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Raphael Semmes (/sɪmz/ SIMZ; September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. He had served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1860.

Key Information

During the American Civil War, Semmes was captain of the cruiser CSS Alabama, the most successful commerce raider in maritime history, taking 65 prizes. Late in the war, he was promoted to rear admiral. He also acted as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army from April 5 to April 26, 1865, although this appointment was never submitted to or officially confirmed by the Confederate Senate.

Early life and education

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Semmes was born in Charles County, Maryland, on Tayloe's Neck.[1] He was a cousin of future Confederate general Paul Jones Semmes and of future Union Navy Captain Alexander Alderman Semmes.[citation needed]

He graduated from Charlotte Hall Military Academy[2] and entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1826. Semmes first served on the Lexington, cruising the Caribbean and the Mediterranean until September 1826, when he was placed on leave for ill health. After a short convalescence, he served on the USS Erie for part of 1829 and on the USS Brandywine (formerly Susquehanna)[3] for the rest of 1829 and the first nine months of the following year. On September 29, 1830, he was posted to the USS Porpoise of the West Indies squadron, which was attempting to suppress piracy in the Caribbean.[4] Semmes then studied law and was admitted to the bar. He was promoted to lieutenant in February 1837.[5]

Career

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During the Mexican–American War, he commanded the USS Somers in the Gulf of Mexico. In December 1846, a squall hit the ship while under full sail in pursuit of a vessel off Veracruz. Somers capsized and was lost along with 37 sailors. Semmes then served as first lieutenant on the USS Raritan, accompanied the landing force at Veracruz, and was dispatched inland to catch up with Army forces proceeding to Mexico City.[6]

Following the war, Semmes went on extended leave at Mobile, Alabama, where he practiced law and wrote Service Afloat and Ashore During the Mexican War.[7] He became extremely popular, and the nearby town of Semmes, Alabama, was named after him. He also maintained a home in Josephine, Alabama, on Perdido Bay.[8] He was promoted to commander in 1855 and was assigned to lighthouse duties until 1860. After Alabama seceded from the Union, Semmes was offered a Confederate naval appointment by the provisional government; he resigned from the U.S. Navy the next day, February 15, 1861.[9]

Confederate service

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See also: Blockade runners of the American Civil War and Battle of Cherbourg (1864)
Semmes and John McIntosh Kell

After appointment to the Confederate Navy as a commander and a futile assignment to purchase arms in the North, Semmes was sent to New Orleans to convert the steamer Habana into the cruiser/commerce raider CSS Sumter.[10] In June 1861, Semmes, in Sumter, outran USS Brooklyn, breaching the Union blockade of New Orleans, and then launched a brilliant career as one of the greatest commerce raider captains in naval history.[11]

Semmes' command of Sumter lasted only six months, but during that time he ranged wide, raiding US commercial shipping in both the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean; his actions accounted for the loss of 18 merchant vessels, while always eluding pursuit by Union warships. By January 1862, Sumter required a major overhaul. Semmes' crew surveyed the vessel while in neutral Gibraltar and determined that the repairs to her boilers were too extensive to be completed there. Semmes paid off the crew and laid up the vessel.[12] US Navy vessels maintained a vigil outside the harbor until she was disarmed and sold at auction in December 1862, eventually being renamed and converted to a blockade runner.[13]

Semmes and several of his officers traveled to England, where he was promoted to captain. He then was ordered to the Azores to take up command and oversee the coaling and outfitting with cannon of the newly built British steamer Enrica as a sloop-of-war, which thereafter became the Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama. Semmes sailed on Alabama from August 1862 to June 1864. His operations carried him from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, and into the Pacific to the East Indies. During this cruise, Alabama captured 65 US merchantmen and quickly destroyed USS Hatteras, off Galveston.[14]

1864 engraving of the sinking of CSS Alabama

Alabama finally sailed back to the Atlantic and made port in Cherbourg, France, for a much-needed overhaul; she was soon blockaded by the pursuing Union steam sloop-of-war USS Kearsarge. Captain Semmes took Alabama out on June 19, 1864, and met the similar Kearsarge in one of the most famous naval engagements of the Civil War.

The commander of Kearsarge had, while in port at the Azores the year before, turned his warship into a makeshift partial ironclad; 30 feet (9.1 m) of the ship's port and starboard midsection were stepped-up-and-down to the waterline with overlapping rows of heavy chain armor, hidden behind black-painted wooden deal board covers.[15] Alabama's much-too-rapid gunnery and misplaced aim, combined with the deteriorated state of her gunpowder and shell fuses, enabled a victory for both of Kearsarge's 11-inch (28 cm) Dahlgren smoothbore cannon. While Alabama opened fire at long range, Kearsarge steamed straight at her, exposing the Union sloop-of-war to potentially devastating raking fire. In their haste, however, Alabama's gunners fired many shells too high.

At 1,000 yards (910 m), Kearsarge turned broadside to engage and opened fire. Soon the heavy 11-inch (28 cm) Dahlgren cannon began to find their mark.[15] After receiving a fatal shell to the starboard waterline, which tore open a portion of Alabama's hull, causing her steam engine to explode from the shell's impact, Semmes was forced to order the striking of his ship's Stainless Banner battle ensign and later to display a hand-held white flag of surrender to finally halt the engagement.

