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the after fire-hose during the alarm of fire in the action.
Very respectfully,
sir: I respectfully submit to you a statement of injuries sustained by the
United States steamer
Kearsarge in her hull, sails, rigging, etc., during our late engagement with the rebel steamer
Alabama on the nineteenth instant, off this port.
In hull.--One shot in starboard gangway; cut chain and bruised plank.
One shell under waistgun; cut chain and exploded, cutting outside planking.
One shell under starboard main channels; cut off chain-plate, going through and exploding.
One thirty-two pounder solid shot; entered forward of forward pivot port; shot lodged inside, crushing water-ways.
One one hundred pounder rifle shell; lodged in stern-post.
One shell through top of the engine-house.
One shell through port netting, abreast main rigring.
One shot and two shells through port netting, forward of mizzen rigging.
One shell through smoke-stack, exploding inside stack.
Two shots through taffrail.
One shot through netting, forward of mizzen rigging on starboard side.
In sails.--Spanker badly torn by shell.
In rigging.--Fore-topmast backstay carried away.
One shroud in main rigging cut away.
One screw in port main rigging.
Starboard maintopmast backstay cut away.
After shroud, starboard side of the main-topmast rigging.
Starboard swifter of mizzen rigging.
One screw in port main rigging.
One plate in starboard main channels.
Boats.--Third cutter, one shot through bottom; starboard gunwale shot away.
Gig, badly shattered.
The spars are all in good order.
Respectfully,
Number of shots and shells which struck the ship in various places, twenty-eight.
sir: I respectfully submit the following report of the expenditure of ordnance stores on board of this ship during the engagement with the rebel steamer
Alabama, on the nineteenth instant:
Fifty-five fifteen-pound service charges; fifty-five eleven-inch five-second shell; sixty six-pound service charges; eighteen thirty-two pounder five-second shell; forty-two thirty-two pound solid shot; forty-eight two and a half pound service charges, rifle; forty-eight rifle percussion-shell; one hundred friction-primers; two hundred and forty percussion-primers.
Fixed ammunition for boat howitzer: nine shrapnel, Bormann fused; one canister.
Recapitulation.--Duration of action, sixty-five minutes. Number of rounds eleven-inch, fifty-five; number of rounds thirty-two pounder, sixty; number of rounds thirty-pounder rifle, forty-eight; number of rounds twelve-pounder howitzer, ten; total, one hundred and seventy-three.
Very respectfully,
Extract from log-book.
Moderate breeze from the westward.
Weather bc. At ten, inspected crew at quarters.
At twenty-minutes past ten, discovered the
Alabama steaming out from the port of
Cherbourg, accompanied by a French iron-clad steamer, and a fore-and-aft rigged steamer, showing the white English ensign and a yacht-flag.
Beat to general quarters, and cleared the ship for action.
Steamed ahead, standing off shore.
At fifty minutes past ten, being distant from the land about two leagues, altered our course and approached the
Alabama.
At fifty-seven minutes past ten, the
Alabama commenced the action with her starboard broadside at one thousand yards range.
At eleven, we returned her fire and came fairly into action, which we continued until meridian, when, observing signs of distress in the enemy, together with a cessation of her fire, our fire was withheld.
At ten minues past twelve, a boat with an officer from the
Alabama came alongside and surrendered his vessel, with the information that she was rapidly sinking, and a request for assistance.
Sent the launch and second cutter, the other boats being disabled by the fire of the enemy.
The English yacht, before mentioned, coming within hail, was requested by the captain to render assistance in saving the lives of the officers and crew of the surrendered vessel.
At twenty-four minutes past twelve, the
Alabama went down in forty fathoms water, leaving most of her crew struggling in the water.
Seventy persons were rescued by the boats.
Two pilot-boats and the yacht also assisted.
One pilot-boat came alongside of us, but the other returned to the port.
The English yacht steamed rapidly away to the northward, without reporting the number of our prisoners she had picked up. Hoisted up our boats and three of the enemy's cutters.
Repaired the rigging temporarily.
Took a French pilot, and steamed away to
Cherbourg.
At ten minutes past three, let go the port-anchor in seven fathoms water, and veered to thirty fathoms chain.
Conduct of the Deerhound.
sir: I have the honor to report that toward the close of the action between the
Alabama and this vessel, all available sail was made on the former for the purpose of again reaching
Cherbourg.
When the object was apparent, the
Kearsarge was steered across the bow of the
Alabama for a raking fire; but before reaching this point the
Alabama struck.
Uncertain whether
