Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

The Alabama left Cherbourg harbor at nine o'clock yesterday morning, and found the Kearsarge under steam outside. The former steamed up to her and opened fire at about a mile and a half distance. The fire became general from both ships when about a mile off. The action took place about nine miles from Cherbourg, commencing at ten minutes past eleven and ending at twenty minutes to one.

During the fight the vessels made seven complete circles. The Alabama's rudder became displaced, and she made sail, and the guns were kept ported till the muzzles were completely under water. The vessel's stern was actually under water when Captain Semmes gave orders for every man to save himself; they jumped overboard and swam to the boats, saving themselves as best they could. The Alabama's crew numbered in all one hundred and fifty when they left Cherbourg; ten or twelve were killed in the action, and a number are known to be drowned. The ship's chronometers, specie, and all the bills of ransomed vessels were saved.

The Deerhound is a yacht of one hundred and ninety tons and seventy-horse power, and her owner is a member of the Royal Yacht squadron, at Cowes, and of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. By a somewhat singular coincidence, she was built by Messrs. Laird & Son, of Birkenhead, and proof of her fleetness is furnished by the fact that she steamed home from the scene of action yesterday at the rate of thirteen knots an hour. On arriving at Cherbourg, at ten o'clock on Saturday night, by railway from Caen, Mr. Lancaster was informed by the captain of his yacht, which was lying in harbor awaiting his arrival, that it was reported that the Alabama and the Kearsarge were going out to fight each other in the morning. Mr. Lancaster, whose wife, niece, and family were also on board his yacht, at once determined to go out in the morning and see the combat.

The Alabama left Cherbourg harbor about ten o'clock on Sunday morning, and the Kearsarge was then several miles out to seaward, with her steam up ready for action. The French plated ship-of-war Couronne followed the Alabama out of harbor, and stopped when the vessels were a league off the coast, her object being to see that there was no violation of the law of nations by any fight taking place within the legal distance from land. The combat took place about nine miles from Cherbourg, and as there are some slight differences (as might naturally be expected under the circumstances) in relation to the period over which it lasted, and other matters, it may be well here to reproduce from Mr. Lancaster's letter in the Times of this morning the subjoined extract from the log kept on board the Deerhound:

Sunday, June nineteenth, nine A. M.--Got up steam and proceeded out of Cherbourg harbor. Half-past 10, observed the Alabama steaming out of the harbor toward the Federal steamer Kearsarge. Ten minutes past eleven, the Alabama commenced firing with her starboard battery, the distance between the contending vessels being about one mile. The Kearsarge immediately replied with her starboard guns. A very sharp, spirited firing was then kept up, shot sometimes being varied by shells. In manoeuvring, both vessels made seven complete circles, at a distance of from a quarter to half a mile. At twelve, a slight intermission was observed in the Alabama's firing, the Alabama making head sail, and shaping her course for the land, distant about nine miles. At half-past 12, observed the Alabama to be disabled, and in a sinking state. We immediately made toward her, and on passing the Kearsarge, were requested to assist in saving the Alabama's crew. At fifty minutes past twelve, when within a distance of two hundred yards, the Alabama sunk. We then lowered our two boats, and, with the assistance of the Alabama's [229] whale-boat and dingey, succeeded in saving about forty men, including Captain Semmes and thirteen officers. At one P. M., we steered for Southampton.