As the commerce raider was going down by the stern, Kearsarge stood off at a distance and observed at the orders of her captain, John Ancrum Winslow, who eventually sent rescue boats for survivors after taking aboard Alabama survivors from one of the raider's two surviving longboats. As his command sank, the wounded Semmes threw his sword into the sea, depriving Kearsarge's Winslow of the traditional surrender ceremony of having it handed over to him as victor. Semmes was eventually rescued, along with 41 of his crewmen,[16] by the British yacht Deerhound and three French pilot boats. He and his men were taken to England where all but one recovered; while there they were hailed as naval heroes, despite the loss of Alabama.[17]

Raphael Semmes

From England, Semmes made his way back to America via Cuba and from there a safe shore landing on the Texas gulf coast. It took his small party many weeks of journeying through the war-devastated South before he was finally able to make his way to the Confederate capital. He was promoted to rear admiral in February 1865, and during the last months of the war he commanded the boxed-in James River Squadron from his flagship, the heavily armored ironclad CSS Virginia II.

With the fall of Richmond, in April 1865, Semmes supervised the destruction of all the squadron's nearby warships and thereafter acted as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army, the implication being that he was appointed to that grade.[18] Historians John and David Eicher show Semmes as appointed to the grade of temporary brigadier general (unconfirmed) on April 5, 1865.[19]

Semmes' appointment as a brigadier general was at most an informal arrangement made four days before General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. That appointment was not and could not have been submitted to or confirmed by the Confederate Senate, since the Second Confederate Congress adjourned for the last time on March 18, 1865.[18] Historian Bruce Allardice notes that Semmes was vague about this appointment in his memoirs and considered his naval rank of rear admiral to be the equivalent of a brigadier general.[18]

After the destruction of the naval squadron, Semmes' sailors were turned into an infantry unit and dubbed the "Naval Brigade"; Semmes was then placed in command. His intention for the brigade was to join Lee's army after burning their vessels. Lee's army, however, was already cut off from Richmond, so most of Semmes' men boarded a train and escaped to join General Joseph E. Johnston's army in North Carolina.[20] A few men of the Naval Brigade were able to join with Lee's rear guard and fought at the Battle of Sailor's Creek.

Semmes and the Naval Brigade were surrendered to Union Major General William T. Sherman with Johnston's army at Bennett Place near Durham Station, North Carolina; he was subsequently paroled on May 1, 1865.[19] Semmes' parole notes that he held commissions as both a brigadier general and rear admiral in the Confederate service when he surrendered with General Johnston's army.[18][21] He insisted on his parole being written to include the brigadier general commission in anticipation of being charged with piracy by the United States government.[18][21][22]

After the war

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Raphael Semmes House at 804 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama, occupied by him 1871–1877, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The U.S. briefly held Semmes as a prisoner after the war, but released him again on a second parole, then later rearrested him for treason on December 15, 1865. After a good deal of behind-the-scenes legal and political machinations, all charges were eventually dropped, and he was released on April 7, 1866.

In October 1866, the Louisiana State Seminary (today's Louisiana State University) offered Semmes a position as Professor of Moral Philosophy and English Literature. The position paid $3,000 per year. Semmes assumed this role on January 1, 1867. His fellow faculty-members described him as "dignified and easy to talk with". His teaching consisted mainly of formal lectures, with very little open discussion or questions. After only five months on campus, Semmes resigned from academia to take over as editor of the Memphis Bulletin newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee.

He defended his actions of warfare at sea and the political actions of the seceded southern states in his 1869 Memoirs of Service Afloat During The War Between the States.[23] The book was viewed by some, including Putnam's Magazine, as one of the most cogent but bitter defenses of the South's "Lost Cause".[24] Semmes is credited with helping to popularize the term “War Between the States".[25]

In 1871, the citizens of Mobile presented Semmes with the Raphael Semmes House, an 1858 brick townhouse at 804 Government Street. He lived there until he died in 1877, from complications that followed food poisoning from eating some contaminated shrimp. Semmes was interred in Mobile's Old Catholic Cemetery.[19]

Legacy

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Semmes' Confederate ensign

Semmes is a member of the Alabama Hall of Fame. One of the streets on the current Louisiana State University campus once carried his full name,[26] as does Semmes Avenue in Richmond, Virginia.[27] A life-sized statue of Admiral Semmes was removed by the city of Mobile early on June 5, 2020.[28] The City of Semmes in western Mobile County is named after him, as well as a hotel in downtown Mobile, The Admiral Hotel.[citation needed]

When Semmes returned to the South from England, he brought a ceremonial Stainless Banner (the second national flag of the Confederacy, used 1863–1865) with him. It was inherited by his grandchildren, Raphael Semmes III and Mrs. Eunice Semmes Thorington. After his sister's death, Raphael Semmes III donated the ensign to the state of Alabama on September 19, 1929.[29] Today, the battle ensign resides in the collection of the Alabama Department of Archives and History among its Confederate Naval collection, listed as "Admiral Semmes' Flag, Catalogue No. 86.1893.1 (PN10149-10150)". Their provenance reconstruction shows that it was presented to Semmes by "Lady Dehogton and other English ladies" in England sometime after the sinking of the Alabama.[30]

