Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-08-25
FEARLESS SEMMES.
DNE OF THE MOST DARING MEN WHO
EVER TRoD A DECK.

fhe Story of His Wonderful Exploits on
the Alabama = His Last Fight on That
Terror of the Sea-His Dramatic Leap
Overheard When She Sank.
Semmes was born in Maryland in 1909
He was appointed midshipman when he
was H. in 1926, but it was 1885 before he
entered the service. He was made lieu
tenant the next year and during the siege
of Vera Cruz commanded battery He
received command of the United States
brig Somers, named after the gallant hero
of Tripoli, but the Somcrs went down in
a gale. Somers seems to be an i'll fated
name for American war vessels.
Until the civil war broke out Semmes
was inspector of lighthouses along the gulf
Raphael Semmes started in at once to
serve the Confederacy. He made a trip
through the north and bought war ma
terial and hired mechanics skilled in the
construction of guns and ordnance. Thou
sands of tons of ordnance and powder were
shipped south, and Semmes on his return
received command of the Sumter. She was
blockaded at Gibraltar, SO he sold her and
went to the Azores to take command of
the Alabama.
Then started a career which can scarce
ly be duplicated in the naval history of the
world For two years the Alabama sailed
sweeping the seas with thoroughncss
which amazed the world. With no ports
save England's open to him he made a
cruise of nearly so, 900 miles, and his
cruise was marked and charted by burn
ing ships
The Alabama was no formidable vessel
Her tonnage was but 1000. Her speed was
13 knots, and her armament was one 8
inch shotgun aft, a inch 100 FOUNDER for
ward and six 80 Founders. She cost $3.50,
900. Her crew were mostly hardy British
tars, but on the decks were good Ameri
cans, thorough seamen and daring fight
ers. The crew numbered 85 men. The
Alabama was furnished by an English
member of parliament But her career of
daredevil recklessness and her final cap
ture is story that has no equal in the an
nails of the sea save in the eighteenth CEN
tury exploits of the freebooters.
In September, 1862, the Alabama cap
tured her first prize, the Ocmulgee, a
whaler. The sea then was dotted white
with sailing vessels from New England
They proved easy prey for Semmes. He
first plundered a vessel and then burned
her. The Alabama went everywhere. She
sailed and steamed up close to New York
and there got newspapers from prizes
From these newspapers Semmes took the
list of departing vessels and lay i'll wait
for them. By means of these newspapers
he also managed to elude the fleet of pur-
suers.
Semmes' career filled England with
wonder. As report after report came i'll of
captures and fights as the little sea hornet
darted here and there and left in its wake
long line of plundered ships and burned
vessels the English were filled with de
sire to gain privately from Semmes in
trepidity and reck lessness. A syndicate
was formed to buy captured ships. 1t was
proposed to land them on the Hottentot
coast As surety good English gold was
given Semmes and his crew, but the syn
dl ,ate got no prizes.
So Semmes made his $4,000 mile cruise
in two years. Ile had captured single
handed So American vessels Fifty three
had been destroyed, nine released en- ran
som bonds and one made into tender.
The Alabama had inflicted an incredible
loss on American shipping. Suspected
Alabamas had been sighted by war vessels
from the north time and again, but never
the sight of the hull of the real vessel had
been seen. Merchantmen were continual,
ly Oh the watch for this ubiquitous vessel,
and they trembled at the sight of every
unknown craft. It was an evil day for
shipping. This specter of the deep swept
the seas everywhere, and there seemed to
be no safety whatever.
But on June II, 1864, the Alabama was
sighted in tho harbor of Cherbourg,
France. The north thrilled with the news,
and all manner of boats started in pursuit.
The kearsarge was at Flushing, England,
and Captain Winslow steamed for BATTLE.
The Alabama was both steam and sailing
vessel. Her screw could be hoisted out of
the water when she wished to sail, and
each method of propulsion was entirely in
dependent of the other.
Semmes might have escaped by flight,
but Semmes was an American. He did
not know it, but his powder was aged and
damaged. His shells were defective. They
fould not explode His guns were old
and incapable But Semmes knew his
hardened, toughened crew. He knew his
own ability, and he would not finch. The
Alabama opened with her starboard bat
terry. Selnmes tried to close but the bull
warks of the Alabama were torn away and
the pivot gun was disabled. The Alabama
began to leak She hardly responded to
her helm. An II inch shell exploded in
the engine room The Alabama gave the
death shiver.
Sails were set in the hopes of reaching
the French coast, where thousands were
lined up to see the great duel.
'"All hands save yourselvesi was given,
and the wounded dispatched in the only
boat which was not shot to pieces. Semmes
and his officers in full uniform stood Oh
deck. The Alabama was rapidly sinking,
its famous career was over Semmes step
ped to the edge of the deck and threw his
sword into the sea. Then he followed
He was picked up by the English yacht
Deerhound and escaped to London, where
he became hero They presented him
with swords and toasted and fetcd him
continually He made his way back to
the south through Mexico He was made
rear admiral in command of the James
river squadron and guarded the approaches
to Richmond until the close of the war.
Senmes died in Mobile, Ala, in 1877.
After the war he was lawyer, judge, edi-
tor and author There is 10 doubt that for
lintrepidity and daring no American has
ever commanded vessel who surpassed
him in sheer courage He was also ex.
tremely skillful. good tactician and an
able strategist. That he inflicted millions
of dollars damage on the merchant fleets
of the north is forgotten. What is re
membered is that he was an American
Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser.