Confederate Naval button. Diam. 23 mm. With period paper tag ink inscribed: "Button from the coat of Admiral Semmes while in command of Privateer Alabama at Matanzas Cuba". Obverse features anchor superimposed on crossed cannons on a lined field, with twisted rope border. "CSN" below anchor. Reverse with intact shank and legend reading: "S. Isaacs Campbell & Co. London / 71 Jermyn. St." Albert CS 53.

Confederate Navy button worn by the most well-known Confederate naval commander of the Civil War, Raphael Semmes (1809-1877). A US Navy officer from 1826 until 1861, Semmes took command of the cruiser "CSS Alabama" and would become the war's most successful commerce raider, taking 65 prizes. The Alabama was finally defeated at the Battle of Cherbourg on 19 June 1864, when the newly-ironclad USS Kearsarge awaited the Alabama outside a neutral French port. Semmes, unaware of the Kearsarge's recent upgrades, engaged, but was bested in the single-ship action.

During his long cruise with the Alabama, Semmes spent at least 6 months in the East Indies. After her sinking, he returned to the Confederacy via Cuba. Following the war, Semmes fled to England to avoid capture by Union forces. After some time in exile, he eventually returned to the United States, where he faced charges of piracy. However, due to legal technicalities, he was released. Semmes went on to write his memoirs, titled "Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States," which provided valuable insights into his experiences during the Civil War.

Condition: a few dark spots else very fine, minor toning to tag.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Navy, Naval History, Brown Water Navy, Blue Water Navy, Buttons, Ephemera]