The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-27
A PICTURE OF ADMIRAL sEMMEs.
Presented to the State Library by Adj
mirers of the Gallant Confederate.

The picture of Admiral Semmes, which
was sent to Mrs. G.. NJ Busbee to be sold
for the benefit of the Confederate Ba-
zaar held here last winter, was recently
purchased by,some of the admirers of the
late admiral and donated to the State
Library. Mrs. Busbee delivered it to the
librarian n few days ago, and it is an
interesting addition to the many pictures
of Confederate officers now ornamenting
it's walls. 1t was sent to her by Judge
Semmes, of Louisiana, a son of the
admiral.
Raphael Semmes was born in Mary
land September 81, 1909, and died in
Mobile. Ala, August 30, 1877. He en-
tered the navy in 1884, having been APP
pointed midshipman by President John
Quincy Adams He served in the navy
during the Mexican war and many years
thereafter. as inspector Of lighthouses
on the gulf coast, and in 1858 became
secretary of the lighthouse board at
Washington. Having made Alabama his
home in 1912, when the civil war broke
out and that State seeded Semmes re-
signed his commission in the United
States navy and reported to President
jefferson Davis at Montgomery. Presi-
dent Davis sent him North to buy war
material and to secure mechanics skilled
in the manufacture of arms and ammu-
nition On this trip he examined the
arsenal at Washington, went through the
principal work shops Of New England,
hired a large number of skilled workmen
and purchased large stores of guns and
ammunition. On his return South,
April 4tb. he found that he had been
~ l'DnfpH-
crate navy and placed in charge of the
lighthouse bureau. This position he held
only two weeks. then gave it up to go to
New Orleans to fit out the sumter,
with which he afterwards captured
eighteen merchantmen.
After the blockade of that vessel at
Tangiers by two United States men Of
war, he sold her and went to England,
having in the meantime been promoted
to the rank of captain. There the fast
steamer "Alabama" was built for him
and in August, 1868, he took command
of her at the Azores Islands, put to sea
and captured sixty-two American mer-
chantmen. most of which he burned at
sea. Upon her loss in battle with the
"Kearsage'' on June 10, 1864, he return
ed to England and in London was pre-
sented by officers of the British army
and navy with a sword to replace that
which he had cast into the sea from the
deck of his sinking ship.
He was soon thereafter appointed rear
admiral in the Confederate Navy and
ordered to the James River Squadron,
with which he guarded the wafer APP
proaches to Richmond until the city was
evacuated At Greensboro, \. c., on
May /, 1865, he participated in the capt
tulation of Gen. Johnston's army. he
returned to Mobile and opened law
office there. Later he was arrested and
imprisoned. Not until May, 1865 was
he released, under the third of the
Presidents amnesty proclamations. He
was soon thereafter elected judge of the
probate court and later became editor of
a daily paper at Mobile.
This he gave up to accept the profess
sorship of military science in the Louisi-
ana Military Institute. During his life
he published several books touching upon
the war and the naval service therein.