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Memoirs of Service Afloat: During the War Between the States
Published in 1869, Raphael Semmes's "Memoirs of Service Afloat" was the first major southern memoir issued after the Civil War, written by the most important Confederate naval figure to emerge from the conflict. It appears here in its first indexed and professionally edited version, with an introduction and notes by Semmes's biographer John M. Taylor.
According to Taylor, Semmes's impressive military performances would not be rivaled by any sea raider until the advent of the submarine. Commanding two cruisers, first the Sumter and then the famous Alabama, Semmes engineered a rout of the Federal merchant marine, burning or bonding a total of sixty-four vessels with the Alabama alone before its dramatic defeat by the USS Kearsarge off Cherbourg in 1864, an event that nonetheless served to enhance his reputation -- as a pirate in the North and a hero in the South.
His memoir is a rollicking account of the voyages of the Sumter and the Alabama, with digressions on his natural surroundings and sociopolitical topics. Written soon after the war, Semmes's work conveys a zeal for the Lost Cause and an unrelenting bitterness towards Yankees that ironically tend to obscure his own deeds of skill, daring, and humanitarianism.
According to Taylor, Semmes's impressive military performances would not be rivaled by any sea raider until the advent of the submarine. Commanding two cruisers, first the Sumter and then the famous Alabama, Semmes engineered a rout of the Federal merchant marine, burning or bonding a total of sixty-four vessels with the Alabama alone before its dramatic defeat by the USS Kearsarge off Cherbourg in 1864, an event that nonetheless served to enhance his reputation -- as a pirate in the North and a hero in the South.
His memoir is a rollicking account of the voyages of the Sumter and the Alabama, with digressions on his natural surroundings and sociopolitical topics. Written soon after the war, Semmes's work conveys a zeal for the Lost Cause and an unrelenting bitterness towards Yankees that ironically tend to obscure his own deeds of skill, daring, and humanitarianism.
828 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1869
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About the author
Raphael Semmes
98 books5 followersRaphael Semmes was an officer in the Confederate navy during the American Civil War. Prior to this, he had been a serving officer in the United States Navy from 1826 through 1860.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 7, 2009
I really enjoy this book. Not only is the story of the CSS Alabama one of the most dramatic stories in all of history, but her captain (CS Admiral Raphael Semmes) was a fairly entertaining chap in his own right. He reminds me of Herodotus with his frequent digressions on meteorology, international law, defects of the New England character, anthropology, and rather pointed assessments of the gentlemanly character or ladylike deportment of personages whose paths he crossed in the course of the cruise.
The first part of the book is a very common-sense defense of the right of secession; the rest of the book his a narrative of his service as admiral of the Confederate Navy. From the clandestine building of the Confederate raider in the shipyards of Bristol, to her cruise through the entire world's oceans, to her apocalyptic duel with the USS Kearsage in the English channel, this is pretty high adventure.
The first part of the book is a very common-sense defense of the right of secession; the rest of the book his a narrative of his service as admiral of the Confederate Navy. From the clandestine building of the Confederate raider in the shipyards of Bristol, to her cruise through the entire world's oceans, to her apocalyptic duel with the USS Kearsage in the English channel, this is pretty high adventure.
July 1, 2017
Now that America is Great Again, Deplorables will seek narratives like Semmes' to stock the required reading list for their home and private schools, as the first three chapters, and 50% of the remainder of the book is an unabashed vehicle to exhaustively justify slavery (a 'labor system' to Semmes) and the righteous mission of the Confederacy.
Semme's writing skill is consistent with that of an individual schooled as a lawyer, but Patrick O'Brien need not worry about being displaced as a documentarian of life aboard 19th century ships of war.
Semme's writing skill is consistent with that of an individual schooled as a lawyer, but Patrick O'Brien need not worry about being displaced as a documentarian of life aboard 19th century ships of war.
January 5, 2017
An amazing first hand account of the Confederate Navy from the "Wolf of the Deep," Semmes.
October 22, 2021
At over 500 pages, this is a long book, but every page was worth it. Admiral Semmes tells an outstanding story beginning with his beliefs on the founding of our country and the years of political battles leading up to Lincoln's War. He then transitions into his Federal Navy Commodore and transition into the CSA Navy and leads to when he is back home more than four years later. His story covers his travels around the globe and all that he encounters. In reading his memoir, you quickly learn that Semmes is an outstanding leader and sailor par excellence with the ethics of a Southern gentleman. As well he is supremely knowledgeable of the seas, the wind, the current, plant life and the laws of sea and of the war.
