The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-13
THE LATE ADMrRAL sEMlrEs.
Some Personal ReRsniseeacea OF a "a.
n1oG9 CaFSer.
.Les,er % she Met. l:-.. s.-sA..n..

ieueIate steamer Alabama, and after.
wards on The Georgia, which cruised In
company with the Alabama, IL now In
Washington, and relates some interesting
"reminiscences of the late Admiral
Semmes. The last vessel of the United
States navy which Eemp1es commanded
was the Somers. This was the frigate
upon which, previous to his command Of
1t, two young. midshipmen, one of them
son 2. sae :sSa secretary of the navy,
were hanged by Mckenzie Slidell for
inutiny. Semme5 commanded her du-
ring the Mexican War, and while at
Vera Cruz che was capsiEed in q eausiI.
The loss of this vessel was q source of
much satisfaction to all officers of the
navy at that time. She was very unpop-
uiar, on account Of the supeEstitions
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 tho practice of the law in Cincinnati.
and was there at the time the war broke
out.
Going South, he rendered his services
TO the COnlederacy, and first commanded
the Sumter, which, after o ahort cruise.
was blockaded in Gibraltar, abandoned
and afterwards sold. The service on che
Alabama was o very exciting one. She
was aiwaye either chasing other vessels or
being chased hereclf. and the life that
was led by her officers and crew was very
attractive to those who liked adventure.
The Alabama had cnly two engage
ments with United States vessels of war
the first with the Hatteras, of Galveston,
and the second with the Kearsarge, in
which she was worsted. The officer al
ready referred to describes le tactics
employed by Semmes of Galveston as
very sharp" AboIt o'clock one after
noon, he steamed up in sight of the
6lockadlng feet, carrying the British
flag. He then turned about and began
20 sail away, burning bituminous coal.
ane making an immense cloud of smoke.
his object being to create the impression
in the Federal fleet that he yas o block
ade-runner, making the hest time possi-
BILE to get heyond their reach. Admiral
Semmes expected that the Federal COM
mander would send after him his tastes.
vessel, and that this would be one of the
lightest in the feet. In this conjecture
he was not mistaken. for the Hatteras
YES dispatched to overtake and capture
him. One of the larger vessels would
have been more than a match for
the Alabama. When she came a!oneside
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 Tag and threw
| out the Confederate flag, which was
already ut the peak, tied up in o bundle
with email 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,
| Ine gentleman who describes the Eight
says ~. :he officers and crew Of The
Hatteras fought most gallantly, and did
not abandon her until her guns were
level with the water.
TIE circumstances % the fight hetween
| well known to need repetition. The
gentleman already referred e -ss c W.T.
| ness of this fight, but did not take part
in it, being at the time on board French
| tug. He says that Admiral Semmes
made o great mistake in going out of
| Cherbourg to meet the Kearsarge at all.
He said tho Immediate cause of his going
out was threat Of Winslow TO 20 into
port with the United States flag fiying
| over tho inverted Confederate flag, and
30 sail around the Alabama as an insult.
Serames sent back word that if he would
not do that he would go out and fight
him. The AiaDema 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 eyer siS Eaels ss the bee. Re
sides this, the powder that she used was
como that had been condemned by the
British government, and to make It still
worse, o portion Of the condensing ap.
paratus of the vessel used for producing
water, was IN contact with her magazine,
60 that much of her powder was wet.
1he result was that the heaviest ehella
hred by the Alabama failed to peYfoYate
the sidts Of the Kearsarge, and some OF
them were seen TO drop Ia tie water be.
fore reaching her enemy, although the
vessels were at the time not over three
hundred yards apart.
!he same gentleman expressed The
opinion that Admiral Semmes, In his
book describing the cruise of the Ala.
hs!:.a, dGceess himself great Injustice when
he ascFibe5 his failure TO disable the
keeEsas.sss 20 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 IL as his
opinion that she would have sunk che
Kearsarge in spite Of ali such protection
One Of the shells of the Alabama, which
lodged in the stern-rost of the Kearsarge
but did not explode, is now In this city
II 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 Kearsaroe
and when the Alabama was about Ia
| sink. he Was the iaak man IN faauA f.A-
"A sailor named Marrs, who had shown
very great bravery during the combat
and who had picked mp a she'll from che
Kearsarge that fell on the deck of the
Alabama and thrown it overboard-il
exploded before it reached The water
brought 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 Admirable, and that he n.usl
put it on himself He had In his hand
aoma valuable nanara. nn,nng then. the
bonds Of c number OF ahips that Had been
captured, and fhese he gave to Marrs
directing him 60 save them at all hazards
subsequently some of the officers aud
sailors persuaded Semmes 10 use life
preseryer. iSTTs was picked up by onf
Of the boats of the Keafsarze, hut jumped
overheard. He was picked up q second