One of the officers of the Alabama names the same hour, namely, ten minutes past eleven as the commencement of the action, and forty minutes past twelve as the period of its cessation, making its duration an hour and a half, while the time observed on board the Deerhound, which is most likely to be accurate, (that vessel being free from the excitement and confusion necessarily existing on board the Alabama,) limited the action to an hour, the last shot being fired at ten minutes past twelve. The distance between the two contending vessels, when the Alabama opened fire, was estimated on board the Deerhound at about a mile, while the Alabama's officer tells me that she was a mile and a half away from the Kearsarge when she fired the first shot. Be this as it may, it is certain that the Alabama commenced the firing, and as it is known that her guns were pointed for a range of two thousand yards, and that the second shot she fired, in about half a minute after the first, went right into the Kearsarge, that may be taken as the real distance between the two ships. The firing became general from both vessels at the distance of a little under a mile, and was well sustained on both sides, Mr. Lancaster's impression being that at no time during the action were they less than a quarter of a mile from each other. Seven complete circles were made in the period over which the fight lasted. It was estimated on board the Deerhound that the Alabama fired in all about one hundred and fifty rounds, some single guns, and some in broadsides of three or four, and the Kearsarge about one hundred, the majority of which were eleven-inch shells; the Alabama's were principally Blakeley's pivot-guns. In the early part of the action, the relative firing was about three from the Alabama to one from the Kearsarge, but as it progressed, the latter gained the advantage, having apparently a much greater power of steam. She appeared to have an advantage over the Alabama of about three knots an hour, and steam was seen rushing out of her blow-pipe all through the action, while the Alabama seemed to have very little steam on.

At length the Alabama's rudder was disabled by one of her opponent's heavy shells, and they hoisted sails, but it was soon reported to Captain Semmes by one of his officers that his ship was sinking. With great bravery, the guns were kept ported till they were actually under water, and the last shot from the doomed ship was fired as she was settling down. When her stern was completely under water, Captain Semmes gave orders for the men to save themselves as best they could, and every one jumped into the sea and swam to the boats which had put off to their rescue. Those of them who were wounded were ordered by Captain Semmes to be placed in the Alabama's boats and taken on board the Kearsarge, which was, as far as possible, obeyed.

Captain Semmes, and those above mentioned, were saved in the Deerhound's boats; and when it was ascertained that the water was clear of every one that had life left, and that no more help could be rendered, the yacht steamed away for Cowes, and thence to this port.

The Kearsarge, it is known, has for some time past been in hot pursuit of the Alabama, which vessel Captain Winslow was determined to follow everywhere till he overtook his enemy. Very recently she chased and came up with one of the vessels of the Chinese expeditionary force returning to England, and ran alongside with her guns pointed and crew at quarters, before she could be convinced of her mistake, for the expeditionary vessel was very like the celebrated confederate cruiser. The Kearsarge was then described as likely to prove a formidable overmatch for the Alabama, having higher steam-power and rate of speed, a crew “nearly double” that under Captain Semmes, and, unlike her sister ship, the Tuscarora, carrying ten, instead of eight, very heavy eleven-inch shell guns, the so-called columbiads of the American navy. The Alabama, on the contray, is stated to have had only two heavy rifled guns and six broadside thirty-two pounders. The confederate, too, after a long cruise, was sorely in need of a refit. Part of her copper, it is said, was off, and her bottom was covered with long weeds.

The crew of the Alabama comprised in all about one hundred and fifty, when she left Cherbourg; of these, ten or twelve were killed during the action, and a number were known to be drowned, the difference between these and the number brought home by the Deerhound being, it is hoped, saved by the boats of the Kearsarge, or some French pilot-boats which were in the vicinity. The French war-vessel Couronne did not come out beyond three miles. The surgeon of the Alabama was an Englishman, and as nothing has been heard of him since he went below to dress the wounds of some of the sufferers, it is feared that he went down with the ship.

The wounded men on board the Deerhound were carefully attended to until her arrival here, when they were taken to the Sailors' Home, in the Canute road. Several of the men are more or less scarred, but they are all about the town to-day, and the only noticeable case is that of a man who was wounded in the groin, and that but slightly.

Captain Semmes and his First Lieutenant, Mr. J. M. Kill, are staying at Kelway's Hotel, in Queen's Terrace, where the gallant commander is under the care of Dr. Ware, a medical gentleman of this town, his right hand being slightly splintered by a shell.

