The cruise of the Alabama and the Sumter / Commander R. Semmes, C.S.N. and other officers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Semmes, Raphael, 1809-1877.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alabama (Ship).

Sumter (Confederate cruiser).

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Warships.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (346 p.)

Place of Publication:

Scituate, Mass. : Digital Scanning, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

First published over 100 years ago, CRUISE OF THE ALABAMA AND THE SUMTER is Raphael Semmes? incredible story of his experiences as a commander in the Confederate Navy during the Civil War. Semmes draws upon his private journals and papers to unfold his memories of capturing merchant vessels and skillfully eluding Union warships while commanding both the Alabama and Sumter. Together with his crew, Semmes endured a career of commerce raiding that was without equal in American naval history of its time

Contents:

THE CRUISE OF THE ALABAMA AND THE SUMTER

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE LONDON EDITION

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

The Question at issue

An unexpected point of attack

Captain Semmes

The President's instructions

Creating a navy

From the old to the new

An important mission

Appointed to the Sumter

True character of the Confederate "pirate."

CHAPTER II.

The Sumter formerly the Havannah packet-ship

Captain Semmes joins and assumes command

Altering the vessel

Vexatious delays

The war begins

The river blockaded

Crew of the Sumter

Dropping down the river

An attempt

No pilots

Vigorous action

Sumter still at her anchors

Lamps removed from lighthouses

More enemy's ships

Orders on board the Sumter

False hopes

The 30 th of June

A courageous pilot

The escape of the Sumter

The chase

The enemy baffled.

CHAPTER III.

Beginning the cruise

The first prize the Golden Rocket

The capture burnt

The Cuba and Machias

Cienfuegos

The Ben Dunning and Albert Adams

Three at once: the West Wind, the Naiad, and the Louisa Kilham

A fleet of prizes

Saluting the Confederate States' flag

At Cuba

Strict neutrality

A prize agent

The Governor-General of Cuba

Recapture by the United States

An accident to the commander

A gale

At Curaçao

The Dutch Governor

An ex-president in difficulties

The Abby Bradford

Venezuela

An in-hospitable port

The Joseph Maxwell

Military v. naval

Sagacious skipper

Gulf of Bahia.

CHAPTER IV.

Excitement

Taking the bull by the horns

official visits

H.M.S. Cadmus

Captain Semmes' commission

At sea again

A dull time

Wind and current hostile

Cayenne

French politeness

At Paramaribo

A hot pursuit

A loyal Yankee

Doubtful security

Not to be beaten.

To sea again

A parting arrow.

CHAPTER V.

Leave Paramaribo

Across the equator

A day of misfortunes

On a sandbank

A narrow escape

Maranham

Bold assertions

Visit to the President

News

False alarms

Paying bills

A patriot

Off again

A prize

The Joseph Park

News of Bull Run

A sad birthday.

CHAPTER VI.

"Sail, oh-h-h!"

An exciting chase

No prize

Jack's holiday

A new cruising-ground

Dead calm

An enliqhtened Frenchman

A near thing

Patience!

The Daniel Trowbridge

A lucky haul

In closer

Double Duns

The prize schooner's revenge

Good news from home

An apology

In hopes of a fight

Disappointment

The West India station

Another blank

Martinique.

CHAPTER VII.

A French governor

At church

Visitors

On shore

Prisoners released

Coaling difficulties

Sympathy for the South

A glass of grog!

St. Pierre

Curiosity

The Iroquois

An attempt to intimidate

L'Acheron

Yankee notion of neutrality

Masquerading

Preparations for a fight

The marine league

The Trent outrage

On the watch

Violation of rights

A bold attempt

Success.

CHAPTER VIII.

Again at sea

Two captures

The Montmorency

The Arcade

Eastward, ho!

The Vigilant taken

News from home

Dirty weather

The whale

Ebenezer Dodge

In irons

A cyclone

The gale rages

Fire!

Christmas day

No luck

The clank of the pumps

Cadiz.

CHAPTER IX.

Cadiz harbour

Notice to quit

Local authorities

Wisdom

The Queen of Spain

Docked

Under repair

Deserters

The honour of the flag

The Neapolitan

The Investigator

Gibraltar

Official visits

Up the rock

A legend

Neutrality again

Consular diplomacy

Blockaded

The Tuscarora

Seven in pursuit.

CHAPTER X.

The Tangier difficulty

Loyalty of United States Consuls

A daring Act

Imprisonment of the two Confederates

Captain Semmes' appeal

No results

An armed force from the Ino

Threatened rescue

Foreign Office intelligence

The Harvest Home

Garnered.

CHAPTER XI.

"The poor old Sumter"

The vessel laid up

What the Sumter did

Official report

Movements of Captain Semmes

Useful missions

Appointment to the Alabama.

CHAPTER XII.

The new vessel

Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera

Accommodation on board

Cost

Laws of neutrality

Necessary caution

The 29th of July

A breakfast party

The scene changed

Off

The pursuit

Too late.

