Admiral Raphael Semmes.

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Thanks, Mark. Just what I need - another book to read.

noticed as part of "the unread line" by Your heirs?

 

[wausaubob]

The what-if I wonder about, actually, is-- suppose Semmes had gambled and won, and sunk or otherwise disabled Kearsarge? Where could he have gone, in a ship presumably even more damaged than she already was when she sought refuge in Cherbourg? She might have reached Le Havre or Calais, perhaps-- but her location was known, and Federal warships would (and did) rapidly converge from all directions. His only other option was Britain, where the ship would most likely be interned, or at least severely delayed.

Perhaps Semmes really did mean to go out in a blaze of glory, hoping to take a few Federals with him...

I started a new thread, but it wilted. Semmes had burned British owned ship 6 months prior to making Cherborg. He knew that in a British port he probably would not be allowed to leave. And even a slight delay would allow the US Navy to trap him in port. Also between Cape Town and Cherborg he must have received some newspapers about the Confederate fortunes in war in 1863. There were very few Confederate ports open by June 1864. And the ones that were open were heavily blockaded.