When the men came on board the Deerhound, they had nothing on but their drawers and shirts, having been stripped to fight; and one of the men, with a sailor's devotedness, insisted on seeing his captain, who was then lying in Mr. Lancaster's cabin in a very exhausted state, as he had been intrusted by Captain Semmes with the ship's papers, and to no one else would he give them up. The men were all very anxious about their captain, [230] and were rejoiced to find that he had been saved. They appeared to be a set of first-rate fellows, and to act well together in perfect union under the most trying circumstances.

The captain of the forecastle on board the Alabama, a Norwegian, says that when he was in the water he was hailed by a boat from the Kearsarge, “Come here, old man, and we'll save you,” to which he replied: “Never mind me, I can keep a half an hour yet; look after some who are nearer drowning than I am.” He then made away for the Deerhound, thanking God that he was under English colors.

Throughout the action, the Deerhound kept about a mile to windward of the combatants, and was enabled to witness the whole of it. The Kearsarge was burning Newcastle coals, and the Alabama Welsh coals, the difference in the smoke (the north country coal yielding so much more) enabling the movements of each ship to be distinctly traced. Mr. Lancaster is clearly of opinion that it was the Kearsarge's eleven-inch shells which gave her the advantage, and that, after what he has witnessed on this occasion, wooden ships stand no chance whatever against shells. Both vessels fired well into each other's hull, and the yards and masts were not much damaged. The mainmast of the Alabama had been struck by shot, and, as the vessel was sinking, broke off and fell into the sea, throwing some men who were in the maintop into the water. Some tremendous gaps were visible in the bulwarks of the Kearsarge, and it was believed that some of her boats were disabled; she appeared to be temporarily plated with iron chains, etc. As far as could be seen, every thing appeared to be well planned and ready on board the Kearsarge for the action. It was apparent that Captain Semmes intended to fight at a long-range, and the fact that the Kearsarge did not reply till the two vessels got nearer together, showed that they preferred the short-range, and the superior steaming power of the latter enabled this to be accomplished. It is remarkable that no attempt was made by the Kearsarge to close and board the Alabama, and when the Alabama hoisted sails and made as if for the shore, the Kearsarge moved away in another direction, as though her rudder or screw was damaged and out of control. Great pluck was shown on both sides during the action. On board the Alabama all the hammocks were let loose, and arrangements had been made for sinking her rather than that she should be captured.

As far as is known, not a relic of the Alabama is in the possession of her successful rival. When she was sinking, Captain Semmes dropped his own sword into the sea, to prevent the possibility of its getting into their hands, and the gunner made a hole in one of the Alabama's boats, and sank her, for the same reason.

Before leaving the Deerhound, Captain Semmes presented to Mr. Lancaster's son one of his officers' swords and a pistol, in remembrance of the occurrence, and the kind treatment he and his men had received on board the yacht. The men stated that the best practice generally on board the Alabama, during the action, was shown by the gunners, who had been trained on board the Excellent, in Portsmouth harbor.

The spectacle presented during the combat is described by those who witnessed it from the Deerhound as magnificent, and thus the extraornary career of the Alabama has come to a grand and appropriate termination.

The presence of the Deerhound on the scene was a providential circumstance, as in all probability the men saved by her would otherwise have been drowned, and a lamentable addition would thus have been mate to the number of lives lost on the occasion.

Nothing is known here respecting the Kearsarge, or her subsequent movements. She was in command of Captain John Winslow, and had about the same number of officers and crew as the Alabama. The last official American navy list describes her as one thousand and thirty-one tons register, and carrying eight guns, being two guns less than the Tuscarora mounts, to which, in all other respects, the Kearsarge is a sister ship. The Tuscarora will be remembered as the Federal ship-of-war that some two years and a half ago lay at this port watching the Nashville; several of the Alabama's officers now here were attached to the Nashville on that occasion.

The Alabama's chronometers, specie, and all the bills of ransomed vessels are saved, having been handed over to a gentleman at Cherbourg before she left that port.

Mr. Mason, the confederate agent, Captain Bullock, and the Rev. Mr. Tremlett arrived by the four o'clock train this afternoon, from London, and proceeded to Kelway's Hotel, to meet Captain Semmes.

