Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-25
sEMMES' FLAG.
IL Becomes the Property Of a
Fool in COnnecticut--Capt.
Semmes' Alleged
Vow.

New York Herald
When Captain Raphael Semmes
the commander of the privateer Ala
bama, felt bis vessel going down be-
meath the frightful fire of the Kear-
sage, he put his flag in his pocket
and sWore he would take it to the
bottom with him. 1.-The yankees
will never get this flag in Gods
world" he is reported to have said.
But be was mistaken, for the verita-
Bile bunting, which was seen yester-
day by a Herald reporter, is now in
the possession Of Mr.. L. w. Boyntou.
a citizen of Hartford, Conn, who
prizes it very highly and declares his
belief that he will never part whit.
He had for a long time been endeaY-
oring to obtain the flag, and did not
succeed until February last, when it
was handed over to him by Mr.. r.
Atwood Beaver, of Liverpool, Eng
land, to whose brother, H. r. Beaver,
then a merchant in Singapore, it was
given by Captain Semmes himself
o o after the destruction of the Ala
bama. The flag, which is four and a
half feet in width and seven feet in
length, is made Of bunting, and is that
belonging 10 the captains gig. 1t has
a white ground, with the red Jack
containing the blue cross with thir
teen stars. Though it was frequently
exposed to the hottest sort of shell
fire it has escaped unscathed, for
there is not even a bullet hole in it.
BRITISH ASSISTANCE.
OF the manner in which Captain
SemmeS came to give the flag to the
merchant Of Singapore, Mr.. Boynton
narrates the following circumstances:
During the latter part of August, 1862,
Semmes and his piratical English ship
left Liverpool with the full knowledge
of the English government, and for
some weeks cruised about the West
Indies, where he spread terror and
dismay among American merchant
men. But when the union gunboats
got on his track and made things par
ticularly warm for him, he went
around the cape Of Good Hope to the
Indian ocean, capturing a number of
American ships on his way, and finally
stopped at Singapore for coal and sup
plies. Here, just as he had every
where else, Semmes found English
men ready to help him, and one of
those with whom he became acquaint.
ed was Mr.. H. r. Beaver, of the firm
OF Cummings, Beaver IL Co., who
acted as his agent in fitting out the
Alabama for her futher cruise. of
this gentleman the pirate subsequently,
wrote in the following language:
The governor of Singapore was a
colonel in the British army. He had
a small garrison of troops-no more, /
believe, than a couple Of companies
Of police this large population. sent
an officer, as usual, to call on him and
acqualnt him with my wants and in.
tentions as to time of STAY. Mr.
Beaver, of the firm of Cummings
Beaver & Co., a clever English mer.
chant, came on board and offered n
facilitate us all in his power in The
way OF procuring supplies. accepted
his offer, and put him in communioa.
ton with the paymaster, and the next
day rode out and dined and spent !
night with him at his country seat
He lived in luxurious style. as domos,
European merchants in the east. n
drive out took us through the prinoi.
pal streets Of the city, which [ fount
to be laid out and built with qrea
taste. The cdiices have a semi. Eng
lish, semi Oriental air. The house.
OF the better classes are surrounds,
by lawn and Aower-gardens, and coo
verandas invited to repose. Mr.. Bea
ver's grounds were extensive and wei
kept, scarcely a stray leaf being yisi
BILE in his well-mowed lawns. hi
household-the lady was absent Il
England-was a pattern of nearnes
and comfort. His bathrooms, bed
rooms, library and billiard-room al
showed signs of superintendence an,
care, there being an air Of cleanliness
throughout which one rarely ever see
in a bachelor establishment. Iii
servants we're all Chinese and males
Chi-hi aud Huhinan m the rest ofthen
ploWed his fields, moved his hay, sta