An Englishman's View Of The Battle Between The Alabama And The Kearsarge Part 2

A 68-lb. sh.e.l.l, pa.s.sing through starboard bulwarks below main rigging, wounding three men--the only casualties amongst the crew during the engagement.

A Blakely-rifle sh.e.l.l, pa.s.sing through the engine-room sky-light, and dropping harmlessly in the water beyond the vessel.

Two shots below plank-sheer, abreast of boiler hatch.

One forward pivot port plank sheer.

One forward foremast-rigging.

A shot striking Launch's toping-lift.

A rifle-sh.e.l.l, pa.s.sing through funnel, bursting without damage inside.

One, starboard forward main-shroud.

One, starboard after-shroud main-topmast rigging.

One, main topsail tye.

One, main topsail outhaul.

One, main topsail runner.

Two, through port-quarter boat.

One, through spanker (furled).

One, starboard forward shroud, mizzen rigging.

One, starboard mizzen-topmast backstay.

One, through mizzen peak-signal halyards, which cut the stops when the battle was nearly over, and for the first time let loose the flag to the breeze.

This list of damages received by the Kearsarge proves the exceedingly bad fire of the Alabama, notwithstanding the numbers of men on board the latter belonging to our "Naval Reserve," and the trained hands from the gunnery s.h.i.+p "Excellent." I was informed by some of the paroled prisoners on sh.o.r.e at Cherbourg that Captain Semmes fired rapidly at the commencement of the action "in order to frighten the Yankees," nearly all the officers and crew being, as he was well aware, merely volunteers from the merchant service.[10] At the expiration of twenty minutes after the Kearsarge discharged the first broadside, continuing the battle in a leisurely, cool manner, Semmes remarked: "Confound them; they've been fighting twenty minutes, and they're as cool as posts." The probabilities are that the crew of the Federal vessel had learnt not to regard as dangerous the rapid and hap-hazard practice of the Alabama.

From the time of her first reaching Cherbourg until she finally quitted the port, the Kearsarge never received the slightest a.s.sistance from sh.o.r.e, with the exception of that rendered by a boiler maker in patching up her funnel. Every other repair was completed by her own hands, and she might have crossed the Atlantic immediately after the action without difficulty. So much for Mr. Lancaster's statement that "the Kearsarge was apparently much disabled."

SEMMES' DESIGN TO BOARD THE KEARSARGE.

The first accounts received of the action led us to suppose that Captain Semmes' intention was to lay his vessel alongside the enemy, and to carry her by boarding. Whether this information came from the Captain himself or was made out of "whole cloth" by some of his admirers, the idea of boarding a vessel under steam--unless her engines, or screw, or rudder be disabled--is manifestly ridiculous. The days of boarding are gone by, except under the contingencies above stated; and any such attempt on the part of the Alabama would have been attended with disastrous results to herself and crew. To have boarded the Kearsarge, Semmes must have possessed greater speed to enable him to run alongside her; and the moment the pursuer came near her victim, the latter would shut off steam, drop astern in a second of time, sheer off, discharge her whole broadside of grape and canister, and rake her antagonist from stern to stem. Our pro-southern sympathizers really ought not to make their _protege_ appear ridiculous by ascribing to him such an egregious intention.

NATIONALITY OF THE CREW OF THE KEARSARGE

It has frequently been a.s.serted that the major portion of the Northern armies is composed of foreigners, and the same statement is made in reference to the crews of the American Navy. The report got abroad in Cherbourg that the victory of the Kearsarge was due to her having taken on board a number of French gunners at Brest; and an admiral of the French Navy asked me in perfectly good faith whether it were not the fact. It will not, therefore, be out of place to give the names and nationalities of the officers and crew on board the Kearsarge during her action with the Alabama.

OFFICERS OF THE U.S.S. KEARSARGE, JUNE 19, 1864.

NAMES. RANK. NATIVE OF John A. Winslow Captain North Carolina[11]

James S. Thornton Lieut. Commander New Hamps.h.i.+re John M. Browne Surgeon "

J. Adams Smith Paymaster Maine Wm. H. Cushman Chief Engineer Pennsylvania James R. Wheeler Acting Master Ma.s.sachusetts Eben. M. Stoddard " " Connecticut David H. Sumner " " Maine Wm. H. Badlam 2d a.s.st. Engr. Ma.s.sachusetts Fred. L. Miller 3d " " "

Sidney L. Smith " " " "

Henry McConnell " " " Pennsylvania Edward E. Preble Mids.h.i.+pman Maine Daniel B. Sargent Paymaster's Clerk "

S. E. Hartwell Captain's Clerk Ma.s.sachusetts Franklin A. Graham Gunner Pennsylvania James C. Walton Boatswain "

Wm. H. Yeaton Acting Master's Mate United States Chas. H. Danforth " " " Ma.s.sachusetts Ezra Bartlett " " " New Hamps.h.i.+re George A. t.i.ttle Surgeon's Steward United States Carsten B. De Witt Yeoman United States

CREW OF THE U.S.S. KEARSARGE, JUNE 19, 1864.

NAMES. RATE. NATIVE OF Jason N. Watrus Master-at-arms United States Charles Jones Seaman "

Daniel Charter Landsman "

Edward Williams Officers' Steward "

George Williams Landsman "

Charles b.u.t.ts Quartermaster "

Charles Redding Landsman "

James Wilson c.o.xswain "

William Gowen (died) Ordinary seaman "

James Saunders Quartermaster "

John W. Dempsey Quarter-gunner "

William D. Chapel Landsman "

Thomas Perry Boatswain's-mate "

John Barrow Ordinary seaman "

William Bond Boatswain's-mate "

James Haley Capt. of Fo'castle "

Robert Strahn Capt. Top "

Jas. O. Stone 1st cla.s.s boy "

Jacob Barth Landsman "

Jno. H. McCarthey " "

Jas. F. Hayes " "

John Hayes c.o.xswain "

James Devine Landsman "

George H. Russell Armourer "

Patrick McKeever Landsman "

Nathan Ives " "

Dennis McCarty " "

John Boyle Ordinary seaman "

John C. Woodberry " "

George E. Read Seaman "

James Morey Ordinary seaman "

Benedict Drury Seaman "

William Giles " "

Timothy Hurley s.h.i.+p's Cook "

Michael Conroy Ordinary seaman "

Levi W. Nye Seaman "

James H. Lee " "

John E. Brady Ordinary seaman "

Andrew J. Rowley Quarter-gunner "

James Bradley Seaman "