References to Semmes in literature

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Dates of rank

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  • Midshipman, USN – April 1, 1826
  • Passed midshipman, USN – April 26, 1832
  • Lieutenant, USN – February 9, 1837
  • Commander, USN – September 14, 1855
  • Resigned from USN – February 15, 1861
  • Commander, CSN – March 26, 1861
  • Captain, CSN – July 15, 1862
  • Rear admiral, CSN – February 10, 1865

References

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Further reading

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Raphael Semmes

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Raphael Semmes (September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the United States Navy who resigned in 1861 following Alabama's secession to serve as a rear admiral in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War, commanding the commerce raider CSS Alabama in one of history's most successful campaigns against enemy shipping. Born in , Semmes entered the U.S. Navy as a in 1826, studied law while in service, and commanded the brig USS Somers during the Mexican-American War, earning commendation despite the vessel's loss in a storm off in 1846. Promoted to in 1855, he handled lighthouse service until resigning his commission in April 1861 after relocating to . In the Confederate Navy, Semmes converted a steamer into the CSS Sumter, capturing 18 Union merchant vessels between June and December 1861 in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Promoted to captain, he took command of the newly built CSS Alabama in Liverpool, England, in August 1862, leading it on a 22-month cruise that covered over 75,000 miles, during which it captured or destroyed 64 Union merchant ships—63 burned or bonded, one converted—and sank the sloop USS Hatteras off Galveston on January 11, 1863. The Alabama was sunk by the USS Kearsarge off Cherbourg, France, on June 19, 1864, after which Semmes was promoted to rear admiral in 1865 and briefly commanded the James River Squadron before the Confederacy's collapse. Post-war, he faced brief imprisonment on charges of piracy and treason but was released in 1866, later teaching at Louisiana State University, editing a newspaper, practicing law in Mobile, and authoring Memoirs of Service Afloat in 1869. His raiding inflicted substantial economic damage on Northern commerce, establishing his reputation as a formidable naval tactician.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Childhood

Raphael Semmes was born on September 27, 1809, in , to Richard Thompson Semmes, a planter of Catholic descent, and Catherine Taliaferro Middleton Semmes, daughter of a planter. His paternal lineage traced to Benedict Joseph Semmes, who emigrated from to in 1634, establishing a family tradition of farming and slave ownership in and St. Mary's counties. Semmes had one brother, Samuel Middleton Semmes, who later became a lawyer in . His mother died shortly after his birth, and his father passed away when Raphael was about seven years old, orphaning the boys. The brothers were subsequently raised by their uncle, Raphael Semmes, a prominent attorney, in Georgetown, District of Columbia. Semmes came from a family with military ties, including cousins such as Confederate Army general Paul Jones Semmes and Union Navy captain Alexander Alderman Semmes.

Formal Education and Early Influences

Raphael Semmes was born on September 27, 1809, in , into a Roman Catholic family of established planters who owned slaves across generations in Charles and St. Mary's counties. Orphaned at an early age, he and his brother were raised by their uncle, Raphael Semmes, in Georgetown, D.C., where familial guidance emphasized and intellectual pursuits. Semmes received limited formal education, attending Charlotte Hall Academy, a preparatory school in , prior to his naval career. Despite this modest schooling, he developed a reputation as an avid reader and self-taught intellectual, drawing influences from naval authors and relatives who encouraged maritime ambitions. These early exposures, combined with a Southern rooted in his Catholic upbringing, shaped his resolve to pursue a naval path over other professions. At age 16, influenced by his uncles' advocacy and personal reading on , Semmes secured a midshipman's warrant in the U.S. , dated April 1, 1826, marking the transition from preparatory influences to practical naval training. This appointment, obtained through congressional nomination amid limited formal qualifications, initiated his professional development under mentorship aboard ships like the USS Lexington and Brandywine.

U.S. Navy Service (1826–1861)

Initial Appointments and Sea Duty

Semmes received his appointment as in the on April 1, 1826, at the age of 16, through the influence of family connections including his uncle Benedict Semmes and President . His initial sea duty began in September 1826 aboard the , where he cruised the and sailed to Trinidad before transferring after about a month to the USS Erie, on which he served through 1829, conducting operations in the , along South American coasts, and into the . In January 1830, Semmes joined the USS Brandywine for further cruises emphasizing flag-showing missions in similar regions, accumulating approximately six years of continuous sea service that honed his navigational and seamanship skills under sail. Following examinations, Semmes was promoted to passed on April 26, 1832, ranking first in his class, which qualified him for status and additional responsibilities aboard ship. He continued sea duty intermittently, including on the ship-of-the-line for Mediterranean patrols, before his promotion to on February 9, 1837, after which he balanced vessel assignments with shore-based and duties at . These early appointments exposed him to routine naval operations such as anti-piracy patrols and diplomatic escorts, building expertise in gunnery, discipline, and international waters navigation essential for later commands.

