Dear Patrick; I am glad to meet you sir, my name is Peyton II, and I live in Southeast Texas, Admiral Raphael Semmes was my fourth great uncle. Confederate Admiral Raphael Semmes, I think that he was the only sailor to actually sail a confederate vessel to Asia as it flew the confederate battle flag(Saint Andrews Cross with Stars) on the top of his Confederate warship the CSS Alabama. The CSS Alabama sunk or burned 64 Union warships in universal naval history, and it sunk off of the Atlantic coast line of Cherbourg, France, in a major naval battle against the USS Kearsarge(the French people decided to quickly jump on trains, and other various forms of the 19th century modern transportation throughout their nation, so that they could watch this incredible historical moment take place, the USS Kearsarge was able to sink the CSS Alabama, because the Yankees had reinforced their new warship with a thin layer of metal that was hidden behind the wood covered warship USS Kearsarge, therefore everytime the Confederates fired their cannons, the cannon balls would merely bounce off of the hull of the Union warship, as if they were pebbles.) As far as my personal beliefs are concerned, I am a nice and peaceful ultra-conservative European-American man of 31 years old, I am a member of the holy roman catholic church, I have been doing alot of research about the Old South and modern confederate Christian clergies of all denominations, "I enjoy thoroughly analyzing symbolisim of all cultures so that I might be able to find some Christian value on them, and I am semi-curious about the ancient Norse pagan religions and the ancient white tribes of Europe and their cultures of old Europe and all of the historical influence that the ancient white/Norse tribes have had on non-white cultures from the beggining of the creation of the white race. I am helping the Christian cultures of the American-Southland and Scotland grow together, by the help and promotion of very interesting and unique designs of a Confederate-Celtic/Scottish "Christian Cross T-shirt", along with Confederate Battle Flag(Saint Andrews Cross with Stars) Christmas tree ornaments, and other Confederate Battle Flag Christmas items as well. I have been doing some research on the semi unknown facts that 70-80,000 Confederate-Americans decided to flee to former British Honduras(today its known as Belize), Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil in the 19th Century. Patrick, if you need anymore information about me, or my vast knowledge about the War Between the States(especially the Old South confederate Christian clergies), please ask me to give you another letter for this club of a more indepth study of what exactly I do know about American History. Patrick, I hope that you will have a nice and peaceful life and Godbless. Peacefully yours forever, Peyton II

Dear friend, I am honoured very that you dedicated a little time has answer has my letter. I began there is a few more of 6 months of long research on the CSS Alabama and his heroic crew. For me, the crew and his captain appear to be of big heroes of the Confederation to the simple reading of their history. Certainly, there is them a lot of heroes in this war among the men and the women of the South and I are far from all knowing. Since 1979, I lived my life through America but especially for the south. It started with Elvis Presley, then with traditional American music : rock'n'roll - country music, old times, blues grass, Cajun. To followed the history of your country, in particular " the civil war ", I are me very quickly rallied to the Southern reason. Yes, I am well one of the rare French to leave in city in jeans, American shirt, boots and stetson, the all to say that while discovering the real " SOUTHERN " REASON, I looked for to my way to do a homage in the south. I also discovered a part of the history of the CSS Alabama, whose glorious epic entered in for evermore to the large of the coasts of Cherbourg in France in June 1864, after a long fight against a Yankee ship. That day, the CSS Alabama didn't carry away a victory BUT is ever to all entered in the memoirs. I made some research therefore first of all on the sites existing web in the earth : a certain number of existing information is classified in category 2 (not serious & serious). I found a French site who dedicates pages some on the excavations of the CSS Alabama with a few small photos (recall me to give you the address), but no other seriousness in French. There are also several other sites very serious web in USA on the CSS Alabama in American, with a certain number of information and documents (visible) left on about 4 or 5 sites web to the maximum. There is also a site in England. I decided to create a site in French and English on the CSS Alabama therefore, with a maximum of information and documents (photos and other), of his construction to his last fight. On this days I could unite some information on his construction and his backer (numerous photos, letters of crew, report of his captain, French newspaper clippings of time, list of the crew and a lot of other information). From my research in American universities, web, libraries, particular, messages on various forums of discussion American or other, I have well on hoped to have luck to contact the descendant of one of the flight attendants, and after six long months of research, you me tops the big honour to answer and, to the surplus, you are downward of captain Semmes. I would never have pus to imagine such a honour, that of which I was anxious to make you part. Therefore you are from Texas and it is brilliant., because Texas is the second confederate state that I hope to visit one day, the first being Virginia (useless to remind you that it was the capital of the CSAS and the state or is born biggest of the American generals). I already had the pleasure to visit the city of Memphis (very beautiful parks and statuaries of J. Davis and CSS statuette (Confederate