By Raphael Semmes, an officer in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1860 and the Confederate States Navy from 1860 to 1865. It is considered that it was Semmes who suggested an idea of raiders to the Department of the Navy. Semmes got under his command and old steamship, re-equipped in cruiser, named “Sumter”. During six months the ship managed to sieze 17 north merchant vessels. However the condition of “Sumter” leaved much to be desired, and at the beginning of 1862 it was written off. The next cruiser of Semmes was legendary “Alabama” – the latest ship of English construction. This famous vessel of the Confederative United States destroyed lots of commercial ships of the North Americans during the internecine war of 1861—1865. During 22 months of navigation “Alabama” got 55 prizes and sank the battleship “Hatteras.” Its odyssey finished in June of 1864 in the battle with the Northern “Kearsarge.”