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Cruise and combats of the “Alabama.”
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Sailor. |
The Confederate cruiser
Alabama was built by the Lairds, of
Birkenhead, England, for the
Confederate States Government.
In the House of Commons the senior partner of the constructors stated “that she left
Liverpool a perfectly legitimate transaction.”
Captain James D. Bulloch, as agent for the
Confederacy, superintended her construction.
As a “ruse” she was sent on a trial trip, with a large party of ladies and gentlemen.
A tug met the ship in the channel and took off the guests, while the two hundred and ninetieth ship built in the
Laird yard proceeded on her voyage to the island of
Terceira, one of the
Azores, whither a transport had preceded her with war material.
Captain Raphael Semmes, with his officers, carried by the
Bahama, met her there.
Under the lee of the island, outside the marine league, we lashed our ships together, and made the transfer of armament and stores.
Arriving on Wednesday, August 20th, 1862, by Saturday night we had completed the transfer, and on Sunday morning, under a cloudless sky, upon the broad
Atlantic, a common heritage, we put the
Alabama in commission, by authority of the
Confederate States Government.
Thus empowered, we proceeded to ship such men from the crews of the several ships as were willing to sign the articles.
Eighty men signed, and these formed the nucleus of our crew, the full complement being soon made up from the crews of our prizes.
We then commenced our cruise of twenty-two months, during which she more successfully accomplished the work for which she was constructed than had any single ship of any nation in any age.
The
Alabama was built for speed rather than battle.
Her lines were symmetrical and fine; her material of the best.
In fifteen minutes her propeller could be hoisted, and she could go through every evolution under sail without any impediment.
In less time her propeller could be lowered; with sails furled, and yards braced within two points of a head-wind, she was a perfect steamer.
Her speed, independent, was from ten to twelve knots; combined, and under favorable circumstances, she could make fifteen knots.
When ready for sea she drew fifteen feet of water.
She was barkentine-rigged, with long lower masts, which enabled her to carry an immense spread of lower canvas, and to lay close to the wind.
Her engines were of three hundred horse-power, with a condensing apparatus that was indispensable.
Since we lived principally upon provisions taken from our prizes, their water-supply was never sufficient.
Our condenser enabled us to keep the sea for long periods, as we had to seek a port only for coals.
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The Confederate cruiser “Alabama.”
This sketch was made from a photograph (of a drawing) which Captain Semmes gave to a friend, with the remark that it was a correct picture of his ship.
On the stocks, and until she went into commission, the Alabama was known as “No. 290,” that being her number on the list of ships built by the Lairds.
According to the volume, “Our Cruise in the Confederate States' War Stealer Alabama,” she was a bark-rigged wooden propeller, of 1040 tons register; length of keel, 210 feet; length over all, 220; beam, 32; depth, 17.
She carried two horizontal engines, each of 300 horse-power; she had stowage for 350 tons of coal.
All her standing rigging was of wire.
She had a double wheel placed just before the mizzen-mast, and on it was inscribed the motto, “Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera.”
The bridge was in the center, just before the funnel.
She carried five boats: cutter and launch amidships, gig and whale-boat between the main and mizzen mast, and dingey astern.
The main deck was pierced for twelve guns.
She had an elliptic stern, billet head, and high bulwarks.
Her cabin accommodations were first-class; and her ward-room was furnished with a handsome suite of state-rooms.
The starboard steerage was for midshipmen, the port for engineers.
Next came the engine-room, coal-bunkers, etc.; then the berth-deck, accommodating 120 men. Under the ward-room were store-rooms and under the steerage were shell-rooms.
Just forward of the fire-room came the hold, next the magazines, and, forward of all, the boatswain's and sailmaker's store-rooms.
The hold was all under the berth-deck.--editors. |
Our armament consisted of eight guns: one
Blakely 100-pounder rifled gun, pivoted forward; one 8-inch solid-shot gun, pivoted abaft the mainmast; and six 32-pounders in broadside.
Our crew numbered about 120 men and 24 officers.
The commander,
Captain Semmes, had been an officer of high standing in the old navy, had studied law, paying particular attention to the international branch, and had been admitted to the bar in
Alabama, of which State he was a citizen.
Thus he was eminently qualified for the position he was now called upon to assume.
During the
Mexican war he commanded the brig
Somers in the blockade of
Vera Cruz, and lost that unfortunate vessel in chase, during a norther, and narrowly escaped drowning.
He afterward accompanied the army to the city of
Mexico.
The writer, his executive officer, had served twenty years in the old navy, and had accompanied every expedition of a warlike nature fitted out by the
United States during that period.
In the
Mexican war, on the coast of
California, I served ashore and afloat; then with the gallant
Commodore Perry, in his expedition to
Japan, and again in the
Paraguay expedition.
Our
second lieutenant,
R. F. Armstrong, from
Georgia, and third lieutenant,
J. D. Wilson, from
Florida, came out with us in the
Sumter.
They were just from
Annapolis, having resigned on the secession of their respective States.
Both the father and the grandfather of our fourth lieutenant,
Arthur Sinclair, Jr., of
Virginia, had been captains in the United States navy.
Our fifth
lieutenant, John Lowe, of
Georgia, had seen some service, and was a most efficient officer;
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our
Acting Master,
I. D. Bulloch, of
Georgia, was a younger brother of
Captain James D. Bulloch.
A few months' active service gave confidence to the watch-officers of the ward-room, and it may safely be affirmed that older heads could not have filled their places with greater efficiency.
The remainder of our ward-room mess was made up of our surgeon,
Dr. F. L. Galt, of
Virginia, also of the old service;
Dr. D. H. Llewellyn, of
Wiltshire, England, who, as surgeon, came out in the ship when under English colors, and joined us as assistant surgeon.
First Lieutenant B. K. Howell, of the Marine Corps, brother-in-law of
President Davis, was from
Mississippi,
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and
Mr. Miles J. Freeman, our chief engineer, had been with us in the
Sumter.
The steerage mess was made up of three midshipmen —
E. M. Anderson, of
Georgia;
E. A. Maffitt, of
North Carolina, son of the captain of the
Confederate States steamer
Florida; and
George T. Sinclair, of
Virginia.
The latter was afterward detached from the
Alabama and made executive officer to
Lieutenant Lowe on the
Tuscaloosa, a tender that we captured and commissioned.
Upon our arrival at
Cherbourg,
Sinclair came at once to join his old ship, having heard of the contemplated engagement.
Accompanying him came also
Lieutenant William C. Whittle, Jr., of
Virginia, a gallant young son of
Commodore W. C. Whittle of the old navy, and
Lieutenant John Grimball, a South Carolinian, offering their services for any position during the engagement.
They were not permitted to join us, on the ground that it would be a violation of French neutrality.
The remainder of the steerage mess was made up of young master's mates and engineers, most of whom had come out with us in the
Sumter.
1
The eleventh day after going into commission we captured our first prize, not one hundred miles from where we hoisted our flag.
After working round the
Azores for some weeks, with fine breezes, we shaped our course for
Sandy Hook; but we encountered frequent gales off the Newfoundland banks, and on the 16th of October lost our main-yard in a cyclone.
Being considerably shaken up, we decided to seek a milder latitude.
Running down to the
Windward Islands, we entered the
Caribbean Sea.
Our prizes gave us regularly the mails from the
United States, from which we learned of the fitting out of the army under
General Banks for the attack on
Galveston and the invasion of
Texas, and the day on which the fleet would sail; whereupon
Captain Semmes calculated about the time they would arrive, and shaped his course accordingly, coaling and refitting ship at the
Areas Keys.
He informed me of his plan of attack, which was to sight the shipping off
Galveston about the time that
General Banks was due with his large fleet of transports, under the convoy perhaps of a few vessels of war. The entire fleet would anchor in the outer roadstead, as there is only sufficient water on the bar for light-draughts.
All attention at such a time would be given to the disembarkation of the army, as there were no enemy's cruisers to molest them, our presence in the
Gulf not being known.
We were to take the bearing of the fleet, and, after the mid-watch was set and all was quiet, silently approach, steam among them with both batteries in action, slowly steam through the midst of them, pouring in a continuous discharge
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Chart of the cruise of the Alabama. |
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of shell to fire and sink them as we went; thus we expected to accomplish our work and be off on another cruise before the convoys could move.
But instead of sighting
General Banks's fleet of transports we sighted five vessels of war at anchor, and soon after our lookout reported a steamer standing out for us. We were then under topsails only, with a light breeze, heading off shore, and gradually drawing our pursuer from the squadron.
