The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13

ART got much"
Richmond was reached at Il o'clock at
night. The station was a Lille away
from the Spotswood hotel Stoneman's
raid was on, and every available man
and horse had been sent Ito the 'front.'
no. a vehicle was to be had: no way
of transporting baggage, or of safeguard
ins It. Mrs. Semmes and her girls, under
the escort of a strange man. who had
volunteered his services. walked the mile
to the hotel, and the little Raphael
Semmes, boy of eleven. and suffering
with the toothache at that, was mounted
on top of the pile of trunks to keep
guard until the hotel could send porter
with a truck.
The next day all Richmond was sad
dened by the news of the tragic fate of
Stonewall Jackson. When the end had
come and the great soldier cold in death,
lay in state in the capitol at Richmond
Mrs Semmes was one of those who es-
teemed it her high privilege to place
memorial wreath upon the bier Of the
peerless Jackson.
Here in Richmond Mrs. Semmes was
made happy by reunion with her second
sol, the Capt. Oliver j. Semmes of the
artillery, who commanded a battery,
unique in it's organization, being the only
battery of artillery in the regular army
of the Confederate states Oliver Semmes
had Just succeeded in making his escape
| was transporting Confederate prisoners,
| of whom he was one, to Fort Delaware.
| The officers on guard were operpowered,
| and the vessel run ashore on the VIZ
| ginia coast, and these escaping prisoners
| had made their way to Richmond VIA the
| Dismal Swamp.
In the summer of 1868 Mrs. Semmes
7 resumed her residence in Alabama. hers
! and her husbands adopted home where
! were his interests, his country home ana
! his slaves. She established her nome
J in Mobile, which at this time, was not
! suffering so much from priYatlons' as
were other parts in the south owing TO
5! the blockade running, Whlch was coih-
paratiVely successful
| 1t was in this home that Mrs. Semmes
! shone eminent, the center or as
| tinguished social circle; her home was
| refuge and a solace for soldiers from
| the front seeking rest and recuperaton
| from sickness and wounds and she Kept
| omen house where the hungry and the
| needy ever had their wants supplied. The
/ appetites of some of these may be judged
| from enc example Maj. B. ]. Semmes
! from the army under General Bragg, had
| been severely wounded and came TO MO-
| bile to convalesce. The first day of his
| stay the servant brought in a large
! turee1 of raw oysters and set it down on
| the table preparatory to making the
| savory stew that was to form the piece
! de resistance for dinner. cousin Ann
! NAV | try a few?' And calling for plate
and accessories the major proceeded to
empty the tureen, task he easily ac-
| compished.
| Aud more, she nursed the sick, she
| cheered the Respondent she labored for
| the soldier boys at the front, and more
| than all she gave up her own three
| sons, the youngest at twelve years or age
| to the service of her country. BY her
| CHEEKY spirit and patriotic enthusiasm,
| she inspired all those who came In con-
| tact with her to give of their best to
| the cause of the SOUTH and when the
! tragic end came, and the hopes OF the
| south and of her people, went down INTO
| the dust she bravely struggled with her
| own sore heart, to aid the conquered 10
! infase new courage into them to COM
| mence life anew.
| I. was when this cruel war was over
| that the cruelest blow of all was dealt
| to her On Christmas Eve, 1860, guard
| of United States marines appeared at the
| home OF Admiral and Mrs. Semmes, ana
| without previous warning, in despite OIL
| the fact that the admiral carried IN MS
| noclxet a parole. signed by General Sher-
| man: a parole as admiral in the Conled-
crate states navy and brigadier general
| in the Confederate states army that
parole was violated and Admiral Semmes
| was placed under arrest, with marine
ali
| and the other guards disposed about the
| house Who can picture the distress OF
tho wife, And the night passed; oc-
| OCCASIONALLY the grounding OF musket by
| one of the guards. The admlral with
| his usual phlosophic equanlmlty. thoush
he could but forebode weary lnlprls-
| onment and perchance, mseraple
| de,4h vet worn with fatigue and anxi-
| ety. fell asleep. His dispairing wife, dis
| solved in tears bemoaned his approaching
| dread fate. What, she could only con-
| lecture in her fearful imaginings; at
| last utterly overcome and hys'erieai
| she Weakened her husband saying
| "Husband how can you sleep when my
heart Is breaking with such cruel anxi-
| atv for you." And with that same calm
| nhilosophy that had ever guided all his
| WAYS he replied Dear heart, control
| Yourself. hope for the best, there can
| no harm come to me- and II 1t does why
| we must bear 1t, that IS an couiq
| sleep quietly, though quite sure that l
| was +, he hanged tomorrow" And with
| a svn,nathetic pat on the hand he again
| foil asleep. and his wife afterwards added
| co nathetically: And I kept on waking
| him and would not be comforted, al
| though 7 knew he had had nara day
| hehinl him, and yet harder day before
| him. ,,,
| In a short time Mrs. Semmes followed
| her husband to his prison In Washing-
| ton. and during much of the TOUR months
! az his imprisonment she spent in Balti-
,1ore with her married daughter Mrs.
| CoIs+on and every day, went over TO
| Yasbireton to visit the prisoner. She in
| -,,,,,ad LAWYERS and secretaries OF
| sta4e and war and navy. and beseiged
tho president Andrew Johnson now pray
| Two now demanding her husbands re-
| lease And at last. 1t came, practically
| nith , verdict of. honorable aquittal, and
| +ha raunited couple resumed their nome
| ,ifa in Mobile. The admiral deyoting HIM
| ealp 70 the law. and Mrs. Semmes round
| ~ out her life with the homely duties
| of wife and mother. at the same time that
| a. anohraced the wider field of philan-
| tbronv and patriotic work In Keeping
| alive the principle of pure patriotism Tor
| which the south had expended all, and
Lost all. On the Both of August, 1871, on
| tho shores of Mobile Bay at Point Clear,
,,'r,are hc had his summer home, with the
ever-restless waves signing the requiem.
| "Nunc dimittis," Raphael Semmes passed
| 10 his eternal rest. and his wife was
| stronc IN bear her great sorrow and
stuI lived on to do the work appointed
| her.
For years. Mrs. Semmes was an ener-
| a., ,oon,her of the Ladies Memorial
| eesociat;on of Mobile and for years be-
fnre rer death as president of the be-
io,,ad association, she threw all her en-
| .,,ns;.eno and zeal into the cause, and
| 10 ever. the head of all enterprises look
,nn m the progress and Improvement of
| memorial work. IN al phiah'hroplc
| u,o,l, Mrs Semmes was ever foremost
! .at..at,Ia aeeist3npp in civic and