Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-10-07
RAPHAEL SEMMES
His Memory Honored All Over the South
land On Last Monday.
WAS GREAT NAVAL HERO

The One Hundredth Anniversary ~
the Birth Of the Only Confederate
Admiral Marked With Public Ger
emonies In Several of the Southern
| States.
AT many points In the South on
| Monday, but especially at Baltimore.
the chief city of his native State.
in New Orleans, where he is greatly
beloved. at Mobile and Montgomery,
in the State OF his adoption, and sew
eral other places. honor was paid to
| Admiral Raphael Semmes. Born one
hundred years ago. Admiral Semmes
lied In 1877. passing into history
as 1.-The Paul Jones OF the Confeder-
acy." America has hardly produced
| 4 greater sailor.
Fifth In descent from a native OF
Normandy who came over In 1910
with Lord Baltimore, Raphael
Semmes received high school edu-
cation and then found his way into
the navy as midshipman, there be-
ing no naval academy In existance
At the time. He rendered valiant
and efficient service In the Mexican
war and had attained the rank OF
commander when war between the
sections broke out. With his first
command. the Sumter, clumsy old
boat propelled by both steam and sail
Sa nj
merchantmen.
Blockaded by three Federal war
ships at Gibraltar. he sold the vessel
and proceeded with his officers to
the Bahama Islands. On july 80.
1852, the Alabama, thencefortn IA
/ nous. was permitted by British au-
thorities to sail from Liverpool.
where she had been built as NO.
ZOO" her guns and war munitions
she received in the Azores. Then be-
gan one of the most wonderful
careers which any vessel ever had.
Within the twenty months of her
existance the Alabama captured 62
northern merchantmen. burning
most of them at sea for the reason
that few ports were open to their
| wsrship Hatteras after thirteen min
utes' actual fighting. In June, 1864.
Semmes accepted a challenge to bat
tie given by Captain Winslow. of
the Federal warship Kearsarge. at
Cherbourg. France. though he was
| under no strategical or other need
to do so.
Apparently about the Alabama's
strength. the Kearsarge was in realty
| armored heavily with chains under
her outer planking, so that her ad-
versary was surprised to see his
shot rebounded with little injury.
Moreover. the Alabama's powder had
deteriorated during many months
| passed In tropical climates; a shell
placed in the steering gear of the
Kearsarge failed to explode when It's
| explosion would have rendered the
| Federal vessel helpless.
Under these disadvantages the Ala
bama fought brave but foredoomcd
contest. finally going down. Her Of
| fcers and crew were saved by the
English yacht Deerhound. Admiral
| Semmes later complained that Cap
| tain Winslow had lured him into a
| combat through specifically false
statements. namely. by representing
| hat the two ships were on an equal
| footing when in fact the Kearsarge
had armor concealed.
The Alabama was a fine vessel OF
about nine hundred tons and 230 feet
| length. built for both steam and
sails. Her best speed with all her
oh ~
knots. or fourteen miles an hour.
She usually ran down her prizes.
when they were sailing vessels. under
| sail alone. and such was Semmes'
pride in her sailing qualities that he
| would sometimes prolong the chase
| greatly rather than resort to steam.
The havoc which she worked to
| the American flag on the high seas
has never since been repaired. Eng
land had to pay fifteen million dollars
| for turning her loose, but from the
| standpoint of commercial advantage
this money was repaid many fold.
IS far as their personal preferences
were concerned. Semmes and his
men would have preferred fighting
to prize-making, but there was neyer
day when the hostile eplthet OF
pirate" would Justly be applied
The Alabama was commissioned
after acquisition in foreign port.
nut so was Paul Jones Bon Homn:e
Richard. Semmes cannot be re-
preached on this score without in
volving Jones. In Service Affoat"
Admiral Semmes tells in effective
style the story Of his stirring months
on the Sumter and Alabama We
advise any one who may never have
read 1t to repair the omission.