It was the
Hatteras, and about dark she came up with us, and in an action of thirteen minutes we sank her. The action closed about twilight, when
Captain Semmes, who always took his position on the weather horse-block, above the rail of the ship, to enable him to see all the surroundings, and to note the effect of our shot in action, or at exercise at general quarters, called to me and said, “
Mr. Kell, the enemy have fired a gun to leeward; cease firing.”
We were then about seventy-five yards from the enemy, and could hear distinctly their hail, saying they “were fast sinking and on fire in three places, and for God's sake to save them.”
We immediately sent boats, and in the darkness took every living soul from her. These events occurred in the presence of the enemy's fleet, bearing the pennant of
Commodore Bell within signal-distance.
2 The
Hatteras went down in a few minutes.
She carried a larger crew than our own. Knowing that the Federal squadron would soon be upon us, every light on board ship was put under cover and we shaped our course for broader waters.
During the night a fearful norther came sweeping after us, but under the circumstances it was a welcome gale.
Hoisting our propeller, we crowded all the sail we could bear, and soon were out of harm's way. As
Captain Blake of the
Hatteras (whom I had known in the old service) came on deck, he remarked upon the speed we were making, and gracefully saluted me with, “Fortune favors the brave, sir!”
I wished him a pleasant voyage with us; and I am sure he, with his officers and men, received every attention while on board the
Alabama.
3
We paroled the officers and crew of the
Hatteras at
Kingston, Jamaica, and after repairing a few shot-holes and coaling ship, we passed on to our work in the
South Atlantic, taking our position at the cross-roads of the homeward-bound
East India and Pacific trade.
After a few weeks of good work in that locality and along the coast of
Brazil, we crossed over to the
Cape of Good Hope, where we played “hide and seek” with the
United States steamer
Vanderbilt, whose commander,
Charles H. Baldwin, had explained to
Sir Baldwin Walker, the
English Admiral of the station at Simon's Town, “that he did not intend to fire a gun at the
Alabama, but to run her down and sink her.”
We were not disposed to try issues with the
Vanderbilt; so one night about 11 o'clock, while it blew a gale of wind from the south-east, we hove anchor and steamed out of Simon's Bay.
By morning we had made a good offing, and, setting what sail we could carry, hoisted our propeller and made a due south course.
We ran down to the fortieth degree
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south latitude, where we fell in with westerly gales and bowled along nearly due east, until we shaped our course for the
Straits of Java.
Our long stretch across the
Indian Ocean placed us in the
China Sea, where we were least expected, and where we soon fell in with the
China trade.
In a few weeks we had so paralyzed the enemy's commerce that their ships were absolutely locked up in port, and neutrals were doing all the carrying trade.
Having thus virtually cleared the sea of the
United States flag, we ran down to
Singapore, coaled ship, and then turned westward through the
Straits of Malacca, across to
India, thence to the east coast of
Africa.
Passing through the
Mozambique Channel, we again touched at the
Cape of Good Hope, and thence crossed to the coast of
Brazil.
4
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Our little ship was now showing signs of the active work she had been doing.
Her boilers were burned out, and her machinery was sadly in want of repairs.
She was loose at every joint, her seams were open, and the copper on her bottom was in rolls.
We therefore set our course for
Europe, and on the 11th of June, 1864, entered the port of
Cherbourg, and applied for permission to go into dock.
There being none but national docks, the
Emperor had first to be communicated with before permission could be granted, and he was absent from
Paris.
It was during this interval of waiting, on the third day after our arrival, that the
Kearsarge steamed into the harbor, for the purpose, as we learned, of taking on board the prisoners we had landed from our last two prizes.
Captain Semmes, however, objected to this on the ground that the
Kearsarge was adding to her crew in a neutral port.
The authorities conceding this objection valid, the
Kearsarge steamed out of the harbor, without anchoring.
During her stay we examined her closely with our glasses, but she was keeping on the opposite side of the harbor, out of the reach of a very close scrutiny, which accounts for our not detecting the boxing to her chain armor.
After she left the harbor
Captain Semmes sent for me to his cabin, and said: “I am going out to fight the
Kearsarge; what do you think of it?”
We discussed the battery, and especially the advantage the
Kearsarge had over us in her 11-inch guns.
She was built for a vessel of war, and we for speed, and though she carried one gun less, her battery was more effective at point-blank range.
