Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-17
THE PIRATE sEMMES AND THE WRIGHT
CAP MACHINE.

There has been recently published in Eng
land an account of tThe Cruise of the Alabama
and Sumter, from the Private Journals and
other Papers of Commander r. Semmes, G. S.
NJ This publication has a biographical
sketch OF the pirate Semmes, giving the par
ticulars of his desertion of his trust as COM
mander in the U. s. Navy and member of the
Light House Board. After being formally en-
gagged in the service of the enemy, (and not till
then,) he resigned his commission in the U. S.
service.
"He was then deputed by Jefferson Davis
to return to the Northern States and make
large purchases and contracts for machinery
and munitions, or for the manufacture of arms
and munitions of " ar; and to obtain cannon
and musket powder, the latter Of the coarsest
grain, and to engage with q certain proprietor
OF powder mills for the embarkment of pow
der mill at some point in the limits of cur ter
ritory.' He was also informed that at the
Arsenal at Washington he would find an
tfieer named Wright, who had brought the
cap machine to a high degree of efficiency, and
who might be induced to furnish a machine"
We do not know what success Semmes had
in other quarters in pursuance Of his mission,
but he certainly did not get much aid from our
fellow-townsman, the ingenious inventor of
the cap machine. This machine, 1t is we'll
known, turns off work with great rapidty and
perfe ction, and it is not strange that the Con-
federate leaders should have been anxious to
secure it and the services Of its inventor for
their benefit.
There is quite an interesting little chapter
connected with their efforts to secure the cap
machine, and it serves to show how early and
how Systematically they commenced their plans
to betray their country. Semmes who was then
residing in the First Ward, actually did call
on Mr.. Wright on the 25th Of February, 1861,
and urged Mr.. w. to enter into an arrange.
ment with him to furnish cap machine.
Mr.. Wright positively declined and Semme5
reluctantly abandoned the attempt.
1t would seem that the rebel leaders at Rich
mond getting solicitors in regard to the cap
machine and not hearing from their agent
Semmes, In regard to the matter, they conclu-
ded to address Mr.. Wright directly, and on the
I'd OF May, 1861, he received the following:
Mr.. g. Wright III you will come here and
make us cap machine, the state will give you
goou pay and premium, which will satisfy
you. If you will say exactly what will in
duce you to come, will telegraph you back
under feigned name OF Roswell Charter, and
my name you may call John r. Richardson.
Yours respectfully
@. DIMMoCK, Col. of Ordnance.
Richmond Va, April 81, 1864.
This letter Mr.. Wright never answered, but
he promptly laid it before Colonel Ramsay,
then commandant at the Arsenal, by whom it
VS. shown to the War Department. Thus
ended the rebel attempt to secure the famous
cap machine MIR. Wright, who Is master ma
chinist at the Washington Arsenal, has been
in Government service for twenty -four years.
His course in the matters referred to affords
noble contrast to that of the Semmes' school,
who turned and stung the paternal Govern
ment that had cherished them.