I will admit to not knowing a great deal about the doings of the CSS Alabama other than it's final encounter near France, about which I know a little, but not much more than is mentioned here.
Regarding the coercion of the Southern states in voting for an amendment because they were forced to do so, and therefore representing a deliberate breach of the constitutional process, I know all I need to know.
It is a pretense that the 13th and 14th amendments were passed legally, but at this point the powers in Washington didn't care about law or the constitution, they were reveling in the raw exercise of power.
Interesting comment. I'm having a fascinating discussion with Jeffersondem on just how the powers in Richmond didn't care about the law or the Constitution but just the raw exercise of unfettered power.