While the
Alabama carried one more gun, the
Kearsarge threw more metal at a broadside; and while our heavy guns were more effective at long range, her 11-inch guns gave her greatly the advantage at close range.
She also had a slight advantage in her crew, she carrying 163, all told, while we carried 149.
Considering well these advantages,
Captain Semmes communicated through our agent to the United States consul that if
Captain Winslow would wait outside the harbor he would fight him as soon as we could coal ship.
Accordingly, on Sunday morning, June 19th, between 9 and 10 o'clock, we weighed anchor and stood out of the western entrance of the harbor, the French iron-clad frigate
Couronne following us. The day was bright and beautiful, with a light breeze blowing.
Our men were neatly dressed, and our officers in full uniform.
The report of our going out to fight the
Kearsarge had been circulated, and many persons from
Paris and the surrounding country had come down to witness the engagement.
With a large number of the inhabitants of
Cherbourg they collected on every prominent point on the shore that would afford a view seaward.
As we rounded the breakwater we discovered the
Kearsarge about seven miles to the northward and eastward.
We immediately shaped our course for her, called all hands to quarters, and cast loose the starboard battery.
Upon reporting to the captain that the ship was ready for action, he directed me to send all hands aft,
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and mounting a gun-carriage, he made the following address:
officers and seamen of the “Alabama” : You have at length another opportunity of meeting the enemy — the first that has been presented to you since you sank the Hatteras! In the meantime you have been all over the world, and it is not too much to say that you have destroyed, and driven for protection under neutral flags, one-half of the enemy's commerce, which at the beginning of the war covered every sea. This is an achievement of which you may well be proud, and a grateful country will not be unmindful of it. The name of your ship has become a household word wherever civilization extends!
Shall that name be tarnished by defeat?
The thing is impossible!
Remember that you are in the English Channel, the theater of so much of the naval glory of our race, and that the eyes of all Europe are at this moment upon you. The flag that floats over you is that of a young Republic, which bids defiance to her enemy's whenever and wherever found!
Show the world that you know how to uphold it!
Go to your quarters.
In about forty-five minutes we were somewhat over a mile from the
Kearsarge, when she headed for us, presenting her starboard bow. At a distance of a mile we commenced the action with our 100-pounder pivot-gun from our starboard bow. Both ships were now approaching each other at high speed, and soon the action became general with broadside batteries at a distance of about five hundred yards. To prevent passing, each ship used a strong port helm.
Thus the action was fought around a common center, gradually drawing in the circle.
At this range we used shell upon the enemy.
Captain Semmes, standing on the horse-block abreast the mizzen-mast with his glass in hand, observed the effect of our shell.
He called to me and said: “
Mr. Kell, use solid shot; our shell strike the enemy's side and fall into the water.”
We were not at this time aware of the chain armor of the enemy, and attributed the failure of our shell to our defective ammunition.
5 After using solid shot
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Fighting in A circle. |
for some time, we alternated shell and shot.
The enemy's 11-inch shells were now doing severe execution upon our quarter-deck section.
Three of them successively entered our 8-inch pivot-gun port: the first swept off the forward part of the gun's crew; the second killed one man and wounded several others; and the third struck the breast of the gun-carriage, and spun around on the deck till one of the men picked it up and threw it overboard.
Our decks were now covered with the dead and the wounded, and the ship was careening heavily to starboard from the effects of the shot-holes on her water-line.
Captain Semmes ordered me to be ready to make all sail possible when the circuit of fight should put our head to the coast of
France; then he would notify me at the same time to pivot to port and continue the action with the port battery, hoping thus to right the ship and enable us to reach the coast of
France.
The evolution was performed beautifully, righting the helm, hoisting the head-sails, hauling aft the fore try-sail sheet, and pivoting to port, the action continuing almost without cessation.
This evolution exposed us to a raking fire, but, strange to say, the
Kearsarge did not take advantage of it. The port side of the quarter-deck was so encumbered with the mangled trunks of the dead that I had to have them thrown overboard, in order to fight the after pivot-gun.
I abandoned the after 32-pounder, and transferred.
the men to fill up the vacancies at the
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pivot-gun under the charge of young
Midshipman Anderson, who in the midst of the carnage filled his place like a veteran.
At this moment the chief engineer came on deck and reported the fires put out, and that he could no longer work the engines.