Captain Semmes and all the men are now placed under the care of Mr. J. Wiblin, for such medical attendance as may be required.

Editorial from London times. ¹

On Sunday morning, just as all good people were coming down to breakfast, an awful Sunday morning's work was preparing within sight of the British isles, if among these isles we may include the barren rock upon which a million has been spent to make it a sentry-box to watch the port of Cherbourg. From the latter port, just about nine o'clock, there issued the Alabama, the ship that for two years has struck terror into the heart of the most confident and almost the strongest naval power in the world. More than a hundred times over the very name of the Alabama, thundered through a speaking-trumpet, has brought down the rival flag as if by magic, and compelled the luckless crew to submit to the inglorious process of examination, surrender, spoliation, and imprisonment, to see their ship plundered and sent to the bottom. In the shape of chronometers and other valuables, the Alabama carried the spolia opima of a whole mercantile fleet. This time, however, it was not to order a merchantman to lie — to while his papers were examined [231] that this scourge of the Federal navy came out of Cherbourg. It is not in our power to say why Captain Semmes, who has gained so much glory and so unquestionable a reputation for courage that he could afford to be prudent, came out with a ship just returned from a long voyage, and much in want of repair, to encounter a foe larger, better manned, better armed, provided, as it turned out, with some special contrivances for protection, and quite as likely to be as well handled as his own ship. For many months, we have heard of the Kearsarge as a foe worthy of the Alabama, should she have the luck to catch her; indeed, the Captain of the Kearsarge had assumed that if they met there could be only one possible result. Why, then, did not Captain Semmes see that this was an occasion for the exercise of that discretion or that ingenuity which the greatest generals have thought rather an addition to their fame? Did his prudence give way, as they say a brave man's courage will sometimes? Was he wearied with a warfare upon the defenceless? Did conscience or self-respect suggest that the destroyer of a hundred unarmed merchantmen had need to prove his courage and to redeem his name from piracy? It is simply said he had been challenged, and that he had accepted the challenge, not without some forecasts of the result. As an ordinary duellist hands his watch and his pocket-book to a friend, Captain Semmes sent on shore his sixty chronometers — the mementoes of so many easier conflicts — his money, and the bills of ransomed vessels. He then steamed nine miles out to sea, and entered into mortal combat with the enemy, first exchanging shots at the distance of little more than a mile — out of all distance, our fathers would have called it; not so now.

As it happened, and as it frequently happens on such occasions, an English yacht was in the harbor, and its owner, Mr. Lancaster, thought the view of one of the most important naval engagements likely to occur in his time, was worth the risk of a stray shot. His wife, niece, and family were on board; but, no doubt, they shared his interest in the spectacle. The firing began just as we Londoners had got to the first lesson in the morning service. As the guns of the Alabama had been pointed for two thousand yards, and the second shot went right through the Kearsarge, that was probably the distance at first; and we are told the ships were never nearer than a quarter of a mile. The Alabama fired quicker, in all, about one hundred and fifty rounds; the Kearsarge fired about one hundred, chiefly eleven-inch shells. One of these shells broke the Alabama's rudder and compelled her to hoist sail. By this time, however, after about an hour's work, the Alabama was sinking, and could only make the best of her way in the direction of Cherbourg. Pursuing our comparative chronology, this brings us to the beginning of the sermon; and it was at the very time that our congregations were listening, as well as they could, to the arguments or the eloquence of our preachers, that the very moving incidents of death and of rescue took place off Cherbourg — the gradual sinking of the Alabama, the picking up of the drowning seamen, and the final departure of the Deerhound, with Captain Semmes, his surviving officers, and some of the crew. The men were all true to the last; they only ceased firing when the water came into the muzzles of their guns; and as they swam for life, all they cared for was that their commander should not fall into Federal hands. He reports that he owes his best men to the training they received on board the Excellent. To all appearance, the superiority of the Kearsarge lay partly in her guns, and, of course, somewhat in her more numerous crew, but not less in her more powerful machinery, which enabled her to move quicker and manoeuvre more easily.

