The most prolific commerce raider in history

Raphael Semmes (1809-1877) was a naval officer and, briefly, an army general. Born in Maryland, he entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1826 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1837. During the Mexican War, he commanded the brig USS Somers until it capsized and sank with a loss of 37 crew members in a squall in December 1846 while pursuing a vessel off Veracruz. As first lieutenant in USS Raritan, he accompanied the landing party at Veracruz and brought them inland to meet up with the army. After the war, he settled in Mobile, Alabama, where he practiced law while on extended leave from the US Navy. In 1855, he was promoted to Commander and assigned to lighthouse duties - during this era, Navy officers served as Lighthouse Inspectors. When Alabama seceded from the Union, Semmes resigned his commission in the US Navy and joined the new Confederate Navy as a commander. In New Orleans, he oversaw the conversion of the steamer Habana into the commerce raider CSS Sumter. In June 1861, he took command of CSS Sumter, headed down the Mississippi, and evaded the US Navy blockade. In July, CSS Sumter captured eight US merchant ships near Cuba. Soon thereafter, four US merchant ships were taken off Brazil and six more as Semmes transited to Europe. Entering Gibraltar for badly needed repairs, the ship was subject to a close federal blockade. Semmes (who had been promoted to captain) and his officers traveled to England. From there, they went to the Azores to oversee the final outfitting and arming of the new commerce raider CSS Alabama. The crew consisted largely of British sailors, who were mostly interested in potential prize monies. Between August 1862 and June 1864, CSS Alabama took 65 US merchant ships in the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Indian Ocean. Exhibiting much chivalry, Semmes ensured that no captured crew or passengers were harmed, but released into a neutral ship or port. Utilizing cunning and superior speed, he evaded or outran all pursuers. Finally, in June 1864, CSS Alabama put into Cherbourg for badly needed repairs and refitting. The steam sloop of war USS Kearsarge, recently fitted with chain armor, established a blockade. After several days of preparation, Semmes sailed his worn-out ship to sea, challenging Kearsarge. After trading fire for about an hour, Alabama was sinking. Semmes struck his colors and threw his sword into the sea. While Kearsarge rescued the majority of Alabama’s crew, Semmes and 40 of his officers and crew boarded a nearby British yacht and were evacuated to England. From there, Semmes made his way back to Texas and eventually to Richmond. In February 1865, he was promoted to rear admiral in the Confederate Navy and placed in command of the James River Squadron. In April, as Richmond fell, he ordered the destruction of the squadron’s warships. Semmes was then appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and placed in command of the Naval Brigade, comprised of former Confederate Navy sailors. He led his men toward General Johnston’s forces in North Carolina, but was captured by General Sherman. His parole notes that he held commissions in both the Confederate Navy and the Confederate Army. Semmes eventually returned to Mobile and resumed the practice of law.