gianni]

This Joe Schmoe, a captain, confirms that the men were sailors and that they would fight their way in to deliver provisions

This Captain Schmoe had seen the Powhatan and how she was outfitted?

They were to rendezvous prior to reinforcement of the fort. Powhatan was sent to Florida. It could have been manned by history's first transvestite army for all he knew.