CHAPTER XIII.

"No. 290" at sea

The rendezvous

Small mishaps

Good qualities of the new ship

Nearly discovered

The captain

Terceira

Anxiety about the crew

Coaling and arming

Getting to rights

Ready for the cruise.

CHAPTER XIV.

Sunday, 24th August

Fairly afloat

Taking command

The white Ensign

Mission of the Alabama

The Modern Tar

At the pumps

Blowing hard

A fruitless chase

Short-handed

The Ocmulgee.

CHAPTER XV.

A muster

Prisoners landed

The Starlight

Santa Cruz

Novel night procession

The Alert

Three sacrifices in a day

Weather Gauge captured

The Altamaha

A signal

The Benjamin Tucker

Burnt!

The Courser

Target practice

The Virginia

The Elisha Dunbar.

CHAPTER XVI.

Successive gales

Uncomfortable quarters

Weather moderates

Blowing again

The Emily Farnum and the Brilliant

Neutral cargo

Ransomed

In flames

The Wave Crest

The Dunkirk

Religious smuggling

A deserter caught

A court martial

The Tonawanda

Precautions

The Manchester burnt

Hope

Parting company.

The Lamplighter

A hurricane

Great danger

Safely passed.

CHAPTER XVII.

Out of luck

Tempest-tossed

Rotatory storms

The case of the Lafayette

A long chase

The Crenshaw

Neutral or not?

Rough again

The Lauretta

Condemned!

The Baron de Custine

Released on bond.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Out of the track

The Levi Starbuck

Fresh vegetables

The other side of the case

Kindness repaid

The T. B. Wales

A family

Volunteers

In man-of-war trim.

CHAPTER XIX.

Martinique

Friendly greetings

Mutiny!

Order restored

The San Jacinto

Neutrality of the port invaded

Prompt measures

Expectation

Ready for action

Success

Locking an empty stable

Temptation

The Clara L. Sparks

Refitting

A court-martial

Dismissed.

CHAPTER XX.

Moulded into shape

House-cleaning

Rates of pay

A timely capture

The Parker Cook

A fix

A good night's rest

Sang-froid

Amid jessamine bowers

Looking out for a rich prize

The Mina

"In consequence of the Alabama."

CHAPTER XXI.

The Alabama's lucky day

A trial of speed

Brought to

The Ariel

Buying an elephant

Prisoners of war

Prize-money

Still on the look out

Broken down

A dilemma

Yellow fever

Release of the Ariel

Under repair.

CHAPTER XXII.

Again ready

Gloomy weather

A Norther

The Arcas

The second Christmas at sea

The war

Plymouth rock leaven

On the lonely island

"Splicing the main-brace"

Searching for shells

Tired of hard service

Well disciplined

A phenomenon

The new year

In memoriam

To sea again.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Another mission

General Banks' expedition

To Galveston

Sunday the 11th of January

A small mistake.

Preparing for action

The Hatteras

A fight in the dark

Sharp and decisive

Surrender

Rescue of the crew

Sunk!

Casualties

Out of the hornet's nest.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Crowded with prisoners

Chasing a friend

At Jamaica

Enthusiastic reception

Rest on shore

Speech making

Up anchor!

Case of the Golden Rule

Reinstating the discipline in the United

Capture of the Chastelain

San Domingo

The Palmetto

Men of the day States.

CHAPTER XXV.

Not easily baffled

Two prizes

The Olive Jane

The Golden Eagle

The white ensign saluted

In trepidation

Obstinacy

The Washington

The William Edward

Patience Rewarded

Case of the John S. Parks.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Discomforts of life at sea

A stern chase

Seized

The Punjaub ransomed

Rain-squalls

A luxury

The Morning Star

The Fairhaven

The Ino on the look-out

The Charles Hill

The Nora

Fire-water

Commercial morality

The Louisa Hatch

Black Diamonds

Coaling at sea under difficulties

Fernandode Noronha.

CHAPTER XXVII.

An official "in trouble"

On shore again

On horseback

Taken in the net

Easy captures

The Kate Cory

The Lafayette

A polite Governor

The Louisa Hatch burned, and Kate Cory burned

Landing prisoners

Tired of waiting

A scramble

Out of harbour again.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A curious prize

The Nye

The Dorcas Prince

An anniversary

The Union Jack and the Sea Lark

In the harbour of Bahia

Explanations

Unexpected meeting

The Georgia

A little holiday

Diplomacy

More neutrality

Home-sick.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Two more!

The Gildersliene and Justina

Case of the Jabez Snow

The barque Amazonian

Relieved of prisoners

A hint

The Talisman.

Under false colours.

Notes:

Originally published: The cruise of the Alabama and the Sumter: From the private journals and other papers of Commander R. Semmes, C.S.N., and other officers. New York: Carleton; London: Saunders, Otley, & Co., 1864.

ISBN:

1-58218-353-8

OCLC:

646890714