We are becoming accustomed to scenes that only four years ago would have been thought appalling, horrible, and portentous. Think of a quiet gentleman, with wife, niece, and family, perhaps governess and maid-servants, having witnessed at their ease, on Sunday morning, a fight, not between two cocks or two dogs, but two men-of-war, a few hours' sail from Southampton. In fact, they and the survivors of the ship destroyed were walking about Southampton and shopping on Monday morning. There appears to have been a very respectable allowance of killed, wounded, and missing; and among the latter is an English surgeon, who is supposed to have gone to the bottom in the midst of his bleeding patients. We shall know very shortly whether the chains hung outside the Kearsarge saved her men. To all appearance, they did not; and but for the melancholy fact that some of the Alabama's wounded must have gone down with her, the loss would probably have been nearly the same on both sides. Is there not something ominous in such an encounter within our own seas? Such a contest, so brief, so hard fought, and so decisive, is even more terrible than the hand-to-hand tussle, and the mere game of fisticuffs that our old fleets used to indulge in with a thousand pop-guns on either side. True, there was damage done at last, but sometimes very little damage to speak of; and a big ship might receive many hundred shots only to have the glory of showing the shot-holes to the populace of Portsmouth. It is not so now. At the distance of a mile, never less than a quarter of a mile, a formidable ship, the terror of American commerce, well armed, well manned, well handled, is sent to the bottom in an hour. Exactly an hour elapsed from the first shot to the moment when it became obvious that the vessel was sinking, when, indeed, the rudder was broken, and the fires were put out. That is the pace at which our naval engagements will be fought for the future. In this instance the pace was all the quicker because the guns had start of the ships, the guns being the new artillery, the ships wooden, excepting the chains of the Kearsarge, if they constitute an exception. The next duel in the British Channel will probably be between two vessels of the Warrior class; and it must [232] be a bold man who can be sure that it will last as long as a Sunday morning service, or be less decisive than the last Sunday's.

sir: Herewith I send you a copy of my log respecting the engagement between the confederate steamer Alabama and the federal steamer Kearsarge:

Sunday, June nineteenth, nine A. M.--Got up steam, and proceeded out of Cherbourg harbor.

Half-past 10, observed the Alabama steaming out of the harbor toward the Federal steamer Kearsarge.

Ten minutes past eleven, the Alabama commenced firing with her starboard battery, the distance between the contending vessels being about one mile. The Kearsarge immediately replied with her starboard guns. A very sharp, spirited firing was kept up, shot sometimes being varied by shells. In manoeuvring, both vessels made seven complete circles at a distance of from a quarter to half a mile.

At twelve, a slight intermission was observed in the Alabama's firing, the Alabama making head-sail, and shaping her course for the land, distant about nine miles.

At half-past 12, observed the Alabama to be disabled and in a sinking state. We immediately made toward her, and in passing the Kearsarge were requested to assist in saving the Alabama's crew.

At fifty minutes past twelve, when within a distance of two hundred yards, the Alabama sunk. We then lowered our two boats, and, with assistance of the Alabama's whale-boat and dingey, succeeded in saving about forty men, including Captain Semmes and thirteen officers. At one P. M., we steered for Southampton.

I may state that before leaving, the Kearsarge was apparently much disabled. The Alabama's loss, so far as at present ascertained, in killed and wounded, etc., was as follows, namely: One officer and one man drowned; six men killed; and one officer and sixteen men wounded. Captain Semmes received a slight wound in the right hand.

The Kearsarge's boats were, after some delay, lowered, and, with the assistance of a French pilot-boat, succeeded in picking up the remaining survivors.

I avail myself of the occasion to note one or two inaccuracies in the letter of your correspondent, dated at Southampton on Monday, and published in the Times of Tuesday. The crew of the Alabama is there stated at one hundred and fifty men; she had, in fact, but one hundred and twenty, all told.

