Sunday Mac

By tk
Sunday, October 27, 2002

A new item for the Log please, whenever.

HMAS Shropshire Memorial Tree, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT.

In the gardens that surround the Australian War Memorial are a number of trees bearing a brass plaque that remembers a specific Army Unit, Airforce Group or a Naval Ship. One such tree was planted by the HMAS Shropshire Association, it too, bore a plaque.

As the Victorian President of the Association I was recently contacted by the Director of the AWM, indicating that the current plaque had Philippines wrongly spelled, and that it was proposed that a new plaque would be made, and installed with our approval, and at the expense of the Australian War Memorial. My Committee was asked to give their approval in writing to this suggestion, we of course agreed, the old plaque stated that we had lost 6 members to the enemy, this was in fact not right, those 6 had died of natural causes during their time in the ship, and not as the result of any enemy action. On the new plaque we had that changed to read correctly.

A copy of the new plaque is shown here. A further record for posterity of the service of a wonderful 8 inch cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy, and her crew. I am proud to say, " I saw service as part of the wartime crew in HMAS Shropshire."

More on Alabama

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January, and headed for the coastline of Haiti.

The next day, the barque Golden Rule, 255 tons fell to the Raider, she was full of medicine and food consigned to the Panama Railway Company and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, also in the cargo, a full set of spars and sails for USS Bainbridge, Semmes soon ensured she would still be waiting a lot longer before these essential parts were replaced. Although some of the cargo may have fallen into the neutral category , Semmes decided the ship would be burned, a fate soon carried out.

Now off Santo Domingo, the 293 ton brig Chastelain, ex Boston, was soon despatched by fire, she was only in ballast, and other than the ship's chronometer and $700 worth of gold she yielded nothing but extra prisoners to cope with, these and those from Golden Rule were soon sent ashore at Santo Domingo.

Early in February, a smallish schooner of but 172 tons, Palmetto, having sailed out of New York only 10 days earlier, met the usual fate associated with being captured by Semmes.

The remainder of February provided scant pickings, only two more prizes for the month, both on the 21st. although 4 sails were sighted, two proved to be American, the 1,121 ton clipper Golden Eagle, and the 360 ton New York bark Olive Jane, the latter carrying wine, brandy and delicacies from Bordeaux, Semmes recalling the alcohol problems he previously had with his crew, burned this vessel and all her cargo.

The clipper with guano for Cork also went up in flames, I found myself wondering if, perhaps as a boy, the Captain of Alabama had a specific interest in building and then setting alight large bon fires, he seemed to enjoy the experience now!

On the second last day of this month, the New York Washington was taken. her cargo, also guano for Cork was neutrally owned in Holland, and she was bonded for $50, 000, and released, not before her Master was convinced he should take all prisoners aboard. Early into March, a third guano ship was captured, the 890 ton Bethiah Thayer, another neutral owner, resulted in another bonding, this time for $40,000.

John A. Parks, full of lumber for Montevideo was next to burn, Semmes not happy with the Consulate seal which he deemed fraudalent, now the Boston Punjaub was captured, this time her English cargo exempted her from a fiery end, but a ransom bond of $55,000 was executed, and the Park's crew taken aboard for passage to London. By coincidence, in September 1863, Punjaub again fell into Semmes' clutches, only to survive a second time through carrying a neutral cargo, and having all her papers in meticulous order. Her owners had already lost a ship to Semmes, the Thomas B. Wales which he destroyed in the previous November, and had used

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their experience as a lesson to properly document all neutral cargoes, if they wanted to survive the hard scrutiny that Semmes gave to papers of any ship he captured.

On the 23rd. of March, two more ships fell foul of Alabama, Morning Star from Boston with a neutral cargo from Calcutta to London was released after being bonded for $ 61,700, the whaler Kingfisher, only 120 tons from Massachusetts, not so forunate, was burned.

Two days later, Alamaba still going on her destructive way, two more prizes, the 699 ton ship Charles Hill with a hold full of salt, like wise a schooner Nora, both ships soon burning.

No further conquests came the way of the Raider until the morning of the 4th. of April, when at 0830 ( 8.30 AM ) a chase began, it took another 12 hours before the New York vessel Louisa Hatch, with a load of 1,100 tons of smokeless coal on board, was overtaken, and captured.

Alabama's bunkers almost empty, Agrippina was due, she never arrived, her unreliable Captain had sold off his cargo of coal, and went back to England. So once more Semmes' incredible luck continued with his latest seizure.

Sailing in company with Louisa Hatch, having placed Fullam one of his officers on board, the two ships went off to the Brazilian penal colony of Fernando de Noronha.

On the 10th. of April, Semmes told the Governor he was in his territory, and using open boats transferred 300 tons of coal from his latest benefactor.

Two whalers anchored about 5 miles off shore on the 15th. of April, and their Captains rowed over to the Louisa Hatch, here Fullam pretending to be American passed off the nearby Alabama as a Brazilian steamer, but they soon hurriedly retreated after observing a Confederate flag drying over a nearby boom.

Semmes watching this farce from close by, raised steam, flying the Confederate flag, but one shot was necessary to force the two whalers to surrender, Lafayette, and the 132 ton Kate Cory, which was used to transport the 110 prisoners back to shore.

A new arrival, a Brazilian schooner, was now utilised to carry these latest prisoners to Pernambuco, the two whalers taken out to sea and burned.

By the 22nd. of April, the local authorities were ready to see the end of the Confederates, and Semmes took his ship to sea, to capture a 211 ton bark Nye, from New Bedford, returning with a load of whale oil, and whalebone from a spell in the Pacific. The oil assisted the subsequent fire, as she burned in fine fashion.

Four days without a sighting, then another ship carrying coal from New York to

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Shanghai, for once Semmes could not fit the coal into his already full bunkers, the crew were removed from Dorcas Prince, 44 prisoners now swelled the numbers on board the Raider, further additions would add to the guarding and feeding problem already posed for Captain Semmes.

Whilst close to Bahia, now into May, two American ships were found, the Union Jack, off to Shanghai,  with a general cargo, and six passengers, the Captain, Charles P. Weaver, had his wife with him, plus two children and a servant, a consul going out to China, plus another man. The two ladies were transferred to Alabama, via a bosun's chair strung from the yard arm, I am sure thay were probably petrified, as they gazed at the nearby ocean yawning close below them during their ride between ships.

The second ship, a 973 ton Boston clipper, Sea Lark, was taken, she had an interesting general cargo which took a whole day to sort through to decide what might prove useful to the Alabama, her destination San Francisco, but never to be reached. Both ships were burned, and the total of 108 prisoners made it mandatory for Semmes to head into the port of Bahia, where he landed them.

The slate listing captured and burned ships now had a total of 38 ships , and the value of them, including bonded ships, reached a staggering total of $3,100,00, all achieved in a short nine months, a truly amazing result for Semmes, his officers, and the crew. Alabama was at the zenith of her career, a few days of rest and recreation at Bahia were in order, and the waterfront brothels were assured of record business.

On the 13th. of May, the Officer of the Watch, reported a strange ship had anchored close by, it turned out to be CSS Georgia, captained by Lieutenant William Maury, an old Naval friend of Semmes, and under him were two officers from Sumter,all in all, a happy reunion over several days.

Although the American Consul was lobbying the provincial President not to grant the Confederate ships a coaling permit, Semmes turning his charm and persuasive powers upon the President, and, promising to sail as soon as both ships coaled, won the day. It took five days for the ordered coal to arrive, on taking it onboard, Semmes cleared the harbour at Bahia on the 21st. of May, sailed south to seek ships that were rounding Cape Horn.

Success on the 25th. of May, the 848 ton S. Gildersleeve, making for Calcutta, loaded with British coal, was consigned to the depths, another ship close by, Justina, was bonded for $7,000, and took the latest prisoners on board to take them back to Boston.

The 29th. of May, and another capture, the 1,074 ton Jabez Snow, also loaded with coal  for Montevideo, Semmes was suprised to find a woman on the ship's articles listed as a chambermaid, he wrote: " These shameless Yankee skippers make a

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make a common practice of converting ships into brothels, and taking their mistresses to sea with them. For decency's sake, I was obliged to turn the junior Lieutenant out of his state room for her accommodation."

In some things,and in some ways, our Captain Semmes could be quite straight laced!

This floating brothel was naturally burned without any compunction.

June had arrived, and was celebrated with the capture, after a long chase, of the 480 ton bark Amazonian, she soon burned, and her crew transferred on the next day to Widna of Hanover, for safe passage to Rio de Janiro, 10 days of provisions and a $200 chronometer were necessary to change hands to secure this deal.

The 5th. of June and a clipper of 1,237 tons, Talisman became a victim, another Shanghai bound coal shipment, she carried four brass 12 pounders, and they transferred to a new ownership, no doubt to be put to good use at a later date.

Two American ships, now sailing under the British flag were overtaken, G. Azzopadi was released, then the Queen of Beauty, now Australian was also free to proceed.

Next, on the 20th. of June, Conrad, a 348 ton sleek bark from Philadephia surrendered, loaded with Argentinian wool and goat skins, her Captain's papers claimed neutrality, but as her cargo was consigned to New York, Semmes ruled the papers forged. The 21 men and 1 woman came aboard Alabama.

Semmes had been seeking a fast ship, and believed he had just captured one, the next day, she was armed with two of the 12 pounder guns, and Lieutenant John Low given command of the newly named Confederate Cruiser Tuscaloosa.

Low had been told to take his command to Saldanha Bay, north of the Cape of Good Hope, and Alabama now set course for that same destination.

Weavils had taken hold in the ship's bread, a new supply was needed before tackling an Atlantic crossing to a rest area in the close proximity of Cape Town, and Semmes altered course for Rio, still some 825 miles away.

Luck once more showed her hand, and after a long chase, the 784 ton Anna F. Schmidt, happily an American ship, was captured, her hold to yield up, guess what? Right! a 30 day supply of bread sealed in airtight casks, plus a nice selection of needed clothing, including shoes. Once again Alabama went about, and headed for South Afrtica.

Whilst the burning Anna still lit the evening sky, a square rigged ship very much like a Yankee clipper sailed quickly past, Semmes took up the chase under steam. When three miles away a shot was fired, the stranger fired in return, the chase now