The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-27

| Semmes, Raphael, naval officer, was born in Charles county, Maryland. Sep tember T. 1SC9 son of Richard Thompson and Catherine CIiddleton) Semmes. ant 1 fifth in descent from the first American ancestor, Benedict Joseph Semmes. 3 native of Normandy, France, and came over with Lord Baltimore in 164O. Having received an academic education he was appointed a midshipman in the navy in 1 1926, and in the ensuing winter he made his first cruise in the sloop of war Lex ington, Captain Cafterwards Rear Ad- miraD Schubrick
 While waiting orders as past midship- man he studied law with his brother ] S. H. Semmes at Cumberland, Md, and in 1884 was admitted to the bar After a cruise as sailing master and then as acting lieutenant he was commissioned a lieutenant in 1Ss7
 He was employed in the usual routine of professional duty for several years and made a number of cruises. In 1S4l he was ordered on a survey of Ship Island and the adjacent waters of Mis- sissippi sound, and in 1S42 took his family I river, in Alabama. In the war with Mex ieo he was on duty as first lieutenant on the brig Porpoise, but was soon after ward transferred to the frgate Cumber- land, and subsequently, to the Raritan, the flagship of Commodore Connod, then commanding the gulf squadron.
 In November he was assigned to the ! command of the brig Somers of 10 guns. While pursuing suspected vesesl in a heavy mortimer, December 8, 1S46, the Somers capszed sinking in 10 minutes and losing half of her crew of 100 men. Semmes dispatched his only available boat with the non-combatants and boys, and when his vessel sank he leaped into the sea with the remainder of the crew, who had been clinging to the wreck, and was rescued by English war vessel in port. Rejoicink the Raritan as flag lieutenant he assisted in planning and experimenting the landing of General Scotts troops at Vera Cruz, March g., 1S47. During the siege of that city, March 2, he had charge, for a time of the heavy guns placed on shore by the Rari- tan, which rendered efficient service in preaching the walls and hastening the surrender.
 In the following April Semmes was or dered on a special mission to the City of Mexico to effect the exchange of certain naval prisoners who were held as sus- pected spies. As volunteer aid to Gen eral Worth he took an active part in all the battles of the valley of Mexico and after the war he was for several years inspector of lighthouses on the gulf coast, having in the meantime removed his resi- dence to Mobile. In 1855 he was promoted to the rank of commander and soon afterward became naval secretary of the lighthouse board at Washington. He was on this duty when the civil war be- gun. Alabama, his adopted state, having withdrawn from the union, February 1J. 1861, he resigned his commission, and shortly afterwards reported at Mont gomery.
 He was immediately recommissioned with the same rank which he had re- signed in the federal service, and was sent to the north to purchase materials of war for the navy. At the outbreak of the civil war the commerce of the United States was next to the largest in the world, and as most of it was tributary to the northern states, the leaders of the Confectionery from the first exerted themselves to fit out destroy CTS.
 After the attack upon Fort Sumter Semmes applied for and received orders to fit out vessel for such service. He purchased the Habana, a propeller packet of 800 tons, plying between New Orleans and Havana, Cuba, which was renamed Sumter. and hastily equipped with four 24-pounder howitzers and a heavy S-inch shell gun.
 steamer Brooklyn was chasing a vessel to leeward, the Sumter dashed boldly across the bar of the Mississippi delta and stood out to sea. Passing through the Gulf of Mexico, and cruising along the coast of South America as far as Maranham, he returned to the West In- dies, November 9, having made many captures, and. after a narrow escape at Martinique from the United States ship Iroquois, proceeded to cross the Atlantic, arriving at Cadiz on January 2, 1862, and a few days afterward anchoring at Gib- Ta1tar. During this cruise II American merchantmen had been captured. of which eight were burned and the others, having been sent into Spanish ports, were afterwards released to their own ers.
 Being closely blockaded at Gibraltar by the Tuscarora, Kearsarge and Inc, and unable to procure coal or to repair boilers. Semmes sold the Sumter, and with sev-
  thence to the Bahama Islands. At Mas sau he was met by promotion to the ranl, of captain, with orders to return to Eng land to assume command of a new ship then building in the Mersey, known as No. 290. She was the most famous of the English built Confederate cruisers. She was both a steamer and sailing vessel of 1916 tons, carrying eight guns and com plement of 149 men Her propeller could be detached so that she could make from 10 to F knots with sails alone, and 15 knots with steam added In spite of the dearest evidence submitted by Minister Adams that she was fitting out at Liver pool for service against United States commerce, the English government all lowed her to sail July 29, 1892
 In August Semmes joined this vessel at Terciera, one of the Azores. where she had been sent to receive her armament, stores and crew, and after commissioning her as the Confederate man-of-war Ala baina. on the 24th began a series of dar- ing and successful cruises, lasting nearly two years Learning of the intended ex- petition of General Banks against Gal weston, and with the hope of intercepting the federal transport, he headed for that port arriving January II. 1863. That night he fought and sank the United States steamer Hatteras of the blockading squadron. commanded by Captain Blake. a vessel of greater tonnage, but inferior armament The Alabama had one man wounded, the Hatteras two killed and five wounded. The living were all saved by Sem1nes before the Hatteras went down. The most important capture was the steamship Ariel. of the Aspnwall line.
 On June 19, 1864. the Alabama encoun-