CSS Alabama CSS " Alabama " was a screw sloop - of - war built for the Confederate States Navy at Birkenhead , England , in 1862 by John Laird Sons and Company . " Alabama " served as a successful commerce raider , attacking Union merchant and naval ships over the course of her two - year career , during which she never anchored in a Southern port . She was sunk in battle by the USS " Kearsarge " in June 1864 at the Battle of Cherbourg outside the port of Cherbourg , France . History . Construction . " Alabama " was built in secrecy in 1862 by British shipbuilders John Laird Sons and Company in North West England at their shipyards at Birkenhead , Cheshire . This was arranged by the Confederate agent James Dunwoody Bulloch , who was leading the procurement of sorely needed ships for the fledgling Confederate States Navy . He arranged the contract through Fraser , Trenholm Company , a cotton broker in Liverpool with ties to the Confederacy . Initially known as hull number 290 , the ship was launched as " Enrica " on 15 May 1862 and secretly slipped out of Liverpool on 29 July 1862 . Union Captain Tunis A . M . Craven of the USS Tuscarora , which was in Southampton at the time , was tasked with intercepting the new ship without success . Agent Bulloch arranged for a civilian crew and captain to sail " Enrica " to Terceira Island in the Azores . With Bulloch at his side , the new ship ' s captain , Raphael Semmes , left Liverpool on 13 August 1862 aboard the steamer " Bahama " to take command of the new cruiser . Semmes arrived at Terceira Island on 20 August 1862 and began overseeing the refitting of the new vessel with various provisions , including armaments , and 350 tons of coal , brought there by " Agrippina " , his new ship ' s supply vessel . After three days of back - breaking work by the three ship ' s crews , " Enrica " was transformed into a naval cruiser , designated a commerce raider , for the Confederate States of America . Following her commissioning as CSS " Alabama " , Bulloch then returned to Liverpool to continue his secret work for the Confederate Navy . " Alabama " ' s British - made ordnance was composed of six broadside , 32 - pounder , naval smoothbores and two larger and more powerful pivot cannons . Both pivot cannons were positioned roughly amidships along the deck ' s centerline , fore and aft of the main mast . The fore pivot was a heavy , long - range 100 - pounder 7 - inch ( 178 mm ) Blakely rifle , the aft pivot a heavy , 8 - inch ( 203 mm ) smoothbore . The new Confederate cruiser was powered by both sail and by two John Laird Sons and Company horizontal steam engines , driving a single , Griffiths - type , twin - bladed brass screw . With the screw retracted using the stern ' s brass lifting gear mechanism , " Alabama " could make up to ten knots under sail alone and when her sail and steam power were used together . Commissioning and voyage . The ship was purposely commissioned about a mile off Terceira Island in international waters on 24 August 1862 : All the men from " Agripinna " and " Bahama " had been transferred to the quarter deck of " Enrica " , where her 24 officers , some of them Southerners , stood in full dress uniform . Captain Raphael Semmes mounted a gun - carriage and read his commission from President Jefferson Davis , authorizing him to take command of the new cruiser . Upon completion of the reading , musicians that assembled from among the three ships ' crews began to play the tune " Dixie " just as the quartermaster finished hauling down " Enrica " s British colors . A signal cannon boomed and the stops to the halliards at the peaks of the mizzen gaf and mainmast were broken and the ship ' s new battle ensign and commissioning pennant floated free on the breeze . With that the cruiser became Confederate States Steamer " Alabama " . The ships motto : " " Aide - toi et Dieu t ' aidera " ( God helps those who help themselves ) " was engraved in the bronze of the great double ship ' s wheel . Captain Semmes then made a speech about the Southern cause to the assembled seamen , asking them to sign on for a voyage of unknown length and destiny . Semmes had only his 24 officers and no crew to man his new command . When this did not succeed , Semmes changed his tack . Semmes then offered signing money and double wages , paid in gold , and additional prize money to be paid by the Confederate congress for all destroyed Union ships . When the men began to shout " Hear ! Hear ! " Semmes knew he had closed the deal : 83 seamen , many of them