Sunday, October 17, 2010

Captain Thomas Cooper De Leon, Sephardic Jewish Confederate Officer and Writer // Capitan Thomas Cooper De Leon, Oficial Confederado y Escritor.

Captain Thomas Cooper De Leon (May 21, 1839 - March 19, 1914) was a Chief Clerk Office of Pay and a member of the Confederate States Navy. He served at the same rank as personal secretary for President Jefferson Davis, being specifically entrusted with confidential correspondence. Thomas Cooper De Leon is well known for his many post war books and poetry including “Creole and Puritan” (1889), “Puritans Daughter” (1891), “Four Years in Rebel Capitals” (1893), “Confederate Memories” (1899) and “Belles, Beaux and Brains of the 60’s” (1909). He was also editor of the Mobile Register, The Gossip and The Gulf Citizen after the war.

Thomas was the brother of Edwin De Leon (May 4, 1818 - November 30, 1891), former Consul General for the United States, in Egypt under the administrations of President’s Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan and who served as the Confederate Envoy in Europe. He was also the brother of David Camden De Leon (1813 - September 3, 1872), 1st Surgeon General of the Confederacy, who had fought in the Seminole War. He was wounded twice while fighting in the Mexican War.

Thomas Cooper De Leon was a descendent of a Spanish / Sephardic Jewish family. Thomas and his brothers were the children of Dr. Mordecai Hendricks De Leon (1791-1848), and Rebecca Lopez y Nunez, of Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Mordecai Hendricks De Leon, was the son of Jacob De Leon (1764-1828). Thomas went totally blind in 1903 and was called “the Blind Laureate of the Lost Cause.” He is buried at Magnolia Cemetery, in Mobile, Alabama, in the Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp 11, United Confederate Veterans Plot (Square 27, Lot 13). DeLeon Avenue in Mobile is named after this family. /// This is the radio show episode where I talk about Thomas Cooper De Leon, you can click here and listen to the show
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rosales-history-of-the-south/2010/11/15/rosales-history-of-the-south-show-2-la-historia-de, I hope you enjoy it.

You can visit http://adf.ly/8ALVr and learn about the Cuba Libre Camp Project of the Admiral Semmes Camp 11, Sons of Confederate Veterans which is a project to identify all known Cuban Confederate Soldiers, as well as other Hispanics and Minorities who served in the Confederate Military.

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Capitán Thomas Cooper de Leon (Mayo 21,1839-Marzo 19,1914) fué el Chief Clerk Office of Pay (Jefe Oficina de Pago) y miembro de la Naval de los Estados Confederados. Él sirvió con el mismo cargo como secretario personal para el Presidente Jefferson Davis, siendo especialmente encargado con correspondencia confidencial. Thomas Cooper de Leon es muy conocido por sus muchos libros de guerra y poesias incluyendo “Creole and Puritan” (1889), “Puritans Daughter” (1891), “Four Years in Rebel Capitals” (1893), “Confederate Memories” (1899) y “Belles, Beaux and Brains of the 60´s” (1909). Él fué también el editor del Mobile Register, The Gossip and The Gulf Citizen después de la guerra.

Thomas era hermano de Edwin De Leon (Mayo 4, 1818- Noviembre 30, 1891), el anterior Cónsul General de los Estados Unidos en Egipto durante las administraciones del Presidente Franklin y James Buchanan y que sirvió como el Enviado Confederado en Europa. También era hermano de David Camden de Leon (1813- Septiembre 3, 1872), Primer Cirujano General de la Confederación, quien habia peleado en la Guerra Seminole. Fué herido dos veces peleando en la Guerra Mexicana.

Thomas Cooper de Leon era descendiente de una familia Española-Sefardita Judia. El y sus hermanos eran hijos del Dr. Mordecai Hendricks De Leon (1791-1848), y Rebecca López y Núñez de Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Mordacai Hendricks De Leon era el hijo de Jacob De Leon (1764-1828). Thomas perdió su vista en 1903 y fué llamado “El Laureado Ciego de la Causa Perdida.”. Él está sepultado en el Cementerio Magnolia, en Mobile, Alabama, en el Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp 11, United Confederate Veterans Plot (Square 27, Lot 13). DeLeon Avenue en Mobile fué nombrada por su familia.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Happy Columbus Day // Festa Di Colombo // Dia De La Raza, October 12th.