Captain Semmes said to me, “Go below, sir, and see how long the ship can float.”
As I entered the ward-room the sight was indeed appalling.
There stood
Assistant-Surgeon Llewellyn at his post, but the table and the patient upon it had been swept away from him by an 11-inch shell, which opened in the side of the ship an aperture that was fast filling the ship with water.
It took me but a moment to return to the deck and report to the captain that we could not float ten minutes. He replied to me, “Then, sir, cease firing, shorten sail, and haul down the colors; it will never do in this nineteenth century for us to go down, and the decks covered with our gallant wounded.”
The order was promptly executed, after which the
Kearsarge deliberately fired into us five shot.
6 I ordered the men to stand to their quarters and not flinch from the shot of the enemy; they stood every man to his post most heroically.
With the first shot fired upon us after our colors were down, the quartermaster was ordered to show a white flag over the stern, which order was executed in my presence.
When the firing ceased
Captain Semmes ordered me to dispatch an officer to the
Kearsarge to say that our ship was sinking, and to ask that they send boats to save our wounded, as our boats were disabled.
The dingey, our smallest boat, had escaped damage.
I dispatched Masters-
mate Fullam with the request.
No boats appearing, I had one of our quarter-boats lowered, which was slightly injured, and I ordered the wounded placed in her.
Dr. Galt, the surgeon who was in charge of the magazine and shell-room division, came on deck at this moment and was at once put in charge of the boat, with orders to “take
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the wounded to the
Kearsarge.”
They shoved off just in time to save the poor fellows from going down in the ship.
I now gave the order for every man to jump overboard with a spar and save himself from the sinking ship.
To enforce the order, I walked forward and urged the men overboard.
As soon as the decks were cleared, save of the bodies of the dead, I returned to the stern-port, where stood
Captain Semmes with one or two of the men and his faithful steward, who, poor fellow!
was doomed to a watery grave, as he could not swim.
The
Alabama's stern-port was now almost at the water's edge.
Partly undressing, we plunged into the sea, and made an offing from the sinking ship,
Captain Semmes with a life-preserver and I on a grating.
The
Alabama settled stern foremost, launching her bows high in the air. Graceful even in her death-struggle, she in a moment disappeared from the face of the waters.
The sea now presented a mass of living heads, striving for their lives.
Many poor fellows sank for the want of timely aid. Near me I saw a float of empty shell-boxes, and called to one of the men, a good swimmer, to examine it; he did so and replied, “It is the doctor,
sir, dead.”
Poor.
Llewellyn! he perished almost in sight of his home.
The young midshipman,
Maffitt, swam to me and offered his life-preserver.
My grating was not proving a very buoyant float, and the white-caps breaking over my head were distressingly uncomfortable, to say the least.
Maffitt said: “
Mr. Kell, take my life-preserver, sir; you are almost exhausted.”
The gallant boy did not consider his own condition,
but his pallid face told me that his heroism was superior to his bodily suffering, and I refused it. After twenty minutes or more I heard near me some one call out, “There is our first lieutenant,” and the next moment I was pulled into a boat, in which was
Captain Semmes, stretched out in the stern-sheets, as pallid as death.
He had received during the action a slight contusion on the hand, and the struggle in the water had almost exhausted him. There were also several of our crew in the boat, and in a few moments we were alongside a little steam-yacht, which had come among our floating men, and by throwing them ropes had saved many lives.
Upon reaching her deck, I ascertained for the first time that she was the yacht
Deerhound, owned by
Mr. John Lancaster, of
England.
In looking about I saw two French pilot-boats engaged in saving our crew, and finally two boats from the
Kearsarge.
To my surprise I found on the yacht
Mr. Fullam, whom I had dispatched in the dingey to ask that boats be sent to save our wounded.
He reported to me that our shot had literally torn
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the casing from the chain armor of the
Kearsarge, indenting the chain in many places, which explained
Captain Semmes's observation of the effect of our shell upon the enemy, “that they struck the sides and fell into the water.”
Captain Winslow, in his report, states that his ship was struck twenty-five or thirty times, and I doubt if the
Alabama was struck a greater number
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Returning for the wounded. |
of times.
I may not, therefore, be bold in asserting that had not the
Kearsarge been protected by her iron cables, the result of the fight would have been different.