British , signed on for service in the Confederate Navy . Confederate agent Bulloch and the remaining seamen then returned to their respective ships for their return voyage to England . Semmes still needed another 20 or so men for a full crew complement , but enough had signed on to at least handle the new commerce raider . The rest would be recruited from among captured crews of raided ships or from friendly ports - of - call . Of the original 83 crewmen that signed on that day , many completed the full voyage . Under Captain Semmes , " Alabama " spent her first two months in the Eastern Atlantic , ranging southwest of the Azores and then redoubling east , capturing and burning northern merchant ships . After a difficult crossing , she then continued her path of destruction and devastation in the greater New England region . She then sailed south , arriving in the West Indies where she raised more havoc before finally cruising west into the Gulf of Mexico . There , in January 1863 , " Alabama " had her first military engagement . She came upon and quickly sank the Union side - wheeler USS " Hatteras " just off the Texas coast , near Galveston , capturing that warship ' s crew . She then continued further south , eventually crossing the equator , where she took the most prizes of her raiding career while cruising off the coast of Brazil . After a second Atlantic crossing , " Alabama " sailed down the southwestern African coast where she continued her war against northern commerce . After stopping in Saldanha Bay on 29 July 1863 in order to verify that no enemy ships were in Table Bay , she finally made a much - needed refitting and reprovisioning visit to Cape Town , South Africa . She then sailed for the East Indies , where she spent six months destroying seven more ships before finally redoubling the Cape of Good Hope en route to France . Union warships hunted frequently for the elusive and by now famous Confederate raider , but the few times " Alabama " was spotted , she quickly outwitted her pursuers and vanished beyond the horizon . All together , she burned 65 Union vessels of various types , most of them merchant ships . During all of " Alabama " s raiding ventures , captured ships ' crews and passengers were never harmed , only detained until they could be placed aboard a neutral ship or placed ashore in a friendly or neutral port . Expeditionary raids of the CSS " Alabama " . All together , " Alabama " conducted a total of seven expeditionary raids , spanning the globe , before heading back to France for refit and repairs and a date with destiny : Upon the completion of her seven expeditionary raids , " Alabama " had been at sea for 534 days out of 657 , never visiting a single Confederate port . She boarded nearly 450 vessels , captured or burned 65 Union merchant ships , and took more than 2 , 000 prisoners without a single loss of life from either prisoners or her own crew . Final Cruise . On 11 June 1864 , " Alabama " arrived in port at Cherbourg , France . Captain Semmes soon requested permission to dry dock and overhaul his ship , much needed after so long a time at sea and so many naval actions . Pursuing the raider , the American sloop - of - war , USS " Kearsarge " , under the command of Captain John Ancrum Winslow , arrived three days later and took up station just outside the harbor . While at his previous port - of - call , Winslow had telegraphed Gibraltar to send the old sloop - of - war USS " St . Louis " with provisions and to provide blockading assistance . " Kearsarge " now had " Alabama " boxed - in with no place left to run . Having no desire to see his worn - out ship rot away at a French dock while quarantined by Union warships , and given his instinctive aggressiveness and a long - held desire once again to engage his enemy , Captain Semmes chose to fight . After preparing his ship and drilling the crew for the coming battle during the next several days , Semmes issued , through diplomatic channels , a bold challenge to the Kearsarge ' s commander , " my intention is to fight the Kearsarge as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements . I hope these will not detain me more than until to - morrow or the morrow morning at farthest . I beg she will not depart until I am ready to go out . I have the honor to be Your obedient servant , R . Semmes , Captain . " On 19 June , " Alabama " sailed out to meet the Union cruiser . As " Kearsarge " turned to meet her opponent , " Alabama " opened fire . " Kearsarge " waited patiently until the