Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Thomas Jackson, 'Stonewall".

My response was more tongue in cheek than anything...you are correct in your facts however. Lets be honest though...the amount of blacks in the US today is directly because of the Southern demand for slaves...end of story.

Most Southerns were not bigots contrary to popular belief. The Civil War was not fought for the right to own slaves IMHO. It was fought for the same reason the revolution was....taxation without representation. Only a liberal would claim it was about slavery...and that comes down to agenda.

Its been said that Lincoln offered to leave slavery in place if the south would lay down her arms...what does that say

"Let us cross over the river, and rest in the shade of the trees"

Which "southern" demand??? You do realize there was already well established usage of black slaves in the south long before the English speaking colonist came along. So you might as well be fair and spread the blame equally.

Édit. Might add that at least in the French colonies the free Blacks and creoles were equal opportunity types. Many owned black
Slaves too!!!

Who imported black African slaves into what is now the United States prior to British colonization? The Spanish in Florida? And if they were imported prior to British colonization, in what quantities? This seems like specious reasoning to me.

The Spanish and French imported lots of blacks. Sugar cane!!! The Spanish tried using the natives here and they just seemed to die. So they brought in the Blacks.

As we seem to be on the subject of war, wars in general. They are all fought over some resource, or another. Taxes, minerals, spice, yes spice. To me, slaves only entered the picture as a cash investment. That was, well after the American Civil War was under way.

I'd forgotten about the French in Louisiana.

Another thing that many do not remember is the importation of slaves from Africa to the USA was outlawed in 1807.

That's not saying smuggling did not occur. Especially thru Spanish colonies like Florida and Texas. Jean Lafitte was a slave smuggler out of Galveston

As well as Mississippi, Alabama, and Southern Arkansas. French brought in LOTS of blacks. One of the reasons rice was brought in and became a big crop by the French. It was used to feed the slaves. Also cotton was originally grown in the French colonies to clothe the slaves. There were royal decrees in both France and Spain against the use of cotton fabric in the 17th and 18th century!! Strong linen guild lobby. The use of cotton fabric in the their colonies was kinda ignored.

But the Spanish were pretty strict in their Royal regulations for example caste system in their colonies. You could be fined or jailed for dressing out of your class!

Bob/Woody, you are a gem of information.

You need to dig a little deeper into history!

Here's a clue:

Molasses and Rum!

Colonial history of the south/southwest was my real interest. Especially the southern French colonies. I think I posted here one time that to me post 1812 history here is a bit boring for me.

Dig as I may...it wasn't folks in the north making use of blacks as farm equipment.

How did this post spiral into this slavery debate...LOL my fault

As far as generals go...Jackson was a good one for sure...his early passing and subsequent Confederate collapse has led to his legend status imho more than (or at least as much as) his actions while in command. He was good imho...but both the Confederacy and the Union had better. From all accounts, ole Stonewall was a different kind of cat.

It shows...you are a wealth of knowledge for sure. Im a big history buff myself but to be honest my interest primarily starts with the end of WWI. Its not that I don't appreciate the prior generations its just always been fun to study the world my Grandparents were born into and spoke about frequently in my youth.

How did this post spiral into this slavery debate...LOL my fault

They always seem to! LOL! Would love to read and contribute an ACW thread where even the mention of "slavery was abolished!" To coin a phrase. LOL.

Much rather discuss the men, battles, material, logistics. And by all means, not re-fight it. Use it as a learning tool!

I have a well worn copy of LaHarpe's Historical Journal of the Establishment of the French in Louisiana sitting on my coffee table as I type this, as well as a tote full of journal articles about the early french explorations in the interior highlands in my closet. Some very interesting American (and world) history that most people know very little about.

It's great when you have such a connection! It gives your interest a humanity!

Personally, I can do without the military aspect of some things. I like the exploration and adventure angle of those folks going into an unknown land for he first time. There's lots to study and read! I also have a thing for all types of vintage hunting and such. From flintlocks to Krags and beyond! LOL

Ahh! François deLaHarpe! Now there's an adventure. I quoted two of his stories not too long ago here on the campfire!! Establishes and runs a trading post in Spanish Texas and the Dons did nothing about it!!! LOL! One of the stories was his dining on unicorn at the Nasoni caddo village where he set up that post! (Actually it was like a small cabin. Mebbe 8x8 poste du terre construction).

Have you ever read du Pages journals??

I remember now the other deLaHarpe story I told. Of the Canadien In their party that shot a "whistling deer" near The Rapides on the Red River. That's what the early canadiens called an Elk. Would have been somewhere around Alexandria La. !