Read Ebook: Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States by Semmes Raphael

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Ebook has 814 lines and 344932 words, and 17 pages

A Brief Historical Retrospect 17

The Nature of the American Compact 24

From the Foundation of the Federal Government down to 1830, both the North and the South held the Constitution to be a Compact between the States 36

Was Secession Treason? 46

Another Brief Historical Retrospect 52

The Question of Slavery as it affected Secession 62

The Formation of the Confederate Government, and the Resignation of Officers of the Federal Army and Navy 71

Author proceeds to Montgomery, and reports to the New Government, and is dispatched northward on a Special Mission 81

The Commissioning of the Sumter, the First Confederate States Ship of War 93

The Preparation of the Sumter for Sea--She drops down between the Forts Jackson and St. Philip--Receives her Sailing Orders-- List of her Officers 97

After long Waiting and Watching, the Sumter runs the Blockade of the Mississippi, in open Daylight, pursued by the Brooklyn 108

Brief Sketch of the Officers of the Sumter--Her First Prize, with other Prizes in Quick Succession 120

Rapid Work--Seven Prizes in Two Days--The Sumter makes her First Port, and what occurred there 132

The Sumter on the Wing again--She is put wholly under Sail for the first time--Reaches the Island of Cura?oa, and is only able to enter after a Diplomatic Fight 144

The Sumter at Cura?oa--Her Surroundings--Preparations for Sea-- Her Captain solicited to become a Warwick--Her Departure--The Capture of other Prizes--Puerto Cabello, and what occurred there 155

Steaming along the Coast of Venezuela--The Coral Insect, and the Wonders of the Deep--The Andes and the Rainy Season--The Sumter enters the Port of Spain in the British Island of Trinidad 170

On the Way to Maranham--The Weather and the Winds--The Sumter runs short of Coal, and is obliged to "bear up"--Cayenne and Paramaribo, in French and Dutch Guiana--Sails again, and arrives at Maranham, in Brazil 188

The Sumter at Maranham--More Diplomacy necessary--The Hotel Porto and its Proprietor--A week on Shore--Ship coals and sails again 210

The Sumter at Martinique--Proceeds from Fort de France to St. Pierre--Is an Object of much Curiosity with the Islanders--News of the Arrest of Messrs. Mason and Slidell, on board the British Mail Steamer, The Trent--Mr. Seward's extraordinary Course on the Occasion 232

Arrival at St. Pierre of the Enemy's Steam-sloop Iroquois--How she violates the Neutrality of the Port--Arrival of the French Steamer-of-War Acheron--The Iroquois blockades the Sumter-- Correspondence with the Governor--Escape of the Sumter 252

The Sumter pursues her Voyage across the Atlantic--Capture and Burning of the Arcade, Vigilant, and Ebenezer Dodge--A Leaky Ship and a Gale--An Alarm of Fire! 268

Voyage across the Atlantic pursued--Christmas-day on board the Sumter--Cape Fly-away, and the Curious Illusion produced by it--The Sumter passes from the Desert Parts of the Sea into a Tract of Commerce once more--Boards a large Fleet of Ships in one Day, but finds no Enemy among them--Arrival at Cadiz 283

Annoyance of the Spanish Officials--Short Correspondence with the U. S. Consul--The Telegraph put in Operation by the Officials between Cadiz and Madrid--The Sumter is ordered to leave in twenty-four Hours--Declines Obedience to the Order-- Prisoners land, and Ship Docked after much ado--Deserters-- Sumter leaves Cadiz 297

The Sumter off Cadiz--The Pillars of Hercules--Gibraltar-- Capture of the Enemy's Ships Neapolitan and Investigator--A Conflagration between Europe and Africa--The Sumter anchors in the Harbor of Gibraltar; the Rock; the Town; the Military; the Review, and the Alameda 306

The Sumter still at Gibraltar--Ship crowded with Visitors--A Ride over the Rock with Colonel Freemantle--The Galleries and other Subterranean Wonders--A Dizzy Height, and the Queen of Spain's Chair--The Monkeys and the Neutral Ground 320

