The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-13
THE LATE ADMIRAL SEMMES.
Some Personal "reminiscences of IA
nous Career.
WASHINGTON. August 8.
Letter TO the Ne,D York Tribune.

WASHINGTON, August 81.
A gentleman who during the war
served for short time on board the Con-
federate steamer Alabama, and after
wards on the Georgia, which cruised in
company with the Alabama, is now in
| Washington, and relates some interesting
"reminiscences of the late Admiral
Semmes. The last vessel of the United
States navy which Semmes commanded
was the Somers. This was the frigate
upon which, previous to his command of
It, two young midshipmen, one of them
son Of the then secretary of the navy,
were hanged by Mckenzie Slidell for
mutiny. Semmes commanded her du-
ring the Mexican War, and while at
Vera Cruz she was capsized in a squall.
The loss of this vessel was a source of
much satisfaction to all officers of the
navy at that time. She was very unpop-
ular, on account of the superstitions
which existed in regard to her; the men
were constantly deserting, and officers
were unwilling to be assigned to duty on
her. After this, Admiral Semmes enter
ed the practice Of the law in Cincinnati,
and was there at the time the war broke
out.
Going South, he rendered his services
to the Confederacy, and first commanded
the Sumter, which, after q short cruise,
was blockaded in Gibraltar, abandoned
and afterwards sold. The service on the
Alabama was very exciting one. She
was always either chasing other vessels or
being chased herself, and the life that
was led by her officers and crew WAS very
attractive to those who liked adventure.
The Alabama had only two engage
ments with United States vessels of war !;
the first with the Hatteras, off Galveston,
and the second with the Kearsarge, in
which she was worsted. The officer al
ready referred to describes the tactics
employed by Semmes off Galveston as
very SHARP" About 4 o'clock one after
noon, he steamed up in sight of the
blockading feet, carrying the British
flag. He then turned about and began
to sail away, burning bituminous coal,
and making an immense cloud of smoke,
his object being to create the impression
in the Federal fleet that he was block
ade-runner, making the best time posi-
BILE to get beyond their reach. Admiral
Semmes expected that the Federal COM
mander would send after him his fastest
vessel, and that this would be one of the
lightest in the feet. In this conjecture
he was not mistaken, for the Hatteras
was dispatched to overtake and capture
him. One of the larger vessels would
have been more than match for
the Alabama. When she came alongside
of the Alabama the captain of the Hat
teras hailed her, but for time received
no answer; when at length he ordered
her to lie to and give an account of her
self, or he would fire into her. Semmes
hauled down the British flag and threw
out the Confederate flag, which was
already at the peak, tied up in bundle
with small ropes. Then shouting de-
family, "This is the Confederate steamer
Alabama" he opened fire. The battle
that ensued was very brief one, lasting
only about twelve minutes, but at the
end of this time the Hatteras was sunk.
The gentleman who describes the fight
says that the officers and crew of the
Hatteras fought most gallantly, and did
not abandon her until her guns were
level with the water.
The circumstances of the fight between
the Kearsarge and the Alabama are too
well known to need repetition. The
gentleman already referred to was wit
ness of this fight, but did not take part
| in it, being at the time on board a French
tug. He says that Admiral Semmes
made great mistake in going out of
Cherbourg to meet the Kearsarge at all.
He said the immediate cause of his going
out was threat of Winslow to go into
port with the United States flag flying
over the inverted Confederate flag, and
to sail around the Alabama as an insult.
Semmes sent back word that if he would
not do that he would 60 out and fight
him. The Alabama had been at sea two
years, and her copper hung in "elbows''
all over her bottom, which was also very
dirty. When in good condition she
could sail twelve or fourteen knots an
hour, but at that time she could not have
made over six knots at the best. Be.
sides this, the powder that she used was
some that had been condemned by the
British government, and to make it still
worse, q portion of the condensing ap-
paratus of the vessel used for producing
water, was in contact with her magazine,
80 that much of her powder was wet.
The result was that the heaviest shells
fred by the Alabama failed to perforate
the sides of the Kearsarge, and some of
them we're seen to drop in the water be-
fore reaching her enemy, although the
vessels were at the time not over three
hundred yards apart.
The same gentleman expressed the
opinion that Admiral Semmes, in his
book describing the cruise of the Ala
bama, does himself great injustice when
he ascribes his failure to disable the
Kearsarge to the fact that the latter hung
chain cables upon her sides. These
cables were only placed upon her bows,
and had the powder of the Alabama been
in good condition, he expresses it as bis
opinion that she would have sunk the
Kearsarge in spite of all such protection.
One of the shells of the Alabama, which
lodged in the stern-post of the Kearsarge,
but did not explode, is now in this city.
If it had exploded. it would undoubtedly
have destroyed Winslow's vessel.
Semmes displayed the greatest GOODNESS
in the handling Of his vessel during the
whole of the fight with the Kearsarge,
and when the Alabama was about to
sink, he was the last man to leave her.
A sailor named Mars, who had shown
very great bravery during the combat,
and who had picked up she'll from the
Kearsarge that fell on the deck of the
Alabama and thrown it overheard it
exploded before it reached the water
brought a life-preserver to Semmes, and
insisted that he should put it on.
Semmes refused to do so, and told the
sailor that his life was worth as much to
him as the Admiral's, and that he must
put it on himself. He had in his hand
some valuable papers, among them the
bonds of a number of ships that had been
captured, and these he gave to Mars,
directing him to save them at all hazards.