Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-09-30
INTREPID SEMMES.
WONDERFUL EXPLOITS OF THE
PRIVATEER ALABAMA.

ing 5000 Miles, the Vessel is
Sunk off Chcrbourg, France.
Semmes was born in Maryland in
1909. He was appointed midshipman
when he was II, in 1926, but it was
1876 before he entered the service.
He was made Il lieutenant the next
year and during the siege OF Vera Cruz
commanded 4 battery. He received
command OF the United States brig
Somers, named after the gallant hero
of Tripoli, but the Somers went down
in a gale. Somcrs seems to he an i'll
fated name for American war vessels.
Until the civil war broke out Semmes
was Inspector OF Lighthouse along the
gulf.
Raphael Semmes started in ut once
to serve the Confederacy. He made
a trip through the north and bought
war material and hired mechan-
les skilled in the construction Of
guns and ordinance. Thousands of
tons OF ordnance and powder were
shipped south, aud Semmes on his re-
turn 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
scarcely be duplicated in the naval
history of the world. For two years
the Alabama sailed, sweeping the seas
with a thoroughness which amazed
the world. With no ports save Eng
lands open to him he made a cruise
of nearly $4,000 miles, and his cruise
was marked and charted by burning
ships.
The Alabama was no formidable YES.
sci. Her tonnage was but 1000. Her
speed was 13 knots, and her armament
was one 8 inch shotgun aft, a finch
100 FOUNDER forward and six 30 pound
ers. She cost $250,OOO. Her crew
were mostly hardy British tars, but on
the decks were good Americans, thor
ough seamen and daring fighters.
The crew numbered IS men. The
Alabama was furnished by an English
member of parliament. But her ca
reer'of daredevil recklessness and her
final capture is a story that has no
equal in the annals of the sea save in
the eighteenth century exploits of the
freebooters.
In September, 1862, the Alabama
captured her first prize, the Ocmulgee.
whaler. The sea then was dotted
white with sailing vessels from New
England. They proved easy prey for
Semmes. He first plundered 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 in
wait for them. By means of these
newspapers he also managed to elude
the fleet of pursuers
Semme's career filled England with
wonder. AS report after report came
in of captures and fights as the little
sea hornet darted here and there and
left in its wake long line OF plum
dered ships and burned vessels the
English were filled with a desire to
gain privately from Semmes, intrepid
ity and recklessness. 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 syndicate got no
prizes.
So Semmes made his $4,000 mile
cruise in two years. He had cap
tured single-handed 63 American YES
sells. Fifty-three had been destroyed,
nine released on ransom bonds and
one made into a tender. The Ala
bama 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 continually on the
watch for this ubiquitous vessel, and
they trembled at the sight of every
unknown craft. 1t 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 IL, 1864, the Alabama
was sighted in the harbor of Cher
bourg, France. The north thrilled
with the news, and all manner of
boats started in pursuit. The Kear-
sarge 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 to sail, and each method of
propulsion was entirely independent
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