range had closed to less than 1 , 000 yards ( 900 m ) . According to survivors , the two ships steamed on opposite courses in seven spiraling circles , moving southwesterly with the 3 - knot current , each commander trying to cross the bow of his opponent to deliver a heavy raking fire . The battle quickly turned against " Alabama " due to the superior gunnery displayed by " Kearsarge " and the deteriorated state of " Alabama " s contaminated powder and fuses . Her most important shot , fired from the forward 7 - inch ( 178 mm ) Blakely pivot rifle , hit very near " Kearsarge " s vulnerable stern post , the impact binding the ship ' s rudder badly . That rifled shell , however , failed to explode . If it had done so , it would have seriously disabled " Kearsarge " s steering , possibly sinking the warship , and ending the contest . In addition , " Alabama " s too rapid rate - of - fire resulted in frequent poor gunnery , with many of her shots going too high , thus sealing the fate of the Confederate raider . As a result , " Kearsarge " benefited little that day from the protection of her outboard chain armor , whose presence Semmes later said was unknown to him at the time of his decision to issue the challenge to fight . In fact , in the years that followed , Semmes steadfastly claimed he would have never fought " Kearsarge " if he had known she was armor - clad . This hull armor had been installed in just three days , more than a year before , while " Kearsarge " was in port at the Azores . It was made using 120 fathoms ( 720 feet ) of single link iron chain and covered hull spaces , six - inches ( 152 mm ) long by 6 - feet , 2 - inches deep . It was stopped up and down to eye - bolts with marlines and secured by iron dogs . It was concealed behind 1 - inch deal - boards painted black to match the upper hull ' s color . This chaincladding was placed along " Kearsarge " s port and starboard midsection down to the waterline , for additional protection of her engines and boilers when the upper portion of her coal bunkers were empty . This armor belt was hit twice during the fight : First in the starboard gangway by one of " Alabama " s 32 - pounder shells that cut the chain armor , denting the hull planking underneath , then again by a second 32 - pounder shell that exploded and broke a link of the chain armor , tearing away a portion of the deal - board covering . If those rounds had come from " Alabama " s more powerful 100 - pounder Blakely pivot rifle , the likely result would not have been too serious , as both struck the chain armor a little more than five feet above the waterline . Even if both shots had penetrated " Kearsarge " s side , they would have completely missed her vital machinery . A little more than an hour after the first shot was fired , " Alabama " was reduced to a sinking wreck by " Kearsarge " s powerful Dahlgrens , forcing Captain Semmes to strike his colors and to send one of his two surviving boats to " Kearsarge " to ask for assistance . According to witnesses , " Alabama " fired 370 rounds at her adversary , averaging one round per minute per gun , a very fast rate of fire , while " Kearsarge " s gun crews fired less than half that many , taking more careful aim . During the confusion of battle , five more rounds were fired at " Alabama " after her colors were struck . ( Her gun ports had been left open and the broadside cannon were still run out , appearing to come to bear on " Kearsarge " . ) Then a hand - held white flag came fluttering from " Alabama " s stern spanker boom , finally halting the engagement . Prior to this , she had her steering gear compromised by shell hits , but the fatal shot came later when one of " Kearsarge " s shells tore open a midsection of " Alabama " s starboard waterline . Water quickly rushed through the defeated cruiser , eventually drowning her boilers and forcing her down by the stern to the bottom . As Alabama sank , the injured Semmes threw his sword into the sea , depriving Kearsage ' s commander Captain John Ancrum Winslow of the traditional surrender ceremony of having it handed over to him as victor . " Kearsarge " rescued the majority of the survivors , but 41 of " Alabama " s officers and crew , including Semmes , were rescued by the private British yacht " Deerhound " , while the " Kearsarge " stood off to recover her rescue boats as the " Alabama " sank . Captain Winslow was forced to stand by helplessly and watch " Deerhound " spirit away to England his much sought after adversary , Captain Semmes and his