I wish everyone a Happy Columbus Day / Festa Di Colombo / Dia De La Raza. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was a visionary who never gave up on his goal. He left a legacy of exploration and discovery unheralded in his time. I suggest you read about this great man and his discoveries by checking out the book and DVD I listed. They have great information on the man and the history.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Spanish Consul in Confederate New Orleans, Louisiana during the Civil War, 1861-1862 // El Consul Espanol en Nueva Orleans, Luisiana durante la Guerra Civil Americana, 1861-1862.

1) Juan Callejon - He served as Consul of Spain, from 1855 to 1866 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a supporter of the Confederate States of America and assisted the Spanish Citizens (including Cubans from the then Spanish Colony of Cuba) in New Orleans and in Louisiana during the Confederate Period and afterwards during the Federal Occupation, until 1866. /// If you love Southern History you can listen to "Rosales" History of The South" Radio Show by clicking on this link http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rosales-history-of-the-south

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El Consul Espanol en Nueva Orleans, Luisiana durante la Guerra Civil Americana (1861-1865) era el Senor Juan Callejon. Callejon fue el Consul en Nueva Orleans entre 1855 y 1866.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Antonio Espejo (died 1805), Spanish Colonial Mobile, Alabama 1780-1813 // Antonio Espejo (? -1805) Epoca Colonial Espanola en Mobile, Alabama, 1780-1813.

Antonio Espejo was the son of Bartolo Espejo, of Malaga, Spain. There is little known about his background, his age, or when exactly he arrived, in Mobile. He worked as a Royal Carpenter, at Spanish, Fort Confederation (Fort Tombigbee), in Alabama. He arrived in Mobile and married Catalina Plock (also found as Block, born April 17th, 1781-died September 9th, 1862). Antonio received land grants, in Mobile and the County. He died, in the Yellow Fever outbreak, of 1805 and was buried at the Spanish Cemetery, in downtown Mobile, Campo Santo. His body doesn’t seem to have dis-intered and moved to Church Street Cemetery when it opened. He had children with Catalina but the surname “daughtered out”. His descendant’s include member’s, of the Tankersley and Ingersoll families, of Mobile, Alabama. Catalina Espejo re-married after he passed away and is buried at the Tankersley Lot, in Church Street Cemetery, in downtown Mobile.

Espejo Street, in Mobile, is named after Antonio Espejo and Catherine Street was named after his wife Catalina (Catalina is Spanish, for Catherine). The surname Espejo is properly pronounced Es-Peh-Hoe, the J is pronounced like H, in English, not how some in Mobile pronounce it, Es-Peh-Joe or Es-Pee-Joe. /// You can click here and listen to the radio show episode I did where I speak about Antonio Espejo http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rosales-history-of-the-south/2010/11/15/rosales-history-of-the-south-show-2-la-historia-de, I hope you enjoy it.

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Antonio Espejo era hijo de Bartolo Espejo de Málaga, España. Es poco lo que se sabe sobre él, su edad, o cuando arribó exactamente en Mobile. Trabajó como un Carpintero Real, en Spanish Fort Confederation (Fort Tombigbee), en Alabama. Llegó a Mobile y se casó con Catalina Plock (también conocida como Block, nacida el 17 de Abril, 1781-fallecida el 9 de Septiembre de 1862). Antonio recibió terrenos en Mobile y en el condado. Murió en la epidemia de Fiebre Amarilla. de 1805 y fué enterrado en hel Cementerio Español, Campo Santo, en el centro de Mobile. Su cuerpo no parece haber sido exhumado y movido a Church Street Cemetery cuando este se abrió. El tuvo hijos con Catalina pero su apellido se diseminó. Sus descendientes incluyen miembros de las familias Tankersley e Ingersoll, de Mobile, Alabama. Catalina Espejo se volvió a casar después que su esposo murió y está enterrada en el Tankersley Lot, en Church Street Cemetery, en el centro de Mobile.

La Calle Espejo (Espejo Street), en Mobile, está nombrada por Antonio Espejo y Catherine Street fué nombrada por su esposa Catalina (Catalina es Catherine en Inglés).