His story of being at sea for four non-stop years, fighting the battle for the South with only his own instincts is one not often heard of when studying Lincoln's War. He provides an international perspective to the fight as well as how the South fought from the sea while being blockaded. It is an excellent read.
His story of being at sea for four non-stop years, fighting the battle for the South with only his own instincts is one not often heard of when studying Lincoln's War. He provides an international perspective to the fight as well as how the South fought from the sea while being blockaded. It is an excellent read.
October 2, 2019
A wonderful book detailing the action of Semmes experiences in the Confederate navy. This is an area of the War of Northern Aggression that I had no knowledge of. The burning of merchant ships seems cruel, but we have to remember that this practice took place at least up through WWII. In WWII, the Germans were sinking allied nation ships and the USA sank practically the entire Japanese merchant marine. The main difference is that in WWII the ships were sunk without warning, whereas the Sumpter and Alabama gave warning, investigated the ships papers, and took off the crews (and passengers) without harming them.
I knew little of Raphael Semmes but his writing reveals a very erudite educated man who was extremely knowledgeable of the law both of the sea and land. His narrative is extremely well written as if he is talking to the reader throughout. He takes the reader through some weather discussion and the knowledge of ocean currents that I found astounding for the time. He mixes these scientific discussions into the narrative when he is involved in a weather situation, and then takes the reader seamlessly back to where he left off in the overall narrative.
Semmes not only writes very well, his views of the barbarity of the yankee army and the yankee political corruption should enlighten objective readers.
Regardless of the reader's prejudices, this is an enlightening look at a terrible war and an interesting and delightful read.
I knew little of Raphael Semmes but his writing reveals a very erudite educated man who was extremely knowledgeable of the law both of the sea and land. His narrative is extremely well written as if he is talking to the reader throughout. He takes the reader through some weather discussion and the knowledge of ocean currents that I found astounding for the time. He mixes these scientific discussions into the narrative when he is involved in a weather situation, and then takes the reader seamlessly back to where he left off in the overall narrative.
Semmes not only writes very well, his views of the barbarity of the yankee army and the yankee political corruption should enlighten objective readers.
Regardless of the reader's prejudices, this is an enlightening look at a terrible war and an interesting and delightful read.
April 16, 2015
Biographer John M. Taylor did a fine job with this edition of Semmes' memoirs, so let me make clear that my two-star rating is aimed at Semmes, not Taylor.
Raphael Semmes was a major figure in the Confederate Navy during the Civil War, and as such his memoirs are significant. Unfortunately, they were written very soon after the war's close, and are unremittingly bitter. Shorn of his jaundiced and over-legalistic commentary on the deficiencies of the "Puritan Yankees," the memoir would be about half the size and much more readable.
Frustratingly, 'Memoirs of Service Afloat' says little where the interest is greatest... Semmes literally gives more room to his letter to President Andrew Johnson protesting his postwar arrest than he does to the famous battle between the CSS Alabama and the USS Kearsarge, so we are no wiser about the Alabama's commander's point of view than we are from reading the official reports of the battle.
An important memoir of the war, but a very frustrating read.
Raphael Semmes was a major figure in the Confederate Navy during the Civil War, and as such his memoirs are significant. Unfortunately, they were written very soon after the war's close, and are unremittingly bitter. Shorn of his jaundiced and over-legalistic commentary on the deficiencies of the "Puritan Yankees," the memoir would be about half the size and much more readable.
Frustratingly, 'Memoirs of Service Afloat' says little where the interest is greatest... Semmes literally gives more room to his letter to President Andrew Johnson protesting his postwar arrest than he does to the famous battle between the CSS Alabama and the USS Kearsarge, so we are no wiser about the Alabama's commander's point of view than we are from reading the official reports of the battle.
An important memoir of the war, but a very frustrating read.
October 25, 2014
An examination of Confederate Ralphael Simmes' service aboard a Confederate merchant raider during the American Civil War. During its voyage, the raider infliced severe damaage to the Union's maratine economy. A good read about the Civil War naval war.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews