The Southern Seahawk
The Southern Seahawk by Randall Peffer is a historical fiction novel published by Bleak House Books on November 15, 2008. This hardcover edition spans 300 pages and is written in English. The narrative centers on Commander Rafael Semmes, whose exploits during the Civil War lead him to become the Union’s Public Enemy Number One. The story begins with Semmes’ daring escape through the Federal Blockade of the Mississippi in June 1861, marking the start of his notorious career as the Southern Seahawk.
Readers will find an exploration of Semmes’ remarkable achievements as he commands the Confederate cruiser Sumter, capturing eight enemy ships in just four days. The novel delves into his subsequent successes, where he takes and burns over eighty prizes, establishing himself as a formidable maritime predator. The plot also weaves in the political tensions in Washington, highlighting the impact of Semmes’ actions on figures such as Rose Greenhow and Allan Pinkerton, while showcasing the broader context of the Civil War and its maritime conflicts.
Official synopsis Publisher
Southern Seahawk, the first novel in the Seahawk Trilogy, grows from the true story of Commander Rafael Semmes’ rise to infamy, becoming the Union’s Public Enemy Number One. In June, 1861, Semmes’ Confederate cruiser Sumter makes a daring escape through the Federal Blockade of the Mississippi. So begins the commander’s career as the Southern Seahawk. With a hand-picked crew of Southern officers and mercenary seamen, Semmes seizes eight enemy ships in four days, a record never surpassed by any other captain of a warship.
By the time the cruises of the Sumter and her successor Alabama end, Semmes will have taken and burned more than eighty prizes, making him the most successful maritime predator in history. For two and a half years Semmes eludes a pack of pursuers and almost single-handedly
drives marine insurance rates so high in the North, that many Yankee ships refuse to sail until he is caught.
Back in Washington, Semmes’ predations fuel feuds within the Lincoln cabinet and incite the spy games of historical figures like courtesans Rose Greenhow, Betty Duval, detective Allan Pinkerton and the commander s mistress.
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