Mexican-American War Contributions

During the Mexican-American War, Lieutenant Raphael Semmes commanded the U.S. Navy brig USS Somers (a 259-ton vessel) in the , where she participated in the blockade of Mexican ports, particularly off , to enforce the U.S. naval strategy of coastal interdiction and support for amphibious operations. Assigned to this duty in early 1846 following the war's outbreak, Semmes' vessel conducted patrols aimed at capturing or deterring Mexican blockade runners supplying troops and resources to , a key objective in General Winfield Scott's campaign. On December 8, 1846, while pursuing a suspected approximately 20 miles southeast of , Somers encountered a sudden with gale-force winds and heavy seas, causing the brig to capsize and founder rapidly; of her complement of about 50 officers and men, 32 drowned, including three midshipmen, though Semmes and most survivors reached shore in boats or by clinging to wreckage. A subsequent U.S. court of inquiry, convened in , in early 1847, fully exonerated Semmes of blame, attributing the loss to unavoidable weather conditions and commending his seamanship and in the rescue efforts that saved the majority of the crew. Following the disaster, Semmes transitioned to shore duty, serving as an aide to Commodore David Conner and later as a volunteer aide to General Scott during the advance on , where he observed and participated in land operations including the Battles of Cerro Gordo (April 1847) and (September 1847), though without formal combat command at thereafter. During this period, he also practiced law in , leveraging his wartime experiences. In 1851, Semmes published Service Afloat and Ashore During the Mexican War, a detailed drawing on his journals that provided firsthand accounts of naval tactics, the Somers loss, and the interplay between and forces, offering valuable insights into U.S. amphibious coordination despite the author's later Confederate affiliation. Following the Mexican-American War, Semmes was placed on waiting orders as a in 1848 and relocated to , where he established a residence and engaged in the private practice of law while retaining his U.S. Navy commission. This shore-based period allowed him to apply the legal knowledge he had acquired earlier through self-study during naval shore duty in the 1830s, culminating in his admission to the bar in 1834. Semmes focused his legal work on maritime and commercial matters, drawing on his naval experience, though specific case volumes from this era remain undocumented in primary naval records. In September 1855, Semmes received promotion to , after which he was assigned to the Board in Washington, D.C., a civilian-naval body responsible for overseeing lighthouse construction, maintenance, and illumination standards along U.S. coasts. His duties involved administrative oversight, including review of engineering reports and budget allocations for lighthouse districts, reflecting the 's role in supporting maritime safety amid expanding American commerce. Semmes served on the board until early 1861, when Alabama's prompted his resignation from federal service on February 15, 1861. This assignment marked his final U.S. role, bridging administrative expertise with his prior sea service.

Confederate Naval Service (1861–1865)

Resignation from U.S. Navy and Early Confederate Roles

Following Alabama's from the Union on January 11, 1861, Raphael Semmes, a native of the state and then serving as a commander in the U.S. Navy on lighthouse inspection duties, tendered his on February 15, 1861, motivated by allegiance to his home state amid the escalating sectional crisis. His resignation was accepted shortly thereafter, reflecting the pattern among Southern officers who prioritized state sovereignty over federal authority in the pre-war constitutional framework. Semmes promptly traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, the provisional Confederate capital, where he offered his services to the nascent Confederate government. In April 1861, he was commissioned as a commander in the (CSN), drawing on his extensive U.S. Navy experience in , gunnery, and naval law. His initial assignments included heading the CSN's Lighthouse Bureau, responsible for managing coastal beacons and aids to in Confederate territory, and undertaking covert missions to Northern ports to procure ships, munitions, and skilled personnel for the fledgling navy, which lacked industrial capacity for new construction. These early roles underscored the Confederacy's resource constraints, as Semmes advocated for strategies to offset Union naval superiority, leveraging fast steamers for disruption of Northern merchant shipping rather than direct fleet engagements. By mid-1861, his efforts transitioned toward outfitting the first Confederate , though operational command of such vessels marked the onset of his raiding career.

Command of CSS Sumter

Raphael Semmes received his commission as a in the on April 22, 1861, shortly after resigning from the U.S. , and was tasked with converting the commercial steamer Habana into a at the New Orleans naval station. The vessel, renamed CSS Sumter, underwent modifications including the addition of six 32-pounder guns and provisions for a of about 150, departing New Orleans on April 18 but delayed by mechanical issues and threats. Semmes emphasized rapid outfitting to exploit the element of surprise against Union forces still organizing their . On June 30, 1861, Sumter evaded the Union blockading squadron at the River's mouth under cover of night and fog, marking the first successful Confederate breakout for . Semmes then initiated raiding operations in the and eastern Atlantic, capturing nine vessels by mid-August off the northern coast of and in the , including the bark Joseph Maxwell on July 1 and the ship Ben D. Fuller shortly thereafter; most prizes were bonded for or destroyed to avoid recapture. These early successes demonstrated the effectiveness of speed and deception in asymmetric , with Sumter's average capture occurring after brief chases leveraging its superior sailing qualities. The cruiser's operations continued productively through the fall, adding nine more prizes—totaling 18 Union merchant ships—while ranging from the to the coast of and into European waters by December 1861. Semmes avoided direct confrontation with Union warships, focusing on economic disruption by targeting unarmed traders, which forced Northern shipowners to insure vessels at prohibitive rates and reroute commerce. However, persistent engine troubles from overworked boilers culminated in Sumter seeking refuge at on January 11, 1862, where Union cruisers Kearsarge and Shenandoah (later USS Tuscarora) blockaded the harbor, preventing further sorties. Unable to repair the machinery sufficiently or evade the , Semmes sold Sumter in on January 26, 1862, for $25,000 to local interests, who later operated it as a until its loss off in 1863. The command yielded no combat losses for the crew and inflicted measurable damage on Union shipping—estimated at over $300,000 in direct value—validating Semmes' strategy of warfare while highlighting the limitations of converted merchantmen against prolonged mechanical strain and superior Union naval resources. Semmes and key officers returned to the Confederacy via neutral routes, paving the way for his subsequent command of .

