03 August 2007

Confederate Anxt and the New South.

Confederate Anxt
with the
“New South”.


The American Government has already began a funding programme with 150th (1861 – 2011 that’s thinking ahead?) anniversary of civil war in mind. Federal grants and subsidies are being provided for restoring civil war cemeteries and up dating Civil War Heritage Interpretation Centres. This in turn has led to much controversy which is of some great interest in matters of Heritage promotion and preservation. However, first I have needed to go back to the Atlanta Olympics. The approach of the Atlanta Olympics led to a campaign being initiated by the NAACP and other groups seeking assurance that the perceived “Confederate Flag” (Stars and Bars, actually the Confederate Battle Flag) would not be flown in association with the Olympics or other wise there would have been organised a major International Boycott. This concentrated the mind of the Atlanta and Olympic authorities and the 'Confederate Battle Flag' was kept well out of sight. Following this the NAACP continued it’s campaign to have the “Southern States” revoke official use of the flag, a campaign largely of economic boycott has greatly succeeded to such ends. It is now only Mississippi that officially flies this flag.

The issues raised by this controversy revolves around the use of this flag by the KKK and other White Power and Nazi racist groups, although generally the matter is one that this flag symbolises a pro – slavery South, the spirit of which equates with an “Old South” now rejected by many in favour of what many determine as a “New South”. Supporters of the “Confederate Flag” and of what they see as “Old Southern Heritage”, particularly respectful remembrance of Confederate dead argue otherwise and have in the past organised massive Pro – Confederate Flag Campaigns and Rallies. All this has led to major confrontations on the WWW with a number of very interesting and illuminating web sites on this subject and all its many arguments for and against. These campaigns also have extended to “Car Flag Tag” campaigns (The U.S. Army forbids use of Confederate Flags as do most educational establishments). Now the issue revolves around Federal government demands that any claim for grants and subsidies by Civil War Heritage Interpretation Centre will only be available if hence the issue of slavery is introduced in heritage interpretations, in past left out as attempt to heal civil war wounds between the North and South. Search Web for Further Information, starting with the below:
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AskMe: What's the controversy with the Confederate flag?
They're asking if he actually supports states' flying the confederate flag, rather than asking if he thinks it should be a federal issue or a state issue. ...www.ontheissues.org/AskMe/confederate.htm - 18k - Cached - Similar pages
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Flags of the Confederate States of America - Wikipedia, the free ...
The "Confederate Flag", a 20th century combination of the Battle Flag's colors with ... What is now called "The Confederate Flag" or "The Confederate Battle ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America - 79k - Cached - Similar pages
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Confederate Flag Controversy
The Confederate battle flag, called the "Southern Cross" or the cross of St. Andrew, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and ...www.infoplease.com/spot/confederate1.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
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A Welsh Confederate Soldier.

Somewhere in Wales there is a grave upon which there is the name of a young Welshman who fought for the South in the American Civil War. However, whilst his name his inscribed along side other family members, he himself is not bueried in the grave but lays bueried in a Confederate War cemetary. I am at present researching out further information on this interesting connection between Wales and the Southern States, most Welsh fought for the north and those who fought for the South are usually ignore by Welsh sympathies with the north. However, history is there to be witness, not ignored, it would be somehow sad not to recognise this grave and seek to know more about how this Welshman left his own country to live and die in the new world. There are some famous Welsh connections with the South during the American Civil war, Jefferson Davies President of the Confederate States had Welsh Family connection as did Catesby ap Roger Jones surgon and commander of the Conferate Iron Clad C.S.S. Virginia. Interestingly is use of 'ap' as the family is in main traced back to an English Aristocratic family. It was vogue amongst the ''Aristocracy'' of the ''Old South'' to adopt use of 'ap', 'Fitz' and 'Mac' to give them more status in society, if this is true or not of Catesby ap Roger Jones I do not know, does anyone out there know? Perhaps the most exciting connection of Wales with the Confederate South is in the story of C.S.S. Alabahma, see links below:
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CSS Alabama Association (USA) - Home Page
The C.S.S. Alabama was the most successful ship to ever wage war on the commerce of a great ... CSS Alabama enters Table Bay at 10:00 AM August 5, 1863. ...www.css-alabama.com/ - 11k - Cached - Similar pages
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Catesby ap Roger Jones CSA
Catesby ap Roger Jones, commander of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Naval ... Gatsby's family can be traced through several knights to Sir William ...myselma.net/people/jones.htm - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
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The Fate of the CSS Virginia
Inevitably, when you are talking about the wreck of the USS Monitor, people want to know what happened to the Union ironclad’s Confederate antagonist. ...home.att.net/~iron.clad/thefateofthecssva.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
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I am myself working on a long term research project in this connection, soon I hope to post to this blog, information on my work to date.
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Gethin Gruffydd.