Captain Semmes felt the more keenly the delusion to which he fell a victim (not knowing that the
Kearsarge was chain-clad) from the fact that he was exceeding his instructions in seeking an action with the enemy; but to seek a fight with an iron-clad he conceived to be an unpardonable error.
However, he had the satisfaction of knowing she was classed as a wooden gun-boat by the
Federal Government; also that he had inspected her with most excellent glasses, and so far as outward appearances showed she displayed no chain armor.
At the same time it must be admitted that
Captain Winslow had the right unquestionably to protect his ship and crew.
In justice to
Captain Semmes I will state that the battle would never have been fought had he known that the
Kearsarge wore an armor of chain beneath her outer covering.
7 Thus was the
Alabama lost by an error, if you please, but, it must be admitted, a
most pardonable one, and not until “
Father Neptune” claimed her as his own did she lower her colors.
The 11-inch shells of the
Kearsarge did fearful work, and her guns were served beautifully, being aimed with precision, and deliberate in fire.
She came into action magnificently.
Having the speed of us, she took her own position and fought gallantly.
But she tarnished her glory when she fired upon a fallen foe. It was high noon of a bright, beautiful day, with a moderate breeze blowing to waft the smoke of battle clear, and nothing to obstruct the view at five hundred yards. The very fact of the
Alabama ceasing to fire, shortening sail, and hauling down her colors simultaneously, must have attracted the attention of the officer in command of the
Kearsarge.
Again, there is no reason given why the
Kearsarge did not steam immediately into the midst of the crew of the
Alabama, after their ship had been sunk, and, like a brave and generous foe, save the lives of her enemies, who had fought
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nobly as long as they had a plank to stand upon.
Were it not for the timely presence of the kind-hearted Englishman and the two French pilot-boats, who can tell the number of us that would have rested with our gallant little ship beneath the waters of the
English Channel?
I quote the following from
Mr. John Lancaster's letter to the
London Daily news : “I presume it was because he [
Captain Winslow]
would not or could not save them himself.
The fact is that if the captain and crew of the
Alabama had depended for safety altogether upon
Captain Winslow, not one-half of them would have been saved.”
8
When
Mr. Lancaster approached
Captain Semmes, and said, “I think every man has been picked up; where shall I land you?”
Captain Semmes replied, “I am now under the
English colors, and the sooner you put me with my officers and men on English soil, the better.”
The little yacht moved rapidly
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away at once, under a press of steam, for
Southampton.
Armstrong, our second lieutenant, and some of our men who were saved by the
French pilot-boats, were taken into
Cherbourg.
Our loss was 9 killed, 21 wounded. and 10 drowned.
It has been charged that an arrangement had been entered into between
Mr. Lancaster and
Captain Semmes, previous to our leaving
Cherbourg, that in the event of the
Alabama being sunk the
Deerhound would come to our rescue.
Captain Semmes and myself met
Mr. Lancaster for the first time when rescued by him, and he related to us the circumstance that was the occasion of his coming out to see the fight.
Having his family on board, his intention was to attend church with his wife and children, when the gathering of the spectators on the shore attracted their attention, the report having been widely circulated that the
Alabama was to go out that morning and give battle to the
Kearsarge.
The boys were clamorous to see the fight, and after a family discussion as to the propriety of going out on the Sabbath to witness a naval combat,
Mr. Lancaster agreed to put the question to vote at the break-fast-table, where the youngsters carried their point by a majority.
Thus many of us were indebted for our lives to that inherent trait in the
English character, the desire to witness a “passage at arms.”
That evening we landed in
Southampton, and were received by the people with every demonstration of sympathy and kindly feeling.
Thrown upon their shores by the chances of war, we were taken to their hearts and homes with that generous hospitality which brought to mind with tenderest feeling our own dear Southern homes in
ante-bellum times.
To
the Rev. F. W. Tremlett, of
Belsize Park,
London, and his household, I am indebted for a picture of English home life that time cannot efface, and the memory of which will be a lasting pleasure till life's end.
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The United States screw-sloop Kearsarge at the time of the encounter with the Alabama.
when the Kearsarge was at the Azores, a few months before the fight with the Alabama, Midshipman Edward E. Preble made a mathematically correct drawing of the ship, and from a photograph of that drawing the above picture was made.
After the fight alterations were made in the Kearsarge which considerably changed her appearance.--editors. |