surviving shipmates . The sinking of the " Alabama " by the " Kearsarge " is honored by the United States Navy with a battle star on the Civil War campaign streamer . CSS " Alabama " ' s officers . Southern Cross of Honor awarded for valor . Perhaps the most courageous and selfless act during the " Alabama ' s " last moments involved the ship ' s assistant surgeon , Dr . David Herbert Llewellyn . Dr . Llewellyn , a Briton , was much loved and respected by the entire crew . During the battle , he steadfastly remained at his post in the wardroom tending the wounded until the order to abandon ship was finally given . As he helped wounded men into the " Alabama ' s " only two functional lifeboats , an able bodied sailor attempted to enter one , which was already full . Llewellyn , understanding that the man risked capsizing the craft , grabbed and pulled him back , saying " See , I want to save my life as much as you do ; but let the wounded men be saved first . " An officer in the boat , seeing that Llewellyn was about to be left aboard the stricken " Alabama " , shouted " Doctor , we can make room for you . " Llewellyn shook his head and replied , " I will not peril the wounded . " Unknown to the crew , Llewellyn had never learned to swim , and he drowned when the ship went down . His sacrifice did not go unrecognized . The Confederacy awarded him posthumously the Southern Cross of Honor . In his native Wiltshire , a memorial window and tablet were placed at Easton Royal Church . Another tablet was placed in Charing Cross Hospital , where he attended medical school . Repercussions . During her two - year career as a commerce raider , " Alabama " caused disorder and devastation across the globe for Union merchant shipping . The Confederate cruiser claimed 65 prizes valued at nearly $ 6 , 000 , 000 ( approximately $ 123 , 000 , 000 in today ' s dollars ) ; in 1862 alone 28 were claimed . In an important development in international law , the U . S . Government pursued the " Alabama Claims " against the British Government for the devastation caused , and following a court of arbitration , won heavy damages . Ironically , a decade before the beginning of the Civil War , Captain Semmes had observed : " " ( Commerce raiders ) are little better than licensed pirates ; and it behooves all civilized nations [ . . . ] to suppress the practice altogether . " " — Raphael Semmes , 1851 The wreck . In November 1984 , the French Navy mine hunter " Circé " discovered a wreck under nearly 200 ft ( 60 m ) of water off Cherbourg at . Captain Max Guerout later confirmed the wreck to be " Alabama " ' s remains . In 1988 , a non - profit organization the Association CSS " Alabama " was founded to conduct scientific exploration of the shipwreck . Although the wreck resides within French territorial waters , the U . S . government , as the successor to the former Confederate States of America , is the owner . On October 3 , 1989 , the United States and France signed an agreement recognizing this wreck as an important heritage resource of both nations and establishing a Joint French - American Scientific Committee for archaeological exploration . This agreement established a precedent for international cooperation in archaeological research and in the protection of a unique historic shipwreck . This agreement will be in effect for five years and is renewable by mutual consent . The Association CSS " Alabama " and the U . S . Navy / Naval Historical Center signed on March 23 , 1995 an official agreement accrediting Association CSS " Alabama " as operator of the archaeological investigation of the remains of the ship . Association CSS " Alabama " , which is funded solely from private donations , is continuing to make this an international project through its fund raising in France and in the United States , thanks to its sister organization , the CSS " Alabama " Association , incorporated in the State of Delaware . " Alabama " was fitted with eight pieces of ordnance after she arrived at the Azores ; six of those were 32 - pounder smooth bores . Seven cannon were identified at the wreck site : Two were cast from a British Royal Navy pattern and three were of a later pattern produced by Fawcett , Preston , and Company in Liverpool . One of the Blakely pattern 32 - pounders was found lying across the starboard side of the hull , forward of the boilers . A second Blakely 32 - pounder was identified outside the hull structure , immediately forward of the propeller and its lifting frame ; the forward 32 - pounder was