Writing Assignment 2: Raphael Semmes
History 2001-40769-201540
Caren Meche
Raphael Semmes was brilliant, courageous and a man of many trades. He was an officer in the United States Navy, an officer in the Confederate States Navy, and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army (amongst many other careers). He lived a vivacious 67 years, most of which was spent in the military, and commanded a number of ships. Although Semmes grew up as the eldest son, nearly destined to tend to his lands, after the death of his parents (and new found guardianship from his uncle Raphael) another path was forged making him the only man in North American history to hold both the Brigadier General and Admiral titles. Semmes was born in Maryland and lost…show more content… She cruised six months, leaving out the time during which she was blockaded in Gibraltar. She captured seventeen ships, as follows: the Golden Rocket, Cuba, Machias, Ben. Dunning, Albert Adams, Naiad, Louisa Kilham, West Wind, Abby Bradford, Joseph Maxwell, Joseph Parke, D. Trowbridge, Montmorency, Arcade, Vigilant, Eben Dodge, Neapolitan, and Investigator. It is impossible to estimate the damage done to the enemy’s commerce. The property actually destroyed formed a very small proportion of it. The fact alone of the Sumter being upon the seas, during these six months, gave such an alarm to neutral and belligerent shippers, that the enemy’s carrying-trade began to be paralyzed, and already his ships were being laid up, or sold under neutral flags—some of these sales being bona fide, and others fraudulent. In addition to this, the enemy kept five or six of his best ships of war constantly in pursuit of her, which necessarily weakened his blockade, for which, at this time, he was much pressed for ships. The expense to my Government of running the ship was next to nothing, being only $28,000, or about the price of one of the least valuable of her prizes. The Sumter was sold in the course of a month or two after being laid up, and being put under the English flag as a merchant-ship, made one voyage to the coast of the…show more content… I choose this man over the others for a few reasons: he is THE only man to hold two extraordinary titles at the same time which speaks very highly of his military aptitude, he never quit even after the Sumter was taken down and the Alabama was conquered he sought perseverance, he stayed in love with his wife until his untimely death, and overall he was an astounding leader for the Confederate states. My personal love for our military and its natural born leaders is infinite and even though I don’t stand with the South during the time of the Civil War, I do stand with the leadership, guidance, and strength Semmes exhibited. Spoken best by author Kenneth J Hagan in the book, “The Peoples Navy: The Making of American Sea Power” he