Command of CSS Alabama and Commerce Raiding


Raphael Semmes commissioned the as its commander on August 24, 1862, off Terceira in the Islands, where the ship had rendezvoused after departing , . The Alabama, a wooden-hulled screw built covertly at the Laird Brothers , measured 220 feet in length with a speed of up to 13 knots under steam and sail, armed with six 32-pounder smoothbores, one 110-pounder rifled pivot gun forward, and one 68-pounder aft. Semmes, drawing on experience from commanding the CSS Sumter, emphasized disciplined gunnery practice, international crew recruitment (primarily British sailors), and tactical deception, such as flying neutral flags to approach targets before revealing Confederate colors. The Alabama's commerce raiding began immediately in the North Atlantic, targeting Union merchant shipping to disrupt supply lines and insurance markets. From August to November 1862, Semmes captured 25 vessels off the Newfoundland Banks and released three on bond while burning 22 to deny their reuse; operations then shifted southward to the Bermuda Hundred area, , , and by early 1863. On January 11, 1863, off , the Alabama engaged and sank the USS Hatteras, a 1,026-ton , in a 13-minute night action—the only Union warship destroyed by the raider—using superior speed and firepower to lure and overwhelm the unsuspecting vessel. Between January and June 1863, an additional 30 prizes were taken, with 27 burned and three bonded, including the commissioning of the captured bark Conrad as the tender CSS Tuscaloosa on June 20, 1863, to extend raiding range. Semmes directed the Alabama across the South Atlantic to , then to the and into the by mid-1863, where it preyed on fleets and grain ships en route to , capturing vessels totaling over 65,000 tons of shipping. Tactics relied on the ship's agility to overhaul sail-powered merchants, long-range rifled artillery to disable rudders and masts, and occasional blockading of ports like to scatter Union traffic; by December 1863, more than 20 Northern vessels lay idle there due to fear of attack. Over the full 22-month cruise, the Alabama accounted for 65 Union prizes—52 burned, one warship sunk, and others bonded or released—inflicting direct economic losses exceeding $6 million (equivalent to roughly $100 million in modern terms) and compelling many American owners to transfer flags to neutral nations. By spring 1864, hull fouling and wear necessitated repairs; Semmes anchored in , , on May 29 for dry-docking, alerting Union forces. On June 19, 1864, attempting to break out, the Alabama dueled the —a purpose-built with experimental armor —for one hour and ten minutes off harbor. Outgunned and outmaneuvered as the Kearsarge circled to rake its broadside, the Alabama took over 30 hits, its magazine flooded, and sank at 12:50 p.m. in 250 fathoms; Semmes, wounded in the arm and leg, ordered the colors struck and jumped overboard, with 41 survivors captured by the Kearsarge and others rescued by the British yacht Deerhound. This engagement ended Semmes' command, though the raiding campaign had validated Confederate by imposing asymmetric costs on Union without risking major fleet actions.

Later Commands and War's End

Following the sinking of CSS Alabama on June 19, 1864, Semmes returned to the Confederate States via England, arriving in Richmond by late 1864. He was promoted to rear admiral on February 10, 1865, and assigned command of the James River Squadron, whose ironclad vessels, including flagship CSS Virginia II, were confined to the river below Richmond due to Union blockades and superior naval forces. The squadron's operations were limited to defensive patrols and occasional sorties, achieving no significant engagements amid the Confederacy's deteriorating position. As Union forces under advanced, Semmes ordered the scuttling of the squadron's ships on April 4, 1865, during the evacuation of Richmond to prevent their capture. On , he received a temporary commission as in the Confederate army, organizing surviving sailors into an infantry brigade under his command for ground defense. This unit participated in the retreat southward, enduring marches and skirmishes as part of Joseph E. Johnston's forces. The brigade reached , where Semmes surrendered with Johnston's army on April 26, 1865, though he formally applied for and received parole on May 1, 1865, as one of the first high-ranking Confederate officers paroled. His naval career effectively ended with the Confederacy's collapse, marking the termination of organized Confederate resistance at sea.

Postwar Life (1865–1877)

Immediate Aftermath and Amnesty

Following the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston's army in Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 26, 1865, Semmes, holding commissions as both rear admiral in the Confederate States Navy and brigadier general in the Confederate army, received parole under the terms of the Johnston-Sherman agreement. He returned to Mobile, Alabama, where he initially sought to resume civilian life by opening a law practice. Semmes was excluded from President Andrew Johnson's general proclamation of May 29, 1865, which granted pardons to most former Confederates but exempted high-ranking officers and those accused of specific war crimes, citing his role in and perceived piratical actions aboard the . On December 15, 1865, federal authorities arrested him in Mobile on charges of , , and mistreatment of Union prisoners, leading to his imprisonment at the New York Yard. The charges against Semmes were not pursued to , as evidence proved insufficient or groundless, and he was released after approximately three months of confinement in early March 1866 without formal prosecution. Johnson declined to issue a personal to Semmes, aiming to mitigate political criticism over leniency toward prominent Confederate naval figures, though this effectively restored his while barring him from federal office absent a . This outcome aligned with broader Reconstruction policies that prioritized national reconciliation over exhaustive punishment of mid-level Confederate leaders, despite initial Union demands for accountability in cases of maritime depredation. Following his release from imprisonment on April 7, 1866, Semmes accepted a position as professor of moral philosophy and English literature at the Louisiana State Seminary (a predecessor institution to ) in October 1866. His tenure there was brief, lasting through the 1867–1868 academic year, after which he resigned amid financial difficulties at the seminary and broader postwar economic challenges in . In May 1866, Semmes was elected judge of , leveraging his prewar legal training and admission to the bar in 1834, but federal authorities prohibited him from assuming office due to his status as a former Confederate officer whose had not been fully restored under Reconstruction policies. Restoration of his progressed by 1869, enabling him to resume private legal practice in Mobile, where he maintained an office and handled cases until his death in 1877. This practice supplemented his income from writing and editing, focusing on civil and matters in a city recovering from Union occupation and blockade damages.

Publications and Memoirs

Semmes authored Service Afloat and Ashore During the Mexican War in 1851, drawing on his experiences as a U.S. commanding the USS Somers during the conflict, including naval operations along the Mexican coast and the capture of . The book provided a detailed tactical and personal narrative of amphibious assaults and blockades, reflecting his advocacy for aggressive naval strategies against fortified positions. Following the Civil War, Semmes published Memoirs of Service Afloat: During the War Between the States in 1869, a comprehensive 833-page account of his Confederate naval commands aboard the CSS Sumter and CSS Alabama. In it, he chronicled over 60 captures by the Alabama, emphasizing commerce raiding's disruption of Union shipping—estimated at over 1 million tons affected by Confederate cruisers overall—while justifying the strategy as lawful under international prize law and critiquing Union blockades as ineffective. Semmes portrayed the Alabama's 22-month undefeated cruise, from its 1862 commissioning in Liverpool to its 1864 sinking off France, as a testament to Southern seamanship and engineering, attributing successes to crew discipline and vessel speed exceeding 13 knots. The memoirs also included appendices with log extracts, prize lists, and legal arguments defending privateering against Federal claims of , supported by references to treaties like the 1856 Declaration of Paris, which the Confederacy honored by releasing neutral cargoes. Semmes used the work to refute accusations of barbarity, noting the Alabama rescued over 1,500 personnel from sunk prizes without loss of life beyond combat, and to assert the raid's economic impact, with insured losses exceeding $6 million. A London edition titled My Adventures Afloat appeared concurrently, adapting content for British audiences amid debates over neutrality violations. Semmes's writings emphasized first-hand observations over secondary reports, though critics noted selective emphasis on Confederate valor while downplaying logistical dependencies on foreign ports. No major additional postwar publications are recorded before his death, though excerpts like The Cruise of the Alabama and the Sumter circulated in periodicals, reinforcing his narrative of strategic asymmetry in .

Personal Life and Beliefs

Family and Personal Relationships

Raphael Semmes was born on September 27, 1809, in , as the fourth child of Richard Thompson Semmes, a physician, and Catherine Taliaferro Middleton Semmes; both parents died when he was young, leaving him orphaned and raised by relatives. On May 2, 1837, Semmes married Anne Elizabeth "Annie" Spencer in ; she was the only daughter of Oliver Marlborough Spencer, a prominent , and the couple met while Semmes was boarding with the Spencer family during shore duty in . Their marriage produced six children—three sons and three daughters—including Samuel Spencer Semmes, Oliver John Semmes, and Samuel Middleton Semmes; the family resided in , by the 1850 census, where Semmes was listed as 41 years old, Anne as 31, and all six children present in the household. Semmes maintained a close and affectionate bond with Anne throughout his life, corresponding with her during his extended sea voyages and crediting her support in his personal writings; she outlived him, dying in 1892 and buried in Mobile's Catholic Cemetery alongside several children. No records indicate extramarital relationships or significant conflicts within the family, with Semmes prioritizing familial stability amid his naval career demands.

Political Ideology and Secessionist Rationale

Raphael Semmes espoused a political rooted in the of the U.S. , positing that the Union was a of sovereign states rather than a perpetual national entity, with each state retaining the inherent right to withdraw upon perceived violations of the federal compact. This view aligned with classical Southern interpretations of American founding principles, emphasizing limited federal authority and robust to counter centralized power that he saw as increasingly dominated by Northern interests. Semmes critiqued the federal government's expansion, particularly through economic policies like protective tariffs, which he argued systematically disadvantaged the agrarian by subsidizing Northern manufacturing at Southern expense—a grievance he traced back decades, including the Tariff of 1828 and subsequent measures that fueled sectional discord. Semmes' rationale for supporting centered on the defense of constitutional liberties against what he described as Northern encroachments, including the non-enforcement of slave laws, agitation against as a protected property , and the election of on November 6, 1860, which he viewed as a partisan threat to Southern equality within the Union. In his Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States (1869), he framed not as rebellion or but as a logical corollary of revolutionary state , arguing that the Southern states exercised a reserved right to dissolve political bonds when the federal government failed to uphold impartiality between sections. While featured in his analysis as a and economic under assault, Semmes subordinated it to broader causal factors like cultural divergences—portraying the North as industrial, centralized, and puritanical, versus the South's decentralized, agrarian ethos—and insisted that the conflict arose from irreconcilable governance models rather than alone. His personal commitment manifested in resigning his U.S. Navy commission on February 15, 1861, shortly after Alabama's ordinance on January 11, 1861, prioritizing to his native state over federal oaths amid the dissolving Union. Semmes rejected accusations of disloyalty, asserting in correspondence and postwar writings that officers' duties followed state sovereignty, a position echoed by many Southern military figures who viewed federal service as conditional on constitutional fidelity. This act propelled him into Confederate service, where he advocated naval strategies to assert Southern against perceived Northern tyranny.

Religious Convictions and Moral Framework

Raphael Semmes was born on September 27, 1809, into a Roman Catholic family in , with ancestors among the original Catholic colonists who settled the province in the to practice their faith freely. This heritage shaped his lifelong adherence to Catholicism, which he practiced with evident sincerity and intellectual commitment, even amid the demands of naval service. Daily routines aboard ship included morning and evening prayers, underscoring religion's integral role in his personal discipline and worldview. Semmes' moral framework derived substantially from Catholic doctrine, emphasizing , honor, and providential order, as reflected in his family motto Aide-toi et Dieu t'aidera ("Help yourself and God will help you"). He upheld high ethical standards in command, treating Union prisoners and merchant crews with respect—releasing non-combatants without and adhering to prize laws—actions informed by a faith-driven commitment to over vengeance. This principled conduct extended to his refusal of despite marital strains, citing incompatibility with Catholic teachings on indissolubility. In writings like his account of the Mexican-American War, Semmes argued for Catholicism's stabilizing influence on society, portraying it as a bulwark against disorder and a foundation for moral governance. His , while aggressive, aligned with a just-war ethic rooted in defensive necessity and legal norms, viewing Southern as a rightful resistance to perceived Northern overreach rather than unprincipled aggression. Upon his death on , 1877, Semmes was interred in Mobile's Catholic Cemetery, a testament to his unwavering piety.

Legacy and Historical Assessment

Raphael Semmes commanded the CSS Sumter, the first Confederate to put to sea, after its conversion from a steamer in New Orleans and commissioning on June 3, 1861. Departing on June 30, 1861, Sumter captured its first prize, the Union merchantman Golden Rocket, on July 3, 1861, and went on to seize 18 prizes in six months of operations across the , Atlantic, and Mediterranean, burning 8 and bonding or releasing 9 others. Interned in by October 1861 due to engine issues and Union blockades, Sumter's raids demonstrated the viability of with limited Confederate resources. Semmes then took command of the , a built in Britain and commissioned in 1862, conducting a 22-month global cruise that captured or destroyed 65 Union merchant vessels and whalers, primarily by burning them after removing crews and valuables. In its first four months alone, Alabama took 25 prizes in the North Atlantic. The raider operated from the to the , avoiding major Union fleets while targeting isolated shipping, with Semmes employing superior speed, armament, and tactics to overhaul prey. Alabama was sunk on June 19, 1864, off , , by the in a direct engagement, ending its career but not before establishing Semmes as the Confederacy's most effective naval raider. Semmes' achievements on Sumter and Alabama—totaling over 80 prizes—inflicted significant economic damage, with captured or destroyed Union shipping valued at approximately $6 million (equivalent to over $110 million in modern terms), raising insurance rates and driving much American under foreign flags. Strategically, these operations compelled the Union to divert naval assets from enforcement to hunter-killer patrols, increasing expenditures on construction and convoys, while exposing vulnerabilities in neutral practices that fueled Confederate raiders. Though unable to contest Union sea supremacy directly, Semmes' warfare amplified the Confederacy's asymmetric pressure on Northern and morale, validating cruiser-based raiding as a force multiplier despite the loss of Alabama.