Again, as to her armament; that of the Kearsarge may be correctly given by your correspondent. I do not know what it was. The Alabama had one seven-inch Blakeley rifled gun, one eight-inch smooth-bore pivot-gun, and six thirty-two-pounders, smooth-bore, in broadside.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The enemy now pressed his ship under a full head of steam, and to prevent our passing each other too speedily, and keep our respective broadsides bearing, it became necessary to fight in a circle, the two ships steaming around a common centre, and preserving a distance from each other of from a quarter to half a mile. When we got within good shell-range we opened upon him with shell. Some ten or fifteen minutes after the commencement of the action our spanker-gaff was shot away, and our ensign came down by the run. This was immediately replaced by another at the mizzenmast-head. The firing now became very hot, and the enemy's shot and shell goon began to tell upon our hull, knocking down, killing, and disabling a number of men in different parts of the ship.

Perceiving that our shell, though apparently exploding against the enemy's sides, were doing him but little damage, I returned to solid shot firing, and from this time onward attended [alternated?] with shot and shell.

After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes our ship was ascertained to be in a sinking condition, the enemy's shell having exploded within our sides and between decks, opening large apertures, through which the water rushed with great rapidity.

For some few minutes I had hopes of being able to reach the French coast, for which purpose I gave the ship all steam, and set such of the fore and aft sails as were available. The ship filled so rapidly, however, that before we had made much progress the fires were extinguished in the furnaces, and we were evidently on the point of sinking. I now hauled down my colors to prevent the further destruction of life, and despatched a boat to inform the enemy of our condition.

Although we were now but four hundred yards from each other, the enemy fired upon me five times after my colors had been struck. It is charitable to suppose that a ship-of-war of a Christian nation could not have done this intentionally.

We now turned all our exertions toward saving the wounded and such of the boys of the ship who were unable to swim. These were despatched in my quarter-boats, the only boats maining to me — the waist-boats having been torn to pieces.

Some twenty minutes after my furnace-fires had been extinguished, and the ship being on the point of settling, every man, in obedience to a previous order which had beep given the crew, jumped overboard and endeavored to save himself.

There was no appearance of any boat coming to me from the enemy, after my ship went down. Fortunately, however, the steam-yacht Deerhound, owned by a gentleman of Lancashire, England, Mr. John Lancaster, who was himself on board, steamed up in the midst of my drowning men, and rescued a number of both officers and men from the water. I was fortunate enough myself thus to escape to the shelter of the neutral flag, together with about forty others, all told.

About this time the Kearsarge sent one, and then, tardily, another boat.

Accompanying you will find lists of the killed and wounded, and of those who were picked up by the Deerhound; the remainder, there is reason to hope, were picked up by the enemy and by a couple of French pilot-boats, which were also fortunately near the scene of action.

At the end of the engagement it was discovered by those of our officers who went alongside the enemy's ship with the wounded, that her midship section on both sides was thoroughly iron-coated; this having been done with chain constructed for the purpose, placed perpendicularly from the rail to the water's edge, the whole covered over by a thin outer planking, which gave no indication of the armor beneath.

This planking had been ripped off in every direction by our shot and shell, the chain broken and indented in many places, and forced partly into the ship's side. She was most effectually guarded, however, in this section, from penetration. The enemy was much damaged in other parts, but to what extent it is now impossible to tell; it is believed he was badly crippled.

My officers and men behaved steadily and gallantly, and though they have lost their ship they have not lost honor.

Where all behaved so well it would be invidious to particularize, but I cannot deny myself the pleasure of saying that Mr. Kell, my First Lieutenant, deserves great credit for the fine condition in which the ship went into action with regard to her battery, magazine, and shell-rooms, and that he rendered me great assistance by his coolness and judgment as the fight proceeded.

The enemy was heavier than myself, both in ship, battery, and crew; but I did not know until the action was over that she was also ironclad.

Our total loss in killed and wounded is thirty, namely, nine killed, twenty-one wounded.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Yours, very respectfully,