Raphael Semmes (September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1860 and the Confederate States Navy starting in 1861. He served during the Mexican War, but his ship was lost during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. During the American Civil War he was captain of the famous commerce raider CSS Alabama, taking several prizes. After the Civil War, Semmes faced treason charges by the Union, but these were dismissed in 1866. He became a professor, a judge, a newspaper editor, and an attorney. He also became a staunch "Lost Cause" advocate.