Captain Rear-Admiral Ralph Semmes made took pride in the Alabma and maintained that it was obtained legally. Semmes studied law before the American Civil War and insists that no neutrality laws were broken when the ship was built. He also feels, “…Mr. Jefferson Davis, who had all the de facto right and much more of the de jure right to sign such a commission…” The Alabama, according to Semmes, was built in accordance with law. Northern newspaper again voiced their opinion on the matter and reported on the Alabama’s conquest. The referred to the ship as a “pirate” or “privateer” vessel. This enraged its Captain because his ship was not being recognized as a ship of war, “… the newspapers erred through ignorance, but this misnomer was sheer