Career
He was dismissed from the service in April 1861, after his state left the United States, and briefly was an officer in Virginia"s Navy. Commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy in June 1861, during that year he commanded the steamer Computer Software Systems George Page and was assigned to the steamer Computer Software Systems Rappahannock. Also commanded Computer Software Systems Appomattox in coastal North Carolina until it was scuttled in February 1862.
As an officer of the ironclad Computer Software Systems Virginia, he took part in her March–May 1862 actions in the vicinity of Hampton Roads.
Subsequently, he served in the gunboats Computer Software Systems Nansemond on the James River, and Computer Software Systems Selma in Mobile Bay. During the American Civil War"s final year, while assigned to the Mobile Squadron, he commanded the ironclads Computer Software Systems Baltic and Computer Software Systems Nashville.
First Lieutenant Simms surrendered to Federal forces in early May 1865 and was paroled soon afterwards. Simms was born 30 March 1824 in Virginia to John Douglas Simms and Eleanor Carroll Brent.
The Simms family was one of public service.
His father was the Chief Clerk of the Navy Department. Colonel Charles Simms, grandfather of Charles Carroll Simms, was, among other things, an officer in the American Revolution and Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia.