The Sumter in Trouble--Finds it impossible to coal, by reason of a Combination against her, headed by the Federal Consul-- Applies to the British Government for Coal, but is refused-- Sends her Paymaster and Ex-Consul Tunstall to Cadiz--They are arrested and imprisoned in Tangier--Correspondence on the Subject--The Sumter laid up and sold 329

Author leaves Gibraltar and arrives in London--Mr. Commissioner Mason--Confederate Naval News--Short Sojourn in London--Author embarks on board the Steamer Melita for Nassau--Receives new Orders from the Navy Department--Returns to Liverpool 346

The Legality of the Equipment of the Alabama, and a few Precedents for her Career, drawn from the History of the War of 1776 370

The Equipment of the Alabama illustrated by that of sundry Colonial Cruisers during the War of 1776--Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane sent to Paris as Chiefs of a Naval Bureau--The Surprise and the Revenge--Captains Wickes and Conyngham, and Commodore John Paul Jones 388

Author leaves Liverpool to join the Alabama--Arrives at Terceira--Description of the Alabama--Preparing her for Sea-- The Portuguese Authorities--The commissioning of the Ship--A Picture of her Birth and Death--Captain Bullock returns to England--The Alabama on the High Seas 400

The Alabama a Ship of War, and not a Privateer--Sketch of the Personnel of the Ship--Putting the Ship in Order for Service-- Sail and Steam--The Character of the Sailor--The First Blow is struck at the Whale Fishery--The Habitat and Habits of the Whale--Capture of the Ocmulgee 414

Capture of the Starlight; Ocean Rover; Alert; Weather Gauge--A Chase by Moonlight--Capture of the Altamaha; Virginia; Elisha Dunbar--A Rough Sea, Toiling Boats, and a Picturesque Conflagration in a Gale 428

The Yankee Colony of the Island of Flores--What the Captains of the Virginia and Elisha Dunbar said of the Alabama when they got back among their Countrymen--The Whaling Season at the Azores at an End--The Alabama changes her Cruising Ground--What she saw and what she did 445

Capricious Weather of the Gulf Stream--Capture of the Packet-Ship Tonawanda; of the Manchester and Lafayette--A Cyclone, the Alabama's First Gale--How she behaved 463

The Physiognomy of Ships--Capture of the Lafayette--Decree of the Admiralty Court on board the Alabama in her Case, and in that of the Lauretta--The Criticisms of the New York Press-- Further Evidence of the Rotary Nature of the Winds--The Lauretta captured--The Crenshaw captured--The New York Chamber of Commerce cries aloud in Pain--Capture of the Baron de Castine, and of the Levi Starbuck--Capture of the T. B. Wales--Lady Prisoners 479

The Calm-Belts and the Trade-Winds--The Arrival of the Alabama at the Island of Martinique--The Curiosity of the Islanders to see the Ship--A Quasi Mutiny among the Crew, and how it was quelled 498

The Alabama at Martinique--Is blockaded by the Enemy's Steamer San Jacinto--How she escaped the Old Wagon--The Island of Blanquilla, the Alabama's new Rendezvous--Coaling Ship--A Yankee Skipper and his Alarm--How the Officers and Men amused themselves at this Island--The Alabama sails again--Capture of the Parker Cooke, Union, and Steamer Ariel 514

The Alabama is disabled by an Accident, and stops to repair her Machinery--Proceeds to her New Rendezvous at the Arcas Islands, and thence to Galveston--Engagement with the United States Steamer Hatteras, which she sinks 536

The Alabama proceeds to Jamaica, where she lands her Prisoners and refits--Her Commander visits the Country--Intercourse with the English Naval Officers--Earl Russell's Letter--Preparations for Sea--A Boat Race by Moonlight, in which Strange Tactics are practised--Captain Blake of the Hatteras complains of "Dixie" being played by the English Bands--How the Matter is settled 551

Departure from Jamaica--Capture of the Golden Rule--Coasting the Island of Hayti--Capture of the Castelaine--The Old City of St. Domingo and its Reminiscences--The Dominican Convent and the Palace of Diego Columbus--Capture of the Palmetto, the Olive Jane, and the Golden Eagle--How the Roads are blazed out upon the Sea--Captain Maury 563

