Barnabas File

When I was growing up in Mobile, Alabama, one of my favorite sights in the city was the statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes. Originally from Maryland, Semmes moved to Mobile after his service in United States Navy during the Mexican-American War, and accepted a commission in the Confederate Navy when the southern states seceded from the Union.  I knew a bit about his exploits during the way and saw him as a heroic figure. Of course, I grew up where we observed Confederate Memorial Day.  We talked about “The War Between the States” not the “Civil War.”  I visited Jefferson Davis’ home Beauvoir down the coast in Biloxi, Mississippi, on more than one occasion.  When I went to college in Mississippi, our school’s mascot was Nathan Bedford Forrest, I was a member of the ROTC drill team, The Southern Generals, with a Confederate flag on our emblem. I state all this to clarify where I have been in order to explain where I am now.  Although I was immersed in S...