Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-10
The Confederate navy.

TO the Editor of The Times u ispatch (:
Sir.--in my hrst communication |
outlined the Confederate navy: In
the second | told Of its officers In
this wish 10 say more OF tho ON
Gers. Scmmcs. buchanan. IIolllns,
Mnury. Ice. Mitchell Jones. Wood
Maiitt. brown. Marley. Glasscll,
Cook. Read. Bulloch. Waddoli. Parker
Scales. kcnnon. IIasker and hun.
drcds Of others. ar. names to con
)ure with, and their records will
shine as brilliantly In future his
tory as those OF Stewart. Hull Balm
bridge and Decatur
We naturally associate Semmcs
with the Alabama: buchanan with
the Virginia: Hollins with tho Manns-
sas; Mitchell with tho battles in
James Rivor. Mam,, with the
Florida; Brown with the Arkansas:
Wood with the Tallahassee. and
Waddell with tho Shenandoah. While
ali were efficient In tho discharge OF
difficult duties. there is an individ-
naiity in each record that stands out
differing from tho others. unique
unto Itself.
For instance. Semmes had two bat
ties on the Ala ma. An English vcs-
sci, which came no nearer the Con-
fcderacy than Galveston. Texas.
where he Went TO hond off Banks OK
petition. when he fought and sunk
the Hattcras. January II. 1861 July
Is. 1864. OFF Chcrhourg he Tough, tho
kearsargc. his own ship being sunk.
and himself and his crew saving
themselves by jumping overheard.
They were picked up by the yacht
Deerhound and carried TO E.nvIanl
as frccmcn. instead OF being brought
TO America on tho Kcarsaryc as
prisoners. orr history bristlcs with
romantic incidents like that.
AS already stated there were 1900
men In III" Confederate navy, be
Sizes the Officers. rcach this con-
cius'on by analogy. ONCE Memo
ranha NO s. Of Naval War Records.
Issued by tho Navy Department at
washington contains over 400
names Of officers. I, was Issued in
lS'h. ana is very incomplete There
has been added over 100 names since.
ana tho list is yet far from com
plete. and its details very unsatis.
factory Call II i.500 officers. There
were moro than three men to every
officer. or say $500 men, which with
the officers make "A total OF nj least
5000. Where did they come from?
answer. from all over tho civil
lZcG world. Many were sailors OF
fortune, who joined our cruisers
abroad. When the Alabama went
into commission OFF Tencriffc in 1862
nine-tcrths of her crew were Rritons
Our home crews were natives for tho
most part. who had had some son
farinR life. They composed our
navel strength during the first two
years Of the war Later, a large
number Of soldiers were trans
ferred TO the navy. expressing
preference for that branch of the
service. and while ignorant Of n sail
or's duties were expert In great gun
driii, and made good lighters.
When they were transferred.
record of the transfer was made
and that closed the record against
them. and there is no record OF
their service in any adjutant-ge gen
erals office after that. Before that
they were soldiers whose records
were looked after by their States.
When the Confederacy failed. the
states composing it yet remained,
and the states. having full records
OF its soldiers. have been able to
take care OF their soldiers. and their
records. The Navy Department had
similar records of it's sailors. but
when Richmond was evacuated these
records were bnrncd. and the Con-
fcderate sailor has had a hard time
proving who he was and VIVA, he
did in tho Confederate navy.
y. o. WRIGHT. a
Admiral. u. c. V
Richmond. Va. June Q. 1922.