Raphael Semmes (September 27, 1809 â August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Until then, he had been a serving officer in the US Navy from 1826 to 1860.
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 and also acted briefly as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army. His appointment or arrangement to act as a temporary brigadier general from April 5 to April 26, 1865, was never submitted to or officially confirmed by the Confederate Senate.
The Alabama met the USS Kearsarge in a classic ship-to-ship duel off the cast of France on 19 June 1864. The two warships circled one another, firing as fast as the crews could load. The quality of Alabamaâs shells proved an even greater defense than Kearsargeâs chain mail armor. Several rounds failed to explode, including a shell that lodged in the sternpost of Kearsarge and almost certainly would have been fatal had it detonated. Instead, it was Alabama that took several hits and began taking on water. Semmes fought her until she sank, then â defiant to the last â threw his sword into the sea and swam to the safety of a nearby British yacht that had come out to watch the excitement.
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