The Crossing of the 30th Parallel--The Toll-Gate upon the Sea-- How the Travellers pass along the Highway--Capture of the Washington; John A. Parks; the Bethia Taylor; the Punjaub; the Morning Star; the Kingfisher; the Charles Hill; and the Nora-- Alabama crosses the Equator--Capture of the Louisa Hatch-- Arrival at Fernando de Noronha 581

Fernando de Noronha--Its Famous Peak--Is a Penal Settlement of Brazil--A Visit from the Governor's Ambassadors--A Visit to the Governor in return--The Aristocracy of the Island--Capture of the Lafayette and the Kate Cory--Burning of these two Ships with the Louisa Hatch--Prisoners sent to Pernambuco--The Cloud Ring and the Rainy and Dry Seasons 596

The Alabama leaves Fernando de Noronha for a Cruise on the Coast of Brazil--Enters the great Highway, and begins to overhaul the Travellers--Capture of the Whalers Nye; Dorcas Prince; Union Jack; Sea Lark--A Reverend Consul taken Prisoner--Alabama goes into Bahia--What occurred there--Arrival of the Georgia--Alabama proceeds to Sea again--Capture of the Gildersleeve; the Justina; the Jabez Snow; the Amazonian; and the Talisman 610

The Alabama continues her Cruise on the Coast of Brazil-- American Ships under English Colors--The Enemy's Carrying-Trade in Neutral Bottoms--The Capture of the Conrad--She is commissioned as a Confederate States Cruiser--The Highways of the Sea, and the Tactics of the Federal Secretary of the Navy-- The Phenomena of the Winds in the Southern Hemisphere--Arrival at Saldanha Bay, on the Coast of Africa 626

The connecting Thread of the History of the War taken up--A brief Review of the Events of the last twelve Months, during which the Alabama has been commissioned--The Alabama arrives at Cape Town--Capture of the Sea-Bride--Excitement thereupon-- Correspondence between the U. S. Consul and the Governor on the Subject of the Capture 642

A Gale at Cape Town--The Alabama gets under way for Simon's Town--Capture of the Martha Wenzell--The Tuscaloosa--Her Status as a Ship of War considered--She proceeds to Sea--The Alabama follows her--They, with the Sea-Bride, rendezvous at Angra Peque?a 660

The Alabama on the Indian Ocean--The Passengers questioned, and contracted with--The Agulhas Current--The brave West Winds--A Theory--The Islands of St. Peter and St. Paul--The Tropic of Capricorn--The South-east Trade-Winds, and the Monsoons--The Alabama arrives off the Strait of Sunda--Capture of the Amanda--Runs in and anchors under the Coast of Sumatra 674

The Alabama passes through the Strait of Sunda, seeing nothing of the Wyoming--Burns the Winged Racer just inside of the Strait--The Malay Boatmen, and their Alarm--Alabama makes for the Gaspar Strait, and burns the Contest, after an exciting Chase--She passes through the Carimata Passage--Discharges her Prisoners into an English Ship--Miniature Sea-Serpents--The Currents--Island of Pulo Condore--Arrives at Singapore 690

The Alabama at Singapore--Panic among the Enemy's Shipping in the China Seas--The Multitude flock to see the Alabama--Curious Rumor concerning a Portion of her Crew--The Author rides to the Country and spends a Night--The Chinese in possession of the Business of Singapore--Alabama leaves Singapore--Capture of the Martaban, alias Texan Star--Alabama touches at Malacca--Capture of the Highlander, and Sonora--Alabama once more in the Indian Ocean 708

The Alabama crosses the Bay of Bengal--The Pilgrims to Mecca, and how they received her Boarding-Officer--The Burning of the Emma Jane--The Town of Anjenga, and the Hindoos--The Great Deserts of Central Asia, and the Cotton Crop of Hindoston--The Alabama crosses the Arabian Sea--The Animalculae of the Sea--The Comoro Islands--Johanna, and its Arab Population--The Alabama passes through the Mozambique Channel--Arrives at the Cape of Good Hope 722

The Alabama again in Cape Town--The Seizure of the Tuscaloosa, and the Discussion which grew out of it--Correspondence between the Author and Admiral Walker--Action of the Home Government, and Release of the Tuscaloosa 738

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