recovered in 2000 . Both of the British Royal Navy pattern 32 - pounders were identified : One lies inside the starboard hull , forward of the boilers , adjacent to the forward Downton pump . The second was identified as laying on the iron deck structure , immediately aft of the smoke pipe ; it was recovered in 2001 . The sole remaining 32 - pounder has not been positively identified , but it could be underneath hull debris forward of the starboard Trotman anchor . Alabama ' s heavy ordnance were one Blakely Patent 7 - inch 100 - pounder shell rifle mounted on a pivot carriage forward and one 68 - pounder smoothbore similarly mounted aft . The Blakely 7 - inch 100 - pounder was found beside its pivot carriage , atop the forward starboard boiler ; this was the first cannon recovered from " Alabama " . The 68 - pounder smoothbore was located aft , at the stern , immediately outside the starboard hull structure ; it is possible that the remains of its truck and pivot carriage lie underneath the gun tube . Both heavy cannon were recovered in 1994 . In addition to the seven cannon , the wreck site contained shot , gun truck wheels , and brass tracks for the gun carriages ; many of the brass tracks were recovered . Two shot were recovered , and one conical projectile was inside the barrel of the 7 - inch Blakely rifle . A shell for a 32 - pounder was recovered from the stern , forward of the propeller ; that shot was attached to a wood sabot having been packed in a wood box for storage . Additional round shot were observed scattered forward of the boilers and in the vicinity of the aft pivot gun , one possibly having been fired from " Kearsarge " . In 2002 a diving expedition raised the ship ' s bell along with more than 300 other artifacts , including more cannons , structural samples , tableware , ornate commodes , and numerous other items that reveal much about life aboard the Confederate warship . Many of the artifacts are now housed in the Underwater Archaeology Branch , Naval History & Heritage Command conservation lab . CSS " Alabama " folklore . " Roll Alabama , roll ! " . The " Alabama " is the subject of a sea shanty , ' " Roll Alabama , roll ' " : " Daar kom die Alibama " . The " Alabama ' s " visit to Cape Town in 1863 has passed ( with a slight spelling change ) into South African folklore in the Afrikaans song , " " Daar Kom die Alibama " " : CSS " Alabama " ' s battle ensigns & other naval flags . The practice of using primary and secondary naval flags after the British tradition was common practice for the Confederacy , linked as she was by both heritage and economy to the British Isles . The fledgling Confederate Navy therefore adopted and used jacks , commissioning pennants , battle ensigns , small boat ensigns , designating flags , and signal flags aboard its warships during the Civil War . Jacks and commissioning pennants . " Alabama " s original 7 - star naval jack ( first illustration , above ) would have flown atop her foremast while she was in port , well forward of her battle ensign . At some point , it would have displayed the same asymmetrical , 8 - star configuration as seen on one of her three still surviving battle ensigns ( see " Surviving stars and bars " section below ) . A medium - blue color , early Confederate jacks duplicated the star arrangements seen on their ensigns ' cantons . They were rectangular in shape , rather than square , because the Confederate Navy emulated the overall designs being used by their U . S . Navy counterparts . There is surviving evidence , the captured 7 - star jack of the ironclad CSS " Atlanta " , which strongly suggests all early Confederate naval jacks were actually a dark blue , " matching " the color of their battle ensigns ' cantons . Whatever its blue color , later versions of " Alabama " s pre - 1863 jack could have contained , like her ensign , 9 , 11 , 13 , and up to 15 white , 5 - pointed stars . " Alabama " s naval jack design changed ( second and third illustrations , above ) when the Confederacy adopted the " Stainless Banner " Second National Flag ( see that section , below ) . While her specific jack ' s dimensions are unknown , the Confederate naval regulations adopted on 26 / 28 May 1863 required that all new jacks be a larger version of the battle ensign ' s new 13 - star canton , the red , blue , and white " Southern Cross " . Instead of being square , all jacks were required to be rectangular in shape , their width being one - and - a - half times their height , a ratio of 2 : 3 . Their white - bordered