Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-20
MASTERY OF SEA WON
BY INTREPID RAIDERS
Southern Seamen Stand Out
Conspicuously Among Cal
liant Host.
SAILORS FOUGHT on LAND
NAVAL HrlRade I'm Dying Days of
tonfcdcrncy Called "Mcn Who
Didn't Know How To Surrender"
Mallory Headed Navy Department.
uoRs FOUGHT on
Ky r. Earle I.utE.

ing the Stars and Bars. nevertheless
stand out conspicuously among the
galiant host which lived in days tina.
"tricn mems souis and linked heart
u heart with hoops or steel"
b!icial records are few In evidence
ana are far from complete. hut the
Confederate navy unques'lonabiy
carved out a place In the halls Of
history that VIII Increase year by
year. Starting with practically moth
Ing and handicapped by lack IL ma
,eria aud natural resources. the
south. nevertheless got into opera
zion navy that made Itself known
the world ever and one that started
a new era In naval history.
Raiders Mnde History.
While the vessels that worked on
the James. IN. Mississippi Mobile
BAY, Hampton Roads and other in
land waters are distinguished By a
gallantry unsurpassed In tn. annals
az naval warfare. in many respects
the most important chapter in tho
affairs OF the Confederate navy was
the building up and operation OF the
s,,ips % war which drove the rncr
chant !laE Of the United States from
the ocean and almost extirtated tn.
carving trade IL tho Northern craft
While al The time dubbed pirates
and buccaneers. the legal status OF
thus" intrepid raiders h;rs since been
honorably established ana their
deeds would make the most sluggish
hlo0d surge.
Criticism was often hurried a.
stephen u. Mallory. OF Florida. Sec
'c;ary Of the Nav in the Davis Cat-
net. but II is nevertheless true that
ih" almost impossible was accom-
United states. Secretary Mallory had
h"cu chairman OF the naval Affairs
Committee, and as such had an in
s'gn, into the problems that con
frun'"d the Federal navy and was In
measure n,t.h 10 take hold OF the
gigantic task offered him.
'ind Mastery OF Sens.
WIN nucleus % ten vessels
mounting nftccn guns. which were
'"'z"d ny seeding states. the Con-
tolerate navy was launched. and In
fprr years had grown to the point
where II was master OF III" high
staS. although no; unequal to driving
III tn" blockading nccts Of the North
~ building and purchase the navy'e
growth was accomplished The
building was done In spite OF the
lHcn of raw material and the made
pUat" means 81 arming III. warsh!ps
Tho purchasing war done in the face
"f nm alert zoe and lukewarr neu-
trails afraid to offend the North al
tho COnfedcracy
And while the building Of navy
IN !tS"I' was task. that OF securing
the men 10 hght the new craft was
san more difficult one But
through designations from the United
States Navy. a total az 30! officers
were secured. Including sixteen cap
tairs. thirtyfour commanders. sew
cnty-siX licutenants. eleven surgeons,
zen assistant surgeons. seven
assistant surgeons. Ten paymasicrE.
'vc midshipmcn ard i0s acting mid
sH.pTen. The first order for tho
creation Of a navy only contemplated
a force OF 1000 men. with four cap
tainS. four commanders. thirty lieu
tenants and other grades in proper
ton. In April. 1862, however, this
vas amended SO that there could
be- tour adm!rals. ten captains. thir-
iy-onc commanders. 100 hrst Iieuten-
ants. twenty-five second lieutcnarts
and twenty masters. All OF the ad
luiraiS and the majority OF IN" other
officers We're TO be solely for gallant
or mer.iorious service
Fought Land Too.
The battle OF the Merrimac and
the Monitor Will naturally rank In
TIA" minds OF the world as the biz
nava! event OF The War Between the
States. being. as IL was. the first
meeting OF irouciads. However. many
other daring deeds will ring down
In naval history, and none, perhaps.
VIII thrill poSter!ty more than tho
stand Of the naval brigade at Say
lors Creek. whore they gained the
name Of the men who didn't know
when 10 surrender"
/, was just a few days before Ap-
pomattOx that the sailors in their
land engagement won eternal fame
Captain Raphael Semmes. then com
handing the James River squadron.
had been ordered to set fire TO his
;ronclads and TO bring their crews
10 Richmond, where the wooden
craft were TO be destroyed and the
seamen would be thrown into the
army on it's retreat
Sailors Become Soldiers.
Under command OF Commander
Tucker. the naval brigade which had
hecn manning guns at Drewry's
Bluff joined Ewell on April 3 and
became the rear guard OF the re-
trea; from Richmond The navy
men did great work on the pcrilous
march. and then took its stand ut
Saylor's Creek against the over
whclmimE odds. While troops ON both
hanks had thrown down their arms.
the seamcn fought on In spite OF
orders 10 capitulate. For more than
nfteen minutes they kept up the un-
equal action, and only with reluct-
ance followed the example of the
shattered army.
Meanwhile, Semmes had burned his
hoet and in Richmond found train
on which he embarked his men for
Danville. They reached that city af-
ter many difficulties. and the gallant
band was converted from sailors to
soldiers, and made artillerymen, with
Scmmes receiving the rank of brig
adler general.
Semmes Muster RnIder.
CAPTAIN Semmes through his com
mand OF the Sumter ana Manama
has the distinction OF DESTROYING
more Northern commerce than the bal
ance of the raiders combined. In
command OF the Sumter. Semmes ac-
counted for eighteen vessels. while
the Alabama took a toll OF sixty
eight. while the ToSraioos1, n ten
der Of the Alabama. accounted for
TWO more. or 4 grand total Of eighty
eight.
The Florida and tn She ianloah.
the latter under Captain James I.
Wadd"lf, were rivals for second
l. 4