The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-09
bill ARP'S LETTER.

49, ~
learn the true history of our Civil War,
its causes and results, | would take that
| of Gregg for the land and SemmeS for
| the seas. In a former letter I was
pleased TO give the first my hearty com
nlendation and now since | have just
concluded the perusal of Service
| the author far exceeded my expecta-
| -Atioat,s by Admiral Semmes | must say
tons IN craftsmanship and style and
| attractive narrative Of the wonderful
work of the Sumter and Alabama a,
Confederate cruisers on the high seas.
The truth is that their work of capture
| and destruction was 50 remote from us
and so few witnesses TO it with 10 tele-
graph, 10 mail, no press dispatches that
our people almost forgot whore they
| were or what they We're doing. Only AT
long intervals did any news Of them
| come to Us and even that news came
| from the North and was partially smoth-
| cred and always SmlrChcd With mallg-
! nifty.
The admiral was a scholar Il lawyer,
an editor and Il profound statesman. His
| style is clear and classic and has history
| shows him 10 have been Il student of the
| science Of government and the formal
| ton of our national compact. lis at
| terances are fearless and convincing and
| his narrative reads like a romance. This
work contains no biographical sketch of
the man and | had to turn TO Apple
tons American biography To find on,
who ne was and what he was doine
before the war. Appleton is always just
TO Southern men. whether they be
statesmen or heroes. In most of the
| Northern cycloEedias of biography YOU
will find 40 mention Of Gordon. Colqultt,
Barlow, Pat Clebern or of scores of men
whom our people delight TO honor. but
| lengthy sketches Of every small Republic
can member Of Congress and the pcdi-
| gree Of every race horse that ever be
! came famous. Appleton has left out the
horses and put in ali of our famous
men.
Appleton tells us that Raphael
| Semnies WAS born in Maryland in 1909;
was sent to the naval. academy in 1896;
| commissioned Il lieutenant in 1892;
| studied law TWO years and then returned
to sea service and cruised around the
world. When the war with Mexico
WAS declared he was nltde flag lieuten-
ant of the admiraIS ship and placed in
charge of the naval batteries in the
siege of Vera Cruz-the admiral leaning
upon him there just lis Dewey leaned
upon Tom Brunhy at Manila. When
secession came he promptly resigned his
commission rs commandment OF the light
house bureau and rendered his services
TO the Confederacy. The Sumter, then
in port at New Orleans. was the only
vessel at all suitable for his purpose. 1t
required months 10 put her III war-hke
condition. but as he says Il liked her
general appearance. Her lines We're
easy and graceful and she had Il saucy
air about her that seemed to be longing
fnr - f,p1tS M hot 81 \Vnn1nrfnl ll rppr
was in store for that old patched UP
vessel. Semmes soon organized her Off
GERS and crew and our own John Me
Intosh Kcll was his flag lieutenant. The
admiral always mentions Hmm with al
. lection and high reSard-"mE evcr
(, trusted friend" my brave, patriotic ana
reliable first lieutenant always ready.
+, always true And he still lives an orna-
i ment to Georgia and the South-the last
Of the old Romans. What memories
he must have of those trying scenes OF
which he was Il part. just think Of it.
The Sumter captured seventeen nil
/ within six months and done millions OF
dollars damage to Northern
and paralyzed her trade. Six of their
/. best ships of war We're constantly in
, pursuit of her. Her officers and crew
were proclaimed as pirates and large
rewards offered for them.
Ali that the Sumter ever cost the Con
! fedcracy was S2S. 600. which was much
less than the smallest of her prizes. But
at last she Wore out and had TO be sold.
An EnGllshman patched her up again
| and named her Gibraltar. She was
I finally lost in the North sea and her
bones lie inferred not far from the Ala
bama. Uncle Sam got no damages from
Johnny Bull for what the Sumter did.
for she was not built in England, as
was the Alabama. but her victims got
pay from the nations treasury for all
their losses. England had TO pay S13.-
Oto,00O for allowing the Alabama 10
be built and almored in her port, ana
the Sumter destroyed as much more. All
this lone by one resolute, patriotic capa-
bic man and his little crew Of Il dozen
officers and a hundred men.
The Alabama was built in England
especially for Semmes. Captain Low,
of Savannah. superintendent her con
struction and equipment. Semmes could
get only four Of his old officers. for they
became scattered during the delay and
joined other cruisers. But Lieutenant
| Kell was at his side ready for service
and 50 was Lieutenant Armstrong;. an
other Georgian. | was Illuminating about
this venerable man. descendant of the
| STd1ltl OIu A1tllloSH IdIlllA- ol SIttISII.
the Chevalier Bayard Of the revolution.
Is it possible that our State will neg
lect him in his old age: If there is Il
man in Georgia or the South who de-
serves an ample pension and a comfor
table home he is the man. Thousands
{, Of dollars are contributed to Northern
heroes who commanded negro regiments
J during the war and who melted our
slaves to arson and ra1ine and murder,
but our own noble heroes are almost for
gotten. Oh the shame Of it. Here is a
nan who was the admiralS right bower
the brayest of the bravc-foremOst in
! all these naval engagements and in the
I capture and destruction of lightweight
vessels and of $50, 900, 900 III property ant
his friends have almost to beg for him
, Il bare support. Oh. the shame of it.
Friends young men Of the South. get
f these hooks and peruse them slowly.
carefully and they will make fast YOU
, Southern patriotism and fill your bosoln>
with Il fresh glow of Southern pride