diagonal saltieres were a medium blue color rather than the dark blue seen on the " Stainless Banner " . However , virtually all surviving Confederate jacks show their proportions and specific details varied , despite the Confederate Navy regulation ' s precise requirements . Differences among both state and regional contractors ' manufacturing methods and frequent materials shortages as the war progressed , likely account for the variations seen . Following the Civil War and up through today , the rectangular " Southern Cross " naval jack became the Confederate flag design most commonly associated with the post - war South , and racial controversy . Both of " Alabama " s pre - 1863 commissioning pennant s would have been similar to the designs used by the U . S . Navy . They would have been long and narrow and one of five approved sizes , ranging from to in their overall lengths . Pennants would have flown atop her main mast in two forms : daylight or after sunset . Their medium or possibly dark blue cantons ( hoists ) would have been one - quarter of their overall " flys " ( widths ) . Each could have displayed from 7 to 13 white , 5 - pointed stars , as the number of states in the Confederacy grew : 7 to 13 on " Alabama " s daylight pennant but only 7 on her much shorter after - sunset pennant . Their star patterns could have been either staggered up and down or laid out in a single , horizontal row across their narrow blue cantons ( accounts vary ) . The remaining three - quarters of these long , narrow streamers would have been divided with two equal , tapering stripes , red - over - white ( some accounts say white - over - red ) , with both stripes terminating with twin - forked ( swallow tail ) points . A slightly modified third pennant variant was also used ; it had " three " long , horizontal red - over - white - over - red stripes and also terminated with twin - forked ( swallow tail ) points . Both pennant types were in use by the Confederate Navy until 1863 , when all pennants , jacks , and battle ensigns were redesigned . The stars and bars . On 4 March 1861 , the committee of the first Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America established the general requirements for the First National Flag of the Confederacy . Many designs were submitted by the public , but the new flag ' s approved design came from Marion , Alabama , Prussian artist Nicola Marschall , who had married into a Montgomery , Alabama family . The new Confederate flag and naval ensign was loosely adapted from his homeland ' s Austrian flag ( with a dark blue canton added ) , quickly becoming known in the South as the " Stars and Bars " . Its hoist - to - fly ( width - to - height ) was later established by the committee with a ratio of 2 : 3 . The flag ' s dark blue canton was to be in a 1 : 1 ( square ) ratio and contain seven white , 5 - pointed stars arranged in a circular layout . The flag ' s three horizontal stripes were to be red over white over red and be of equal height . The newly adopted " Star and Bars " made its first public appearance outside the Ben Johnson House in Bardstown , Kentucky . It was then raised over the dome of the first Confederate capitol in Montgomery , Alabama and aboard all Confederate Navy ships , where it flew until 26 May 1863 , when it was replaced with a new Second National Flag design . During " Alabama " ' s long commerce raiding cruises , several revised versions of her " Stars and Bars " could have flown aboard when the news of additional stars being added eventually reached the ship . Their dark blue cantons could have contained at various times 9 , 11 , 13 ( as pictured , right ) and up to 15 white stars . In addition to her own , " Alabama " is known to have carried both British Union Jack and U . S . Stars and Stripes ensigns in her flags locker . Both were flown at various times , along with the ensigns of other nations , to conceal " Alabama " s true nationality as she overtook ships , looking for the North ' s commercial shipping . " Alabama " s surviving stars and bars . At the beginning of " Alabama " s raiding ventures , the newly commissioned cruiser may have been forced , out of necessity , to fly the only battle ensign available to Captain Semmes : an early 1861 , 7 - star First National Flag , possibly the same battle ensign flown aboard his previous command , the smaller commerce raider CSS " Sumter " . Between 21 May and 28 November 1861 , six more Southern states seceded and joined the Confederacy . Well before " Alabama " was launched as " Enrica " at Birkenhead , Merseyside in North West England , six more white , 5 - pointed stars had been added to the " Stars and Bars " far away across the Atlantic on the Confederate mainland . One such early " Stars and Bars " battle ensign was salvaged from " Alabama " s floating debris , following her sinking by the " Kearsarge " . It still survives and is held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History . It is listed there as " Auxiliary Flag of the C . S . S . Alabama , Catalogue No . 