The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-01-11

ADMIRAh SEAbfEs-This distinguished
gentleman leetured in Louisville on the
night of the l1th uls. Speaking of him, the
Courier says:
q AaI1miraf Semmes Is q native OF the State
sf Maryland, and was commander IN the
old navy when the war broke out. For the.
last twenty. years ne has been a citizen of
Alabama Immediately upon the meeting Of
the Provisional Congress at Montgomery,
Alabama, he resigned bis commission IN the
Federal navy, and went South and rendered
his services to the new government soon
after the Surrender of Fort Sumter he was
placed in command of the Sumter, smalI
steamer then fitting out at New Orleans, and
with which he ran the blockade Of that port
on the Both of June, 1861. He cruised In
this ship some six or seven months, during
which he captured and destroyed twenty
seven ships of the enemy. The boilers of the
Sumter being by this time worn cut, he WIS
placed in command of the Alabama. He
took this ship out of British waters as a
merchant ship and prepared her for service
at the Azores, under the jurisdiction Of
Portugal. He cruised two years in this
ship, visiting the banks of Newfoundland,
and coasts of the United States, West Indies,
and North Atlantic, securing the coast of
Brazil and sweeping the enemY's commerce
| Cape of Good Hope, South Indian Ocean,
Japan and Chinese seas, capturing and de-
stroylDg as he went; returning through the
Bay of Bengal and sweeping down the east
coast Of Africa between the Madagascar
and the main land and .reappearin5 off the
Cape of Good Hope, in the spring of 1864
His ship being by this time IN want of re-
nair, he returned to Europe for the purpose,
and put into the port ct Cherbuurg The
= /
off Cierboufg hetore the Alabama could 20
into dock the latter went ouS and engaged
her, and was sunk, as our readers know, in
the unequal contest, toward the close Of the
war he Alabama had previously to this
sunk the Federal gun-boat Hatteras off Gal
weston The damage inflicted BY this single
| ship on the Federal commerce is incalculable,
| for the United States retained less than half
their carrying trade at the end Of the war,
and from a third to one half of her ships of
| commerce hsld~ either been DESTROYED or
! driven for shelter under neutral flags, by
means of forced or fraudulent sales and
simikased papers Upon the destruction of
his ship, Capt. Semmes returned to the Con
| federate States, and, making his way to
! Rict.nnnd was promoted to the rank Of Ad-
miral and placed In command Of the James
RIVER feet aafaa
Upon the surrender o. Lee he blew up
the ships Of his feet, threw iiis sailors on
shore, and making good his retreat through
! Grants lines Joined the army of tlenerai 10.
Johnston, as a Hri9adier General, and finally
sul.s~ents sared with this officer at Greensboro
North CARO-, ma, being admitted to parole on
the same terms 79ith the officers of the army
Since the surrenGi2r, the Admiral has been
practicing his alternate profession OF the
law, at Mobile More recently he has IN
obedience TO a generally expressed 1gIsh, de-
livered a series Of lectures, in the principal
Southern cities, which have been received
with marked favor
We should like to see in print, full his
tory of the eventfuI career of the Admiral
hand.