Park) facing the " 100 NS forehead st " " and Mississippi, statue of NB Forrest on Union avenue (made statue in France)), Nashville, Tupelo. This visit made itself of January 1995 7 to 13; it was short visit but my cour is there always. I possess the names of the 64 ships Yankee flowed by the CSS Alabama. I ignore the details on the Yankee ship that sank the CSS Alabama (is necessary to say that I only searched for little information on this ship " the US Kearsarge ". Besides, on my site, I mentioned to the minimum his name and the information him concerning. The only photos where the Yankee ship appears are the one of the fight. I am to 100% in favour of the confederates, but without being extremist. I don't see anything better than the culture and the traditions of the old South. If I can help you in your research on your research in Europe and in particular in France, I would be happy of it. Here are my two demands that I would be honoured to see accept : 1) to put the message that you sent me on my site web about the CSS Alabama (your conditions will be the mines) : 2) to send me one post card (so possible on " the civil war ") with a small word and your signature ; I would be honoured some. In okay case, I would communicate you my postal address. Thank you and see you later. patrick ********************************************************************** Cher ami, Je suis très honoré que vous ayez consacré un peu de temps a répondre a ma lettre. J'ai commencé il y a un peu plus de 6 mois de longues recherches sur le CSS Alabama et son héroïque équipage. Pour moi, l'équipage et son capitaine paraissent être de grands héros de la Confédération à la simple lecture de leur histoire. Certes, il y a eux beaucoup de héros dans cette guerre parmi les hommes et les femmes du Sud et je suis loin de tous les connaître. Depuis 1979, j'ai vécu ma vie au travers de l'Amérique mais surtout pour le sud. Cela a commencé par Elvis Presley, puis avec la musique traditionnelle américaine : rock'n'roll, country music, old times, blues grass, Cajun. Au suivi de l'histoire de votre pays, en particulier "the civil war", je me suis très vite rallié à la cause sudiste. Oui, je suis bien l'un des rares Français à sortir en ville en jeans, chemise américaine, bottes et stetson, le tout pour dire qu'en découvrant la véritable "CAUSE SUDISTE", j'ai cherché à ma façon à rendre un hommage au sud. J'ai aussi découvert une partie de l'histoire du CSS Alabama, dont la glorieuse épopée est entré à tout jamais au large des côtes de Cherbourg en France en juin 1864, après un long combat contre un navire yankee. Ce jour là, le CSS Alabama n'a pas emporté une victoire MAIS est à tous jamais entré dans les mémoires. J'ai donc fait des recherches tout d'abord sur les sites web existant dans le monde : un certain nombre d'informations existantes sont classées en catégorie 2 ( pas sérieux & sérieux). J'ai trouvé un site Français qui consacre quelque pages sur les fouilles du CSS Alabama avec quelques petites photos (rappelez moi de vous donner l'adresse), mais aucun autre sérieux en Français. Il y a aussi plusieurs autres sites web très sérieux aux USA sur le CSS Alabama en Américain, avec un certain nombre d'informations et documents (visibles) repartis sur environ 4 ou 5 sites web au maximum. Il y a également un site en Angleterre. J'ai donc décidé de créer un site en Français et Anglais sur le CSS Alabama, avec un maximum d'information et de documents (photos et autres), de sa construction à son dernier combat. A ce jours j'ai pu réunir des informations sur sa construction et son commanditaire (nombreuses photos, lettres d'équipage, rapport de son capitaine, coupures de presse françaises d'époque, liste de l'équipage et beaucoup d'autres informations). A partir de mes recherches en universités américaines, web, bibliothèques, particuliers, messages sur divers forums de discussion américain ou autres, j'ai bien sur espéré avoir la chance de contacter le descendant d'un des membres de l'équipage, et après six longs mois de recherches, vous me faîtes le grand honneur de répondre et, au surplus, vous êtes descendant du capitaine Semmes. Jamais je n'aurais pus imaginer un tel honneur, ce dont je tenais à vous faire part. Donc vous êtes du Texas et c'est génial., car le Texas est le deuxième état confédéré que j'espère un jour visiter, le premier étant la Virginie (inutile de vous rappeler que ce fut la capitale des CSA et l'état ou est né le plus grand des généraux américains). J'ai déjà eu le plaisir de visiter la ville de Memphis (très beaux parcs et statues de J. Davis et statuette CSS (Confederate Park) face au "100 N front st"" et le Mississippi, statue de N.B. Forrest sur Union avenue (statue fabriquée en France)), Nashville, Tupelo. Cette visite s'est faite du 7 au 13 janvier 1995 ; elle fut courte visite mais mon cour y est toujours. Je possède les noms des 64 navires yankee coulés par le CSS Alabama. J'ignore les détails sur le navire yankee qui a coulé le CSS Alabama ( faut dire que je n'ai recherché que peu d'informations sur ce navire "l'USS Kearsarge". D'ailleurs, sur mon site, j'ai cité au minimum son nom et les informations le concernant. Les seules photos où le navire yankee apparaît sont celle du combat. Je suis à 100 % en faveur des confédérés, mais sans être extrémiste. Je ne vois rien de mieux que la culture et les traditions du vieux Sud. Si je peut vous aider dans vos recherches sur vos recherches en Europe et en particulier en France, j'en serais heureux. Voici mes deux demandes que je serais honoré de voir acceptées : 1) mettre le message que vous m'avez envoyé sur mon site web à propos du CSS Alabama (vos conditions seront les miennes) : 2 ) m'envoyer un carte postals (si possible sur "the civil war") avec un petit mot et votre signature ; j'en serais honoré. En cas d'accord, je vous communiquerais mon adresse postale. Merci et à bientôt. patrick

  clikee sur le drapeau pour retour page indexclikee on the flag for return page index