The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-26

and sunk: losing one-haif her crew of 100. Re-ordsded to the "Raritan" as flag lieutenant. semmes managed the debarcation of General Scotts corps at Vera Cruz, on March s,-1S47. Then.. during the seige. he commanded the heavy guns batteries ashore rom the "Rarftan," which preached the walls and hastened the surrender. In April of that year he was sent as special commissioner to Mexico City on mat ters connected with naval prisoners. and later, as volunteer aide to Gen. eral Worth he took active part and rendered useful service in all the bat ties in the valley of Mexico.
 After the Mexican war. Lieutenant Commander Semmes did constant sea and land duty. until 1855. Then he Nwas nromoted to commander and made secretary of the naval lighthouse board at Washington. the position he held aa the outbreak of the civil war He promptly resigned it and went 10 Montgomery with MT. Davis; receivins equal rank in the prospective Conied- crate navy.
 The Cruiser sumter.
 Thoroughly familiar with the dispar- itv of naval resources of the warning sections. he urged upon Secretary Nal lory the most active war upon the enemy's commerce.. both by> light regu- lar cruisers and volunteer privateers' lust after the surrender of Sumter he received orders to fit out vessei TOT that service. He proceeded to New or- leans. bought the 50t-ton steaihei Habana of the New Orleans-Cupa nne' hastily reitting and arming ner WILL four 24-pound smooth bores and an s-inch shell gun. She was rechrist- ened "Sumter" ran up the stars ana Rars and-while the blockading ship Brooklyn was chasing suspect 10 iee- ward on July 1, 1S61-.she slipped ous to sea and became temporarily tne Confederate navy. She did remarkaois work in capture and destruction, put snace forbids details Later. when worn out and unfit for repair. Captain Semmes sold her; was ordered. With ms cru,sers and crew to England; and Tn tbe1 Mersey, took charge of nne new cruiser known to diplomacy and the rebel agent aboard as "No. z5o' Al Terctere. in the Azores she receivea her armament and outnt ana was christened the Alabama.
 The new flagship of the Conieoela.. States navy-and practically the navy ,, ,tsa,f--was a handsome and strongly built cruiser of LOIS tons and on moo- ern lines. She was a fast sailer unaer canvas alone and was fitted with pow arful engines and a displaceaDle pro- peIler, used as will. Her armainene was more than double that Of her pre- decessor, the Sumter.
 Her complement Of oncers Was. captain Rapheal Semmes' executive lieutenant. John M. Kell; lieutenants' R F Armstrong, Jos D. Wilson, AT tbur Sinclair, John Low; surgeon Erancis Gala; lieutenant marines D. Howell. chief engineer, N. J. Freeman : ass,stant surgeon, Llewllyn 1English master. J. Bullock; midshipmeh' 1 Moffit and L. R. Anderson
 The release of this ship ana her known intent in building not onIy pu. new phase upon the belllgerent ata,ns of the Confectionery but throat- ened to become casus belh. Ihs Eaderai government formally demandea throrgb Minister Adams. explanation and renaration, the British mihisety baId that the South's acceptance as heIiiqerent covered it's action: anu ,,e matter was allowed to sleep-posssiohis .h because one war on the hahos ol VI. v. IrnIor was sufficient at one time. ~ onlon "i,ared In the famous Alabama a,atr,s commission, so familiar that IT a5 only he noted here in the re ,,,tndar that the conferring powers ao tudped the damages by the eNpioie1 - -. - ttta snrivateer" to amount to the shus sum of SIS. .500.000.
 ExpIoits of the Alabama.
 rhase gexplicits were so numerous
 "A sta r+Iinp-so resultful in destruc- ttox, oS tbe enemy's property, warlfKe and domestic-as to make a unique chapter in the history of naval war Tare Bold to the verge Of reckless ness. elusive as a haunting war-Wralei. M hand too swift and we'll handled TOT capture, the Alabama was nere to day there tomorrow and powhere the day afterygher trail marked enfy ny SSs,,,a ,Stiea or smoking wreeks and her deeds filling the news columns with embellishments. She became tru- lv the giving Dutchman" of real war with the reversal that, while she was held the terrors on the sea that "BlacK Horse" (of which there was never but one single troop) did on land; or the cry from the peaceful top. "The Ala bama" made the same panic that we are fiankedw often did in mid charge of the Rebs.
 There was much illogical aftermath to the fatal brew in Cherbourg wa ters. With his ship riddled and sink ing, Captain Semmes ran up the white flag and waited on her settling deck for the boat that never left the "kearsarge" to take his surrender. and incidentally to save his life. Al the very last moment. he hurled his sword into the sea and plunged fin af- ter it. He and forty of his officers and men were in the water fully four hours. when the English yacht Deer hound" picked them up- The claim that this broke a parole from q man who had never surrendered to any body was untenable. It was so adjudg-