Criticisms, Controversies, and Defenses

Semmes' campaign aboard the CSS from August 1862 to June 1864, which resulted in the capture of 65 Union vessels and the destruction of 52 valued at over $6 million, provoked significant Union outrage and international diplomatic tensions. These actions formed the basis of the , wherein the government sought reparations from Britain for facilitating the Alabama's construction and departure from , arguing that the raider's depredations violated British neutrality under . An 1871-1872 arbitration in awarded the U.S. $15.5 million in damages, primarily attributing liability to Britain for the Alabama and CSS Shenandoah, though Semmes himself adhered to by paroling prisoners and allowing crews to depart before prizes, distinguishing his operations from outright . The June 19, 1864, engagement between the Alabama and USS Kearsarge off Cherbourg, France, ending in the Alabama's sinking after a 90-minute battle, drew postwar scrutiny over Semmes' decision to fight despite the ships' mismatched armoring— the Kearsarge had iron cladding that the Alabama lacked—leading some historians to question his tactical judgment as influenced by overconfidence or a desire to challenge the Union blockade. Semmes' subsequent rescue by the British yacht Deerhound and evasion of capture fueled American press accusations of British complicity, exacerbating transatlantic strains already evident in the claims process. Critics, including Union naval officers, labeled the raids as economically disruptive terror tactics that targeted civilian commerce rather than military assets, though Semmes maintained they were legitimate under the laws of war for a weaker naval power. Postwar, Semmes faced no formal prosecution for or despite Union calls for , as federal authorities opted against pursuing Confederate naval officers who operated under recognized commissions, a decision rooted in Reconstruction policies and practical considerations of reintegrating Southern society. His 1869 memoir Memoirs of Service Afloat defended as a response to Northern economic aggression via protective tariffs—citing the 1828 "Tariff of Abominations" and subsequent of 1861 as coercive measures favoring industrial North over agrarian South—while downplaying as the war's primary cause, portraying it instead as a Northern abolitionist exploited to consolidate federal power. This interpretation, echoed in Lost Cause historiography, has drawn modern criticism for minimizing 's role in ordinances and Confederate vice president Alexander Stephens' 1861 "," which explicitly enshrined and as foundational; detractors argue Semmes' tariff-focused rationale obscures the empirical reality that Southern states' declarations prioritized preserving the institution of amid perceived threats like Lincoln's 1860 election. Defenders highlight Semmes' strategic acumen in executing one of history's most successful asymmetric naval campaigns with limited Confederate resources, inflicting disproportionate economic harm on Union shipping—reducing merchant tonnage by an estimated 20% in key trades—while operating under international prize law without documented atrocities against crews. Historical assessments praise his prewar U.S. Navy service, including contributions to coastal surveys and the 1847 Mexican-American War, and postwar writings like The Cruise of the Alabama and the Sumter for providing firsthand causal analysis of naval commerce warfare's efficacy against superior fleets. Regarding slavery, Semmes expressed minimal personal investment, viewing the debate as a sectional distraction from deeper constitutional disputes over states' rights and federal overreach, a perspective aligned with his advocacy for Texas annexation and criticism of Mexican centralism. In contemporary contexts, Semmes' legacy remains divisive, exemplified by the 2018 relocation of his Mobile statue amid debates over Confederate symbols' associations with ; proponents of removal cite it as emblematic of a pro- , while contextualization efforts emphasize his naval innovations over ideological baggage. Balanced evaluations, drawing from primary sources like his correspondence, underscore that while Semmes supported the Confederate cause—including its defense of as a settled domestic institution—his primary motivations centered on Southern against perceived Northern , substantiated by data showing Southern net exporters bore 80-90% of federal burdens prewar.

Memorials, Statues, and Modern Commemorations

A bronze statue of Confederate naval officer Raphael Semmes, depicting him in uniform holding a sword and hat, was erected in Mobile, Alabama, on June 21, 1900, by the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans at the intersection of Government and Royal Streets. The monument, sculpted by Caspar Buberl, stood approximately 20 feet tall on a granite pedestal inscribed with details of Semmes's service aboard the CSS Alabama, which had captured or destroyed 65 Union merchant vessels during the Civil War. The statue was removed overnight on June 5, 2020, by order of Mobile city officials amid protests following the death of George Floyd, prompting immediate legal challenges from the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall ruled the removal violated state law prohibiting the relocation of monuments older than 40 years without legislative approval, resulting in the city paying a $25,000 fine to the state historical commission in June 2020. The statue itself was stored by the city, while its original base was later transferred for private use. In response, the Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #11 of the commissioned a new bronze statue of Semmes, which was installed on the original pedestal at Fort McDermott Confederate Memorial Park in , and dedicated on September 27, 2025. This relocation to a site managed by Confederate heritage groups preserved the monument amid ongoing debates over public Confederate iconography, with the camp continuing annual commemorative events honoring Semmes's naval career. Semmes's gravesite in Mobile's Magnolia Cemetery features a marker noting his Civil War service, maintained by local historical societies, though it has not been a focal point for larger public commemorations. The Raphael Semmes Camp #11, established in Mobile, actively promotes his legacy through reenactments and educational programs focused on Confederate naval history, without affiliation to broader public statuary.

Dates of Rank

RankServiceDate of Rank
MidshipmanUnited States Navy1826
Passed MidshipmanUnited States Navy1832
LieutenantUnited States Navy1837
CommanderUnited States Navy1855
Resigned commissionUnited States NavyFebruary 15, 1861
CommanderConfederate States NavyMarch 25, 1861
CaptainConfederate States NavyAugust 21, 1862
Rear AdmiralConfederate States NavyFebruary 10, 1865
Brigadier GeneralConfederate States ArmyApril 1865
Semmes briefly held the rank of in the Confederate Army in 1865, leading naval personnel as infantry following the evacuation of Richmond.

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