86 . 3766 . 1 . " According to their provenance reconstruction , DeCost Smith , an American from New England , discovered this " Stars and Bars " ensign in a Paris upholstery shop in 1884 , where he purchased it for 15 francs . Smith ' s nephew , Clement Sawtell of Lincoln Square , Massachusetts , later inherited the ensign from his uncle . At the suggestion of retired Rear Admiral Beverly M . Coleman , Sawtell donated it to the State of Alabama on 3 June 1975 . This battle ensign ' s overall dimensions are different from the Confederate regulations ' required 2 : 3 ratio . It is 64 - inches high ( hoist ) by 112 - inches long ( fly ) , a proportion of 5 : 9 , and its dark blue canton contains " eight " white stars , 8 - inches ( 203 mm ) high , in an unusual arrangement : The stars are not organized in a circle but configured in three , centered , horizontal rows of two , then three , and finally two . The additional 8th star is tucked into the lower left corner ( and in the lower right corner on the opposite side ) , giving the canton ' s layout a unique , asymmetrical appearance . It seems plausible this was " Alabama " s original 7 - star battle ensign , possibly flown aboard CSS " Sumter " as noted earlier , and later altered at some point when the long - delayed news of an 8th state joining the Confederacy finally reached the far distant cruiser . Two " Star and Bars " battle ensigns , labelled as having belonged to " Alabama " , also still exist . The first is a mounted and framed , " 14 - star " ensign located at the Mariner ' s Museum in Virginia . ( A small number of these unusual 14 - star national flags have survived to the modern era and are held in several Civil War archives . ) From the several color photo available on the Internet , this ensign appears to have an approximate hoist - to - fly aspect ratio of 1 : 2 . 5 ( i . e , very rectangular ) . A second " Stars and Bars " battle ensign is on display at the Pensacola Historical Museum . It ' s canton contains a circle of 12 stars surrounding a centered , larger 13th star . While their provenance and specific details of these two " Alabama " ensigns are currently unavailable , such information will be added to this section when available . The stainless banner . By late 1863 , a new battle ensign , the Second National Flag of the Confederacy , also known as the " Stainless Banner " , was flying aboard " Alabama " . The specifications for this new ensign , established on 1 May 1863 by the Confederate Congress , gave it a hoist - to - fly proportion of 1 : 2 , the white area being twice as wide as the height . A short time later , however , the Confederate Navy Department revised these regulations , changing the Navy ' s battle ensign proportions to a 2 : 3 ratio . Its square canton was the established thirteen - star red , blue , and white " Southern Cross " , already in - use by the Southern army as the " Confederate Battle Flag " . This design was originally proposed in 1861 by South Carolina Congressman William Porcher Miles to be used as the original First National Flag , but it was supposedly rejected as appearing too much like a pair of crossed pants ' suspenders . Whatever its proportion , the white expanse of the " Stainless Banner " proved to have poor visibility at a distance , especially when viewed through the haze sometimes seen over water and or in contrast against soft gray skies . Both types of " Stainless Banner " ensigns ultimately wound of being used aboard Confederate ships , their proportions and specific details varying a bit from both ship - to - ship and state - to - state . Accounts state that the " Stainless Banner " Second National Flag was flying high on a line attached to " Alabama " s mizzen gaff until just before her sinking off Cherbourg , France , in 1864 . At the close of her losing fight with the " Kearsarge " , " Alabama " s battle ensign was ordered struck for the last time . What happened to it following the battle is unknown . All other colors in her flags ' locker , both old and new , foreign and Confederate , except for the ones noted , were lost with her destruction by the " Kearsarge " . It is unknown which versions of all the above flags were flown at specific intervals during " Alabama " s seven raiding campaigns . Captain Semmes , while visiting friendly or neutral foreign ports - of - call , may have simply commissioned multiple new battle ensigns , naval jacks , and pennants , as needed , while refitting and reprovisioning his ship . Or he may have ordered them altered or new ones made aboard when captured newspaper articles or official dispatches containing the changes finally caught up to " Alabama " . " Alabama " s surviving stainless banners . Four of " Alabama " s later - style ensigns have survived to the modern era . The first measures 67 - inches x 114 - inches ( 170 - cms x 290 - cms ) and is located in South Africa at Cape Town ' s Bo - Kapp Museum . Its " Southern Cross " canton is oversize and rectangular , instead of square , and is roughly in a 1 : 2 aspect ratio . It was made without the usual white stripes outlining the diagonal blue bars . A central white star , located where the two blue saltieres ' cross , is larger than the surrounding twelve stars . This ensign is believed to have been made aboard by her British crew sometime between " Alabama " s two visits to Cape Town . This ensign was given to Willam Anderson , whose ship chandler company made repairs on CSS Alabama , shortly before she made her fateful return voyage to Cherbourg , France . A second " Stainless Banner " ensign of South African origin was made and then presented to " Alabama " on one of her two port visits to Cape Town ; it resides in the Tennessee State Museum according to their website . No further information on this ensign or how it survived is available at this time ; those details will be added when available . The third surviving " Stainless Banner " is one of " Alabama " s original small boat ensigns . This official - looking 25 . 5 - inch x 41 - inch ensign is marked in brown pigment on its hoist : " Alabama . 290 . C . S . N . 1st Cutter . " In 2007 it was offered for auction through Philip Weiss Auctions ; multiple photos of both its sides are available at Weiss ' liveauctioneers . com website . This ensign was being sold by the grandson of its second owner , who had originally purchased it from the granddaughter of a USS " Kearsarge " sailor . A fourth surviving ensign appears , from various clues observed in on - line photos , to be roughly 36 - inches x 54 - inches . Because " Alabama " was forced to replace several of her original small boats lost at different times during her lengthy cruise , this is likely a larger replacement boat ensign . While it could have been made aboard , its somewhat more accurate details suggest it might have been commissioned ashore during a port - of - call visit . This ensign was rescued from the sinking " Alabama " by W . P . Brooks , the cruiser ' s assistant - engineer . It was last flown , along with other historic flags , during a ceremony held on the parade ground at Fort Pulaski , GA , sometime during 1937 . This ensign has since been mounted and framed and continues to reside with the Brooks family ; four modern photos of it can be found at the website for the " Alabama Crew , " a British - based naval reinactor group . More detailed information on this Stainless Banner will be added when it becomes available . The Alabama Department of Archives and History has in its collection one more important " Stainless Banner " ensign listed as " Admiral Semmes ' Flag , Catalogue No . 86 . 1893 . 1 ( PN10149 - 10150 ) . " Their provenance reconstruction shows that it was presented to Semmes after the sinking of the " Alabama " by " Lady Dehogton and other English ladies . " Such presentations of ceremonial colors were uncommon to ships ' captains of the Confederate Navy , but a few were known to have received such honors . This Second National Flag is huge and made of pure silk , giving it an elegant appearance . While this ensign is in a remarkable state of preservation , its large size and delicate condition have made its up - close details and measurements unavailable . When Semmes returned to the Confederacy from England , he brought this ceremonial " Stainless Banner " with him . It was inherited by his grandchildren , Raphael Semmes III and Mrs . Eunice Semmes Thorington . Following his sister ' s death , Raphael Semmes III donated the ensign to the state of Alabama on 19 September 1929 .