Chris Calle (American, B. 1961) "Raphael Semmes" Signed lower right. Original Mixed Media on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the 32c Raphael Semmes Classic Collection Series stamp issued June 29, 1995.

Born in 1809 in Charles County, Maryland, Raphael Semmes joined the U.S. Navy when he was only 17. He continued in the service and was promoted to lieutenant in 1837, seeing action in the Mexican War. When war broke out between the states, he resigned from the U.S. Navy and volunteered for the Confederate Navy. Given the rank of commander, he was assigned to command the Sumter, a packet steamer berthed at New Orleans. Semmes had the vessel converted to an armed raider and sailed on June 30, 1861. The Sumter burned or captured a number of Union merchant vessels in the Atlantic and the West Indies until it was blockaded at Gibraltar. Semmes abandoned the ship and made his way to England, where he took command of the Alabama, a Confederate cruiser just being built at Liverpool. Semmes spent two years cruising the waters of the world, destroying more than 70 Union ships and seriously disrupting Union maritime trade. With the Alabama badly in need of repairs, Semmes put in at Cherbourg, France, in June 1864, where he was bottled up by the Union warship Kearsarge. On June 19, the Alabama sailed out to fight. In the ensuing battle, the Confederate cruiser was sunk, but Semmes and most of his crew were rescued by a British yacht that took them to England. Returning home, Semmes was given command of the James River squadron, but was forced to destroy it during the evacuation of Richmond. Semmes then organized a land force, but later surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina.

Image Size: 14.5 x 12.5 in.
Overall Size: 23 x 18 in.
Unframed.
(B15213)

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