Rescued by an intrepid English yachtsman, Semmes was brought to England, where he found himself something of a hero. Britain indignantly refused all requests for Semmes to be handed over to the Federals, and late in 1864, he made his way back to the Confederacy. Thanks to the Union blockade, Semmes had to enter by way of coastal Texas, and he traced almost the same route as Colonel Arthur Fremantle in 1863. On arriving in Richmond, Semmes was lionized by the populace. Jefferson Davis made him the first rear-admiral of the fledgling Confederate Navy, but it was apparent to most observers that this navy was on its last legs.