An Englishman's View Of The Battle Between The Alabama And The Kearsarge Part 4

"Sir--I report the following casualties resulting from the engagement this morning with the steamer 'Alabama.'

JOHN W. DEMPSEY, Quarter-gunner. Compound comminuted fracture of right arm, lower third, and fore-arm. Arm amputated.

WILLIAM GOWEN, Ordinary seaman. Compound fracture of left thigh and leg. Seriously wounded.

JAMES MCBEATH, Ordinary seaman. Compound fracture of left leg.

Severely wounded.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN M. BROWNE, Surgeon U. S. Navy.

"Captain JOHN A. WINSLOW, "Comd'g U. S. S. S. Kearsarge, Cherbourg."

All these men were wounded by the same shot, a 68-pounder, which pa.s.sed through the starboard bulwarks below main-rigging, narrowly escaping the after 11-inch pivot-gun. The fuses employed by the Alabama were villainously bad, several sh.e.l.ls having lodged in the Kearsarge without taking effect. Had the 7-inch rifle shot exploded which entered the vessel at the starboard quarter, raising the deck by its concussion several inches and lodging in the rudder-post, the action might have lasted some time longer. It would not, however, have altered the result, for the casualty occurred towards the close of the conflict. During my visit, I witnessed the operation of cutting out a 32-pounder sh.e.l.l (time fuse) from the rail close forward of the fore pivot 11-inch port; the officer in charge of the piece informed me that the concussion actually raised the gun and carriage, and, had it exploded, many of the crew would have been injured by the fragments and splinters.

Among the incidents of the fight, some of our papers relate that a 11-inch sh.e.l.l from the Kearsarge fell upon the deck of the Alabama, and was immediately taken up and thrown overboard. Probably no fight ever occurred in modern times in which somebody didn't pick up a live sh.e.l.l and throw it out of harm's way; but we may be permitted to doubt in this case--5-second fuses take effect somewhat rapidly; the shot weighs considerably more than a hundred-weight, and is uncomfortably difficult to lay hold of. Worse than all for the probabilities of the story, fifteen pounds of powder--never more nor less--were used to every shot fired from the 11-inch pivots, the Kearsarge only opening fire from them when within eight hundred yards of the Alabama. With 15 pounds of powder and fifteen degrees of elevation, I have myself seen these 11-inch Dahlgrens throw three and a half miles; and yet we are asked to credit that, with the same charge at less than half a mile, one of the sh.e.l.ls _fell_ upon the deck of the privateer. There are eleven marines in the crew of the Kearsarge: probably the story was made for them.

THE REPORTED FIRING UPON THE ALABAMA AFTER HER SURRENDER.

Captain Semmes makes the following statement in his official report:

"Although we were now but 400 yards from each other, the enemy fired upon me five times after my colours had been struck. It is charitable to suppose that a s.h.i.+p of war of a Christian nation could not have done this intentionally."

A very nice appeal after the ma.s.sacre of Fort Pillow, especially when coming from a man who has spent the previous two years of his life in destroying unresisting merchantmen.

The Captain of the Kearsarge was never aware of the Alabama having struck until a boat put off from her to his own vessel. Prisoners subsequently stated that she had fired a lee-gun, but the fact was not known on board the Federal s.h.i.+p, nor that the colours were hauled down in token of surrender. A single fact will prove the humanity with which Captain Winslow conducted the fight. At the close of the action, his deck was found to be literally covered with grape and canister, ready for close quarters; but he had never used a single charge of all this during the contest, although within capital range for employing it.

THE FEELING AFTER THE BATTLE.

The wounded of the two vessels were transferred shortly after the action to the Naval Hospital at Cherbourg. I paid a visit to that establishment on the Sunday following the engagement, and found the sufferers lying in comfortable beds alongside each other in a long and admirably ventilated ward on the first floor. Poor Gowen, who died the following Tuesday, was in great pain, and already had the seal of death upon his face. James McBeath, a young fellow of apparently twenty years, with a compound fracture of the leg, chatted with much animation; while Dempsey, the stump of his right arm laid on the pillow, was comfortably smoking a cigar, and laughing and talking with one of the Alabama crew, in the bed alongside him. The wounded men of the sunken privateer were unmistakably English in physiognomy, and I failed to discover any who were not countrymen of ours.

I conversed with all of them, stating at the outset that I was an Englishman like themselves, and the information seemed to open their hearts to me. They represented themselves as very comfortable at the hospital, that every thing they asked for was given to them, and that they were surprised at the kindness of the Kearsarge men who came to visit the establishment, when they were a.s.sured by their own officers before the action that foul treatment would only be shown them in the event of their capture. Condoling with one poor fellow who had his leg carried away by a sh.e.l.l, he remarked to me, "Ah, it serves me right! they won't catch me fighting again without knowing what I'm fighting for." "That's me too,"

said another poor Englishman alongside of him.

The paroled prisoners (four officers) on sh.o.r.e at Cherbourg, evinced no hostility whatever to their captors, but were always on the friendliest of terms with them. All alike frequented the same hotel in the town (curiously enough--"The Eagle,") played billiards at the same _cafe_, and bought their pipes, cigars, and tobacco from the same pretty little _brunette_ on the _Quai du Port_.

The following are the names of the officers and crew of the Alabama, saved by the Kearsarge:

Francis L. Galt, of Virginia, a.s.sistant Surgeon.

Joseph Wilson, Third Lieutenant.

Miles J. Freeman, Engineer, _Englishman_.

John W. Pundt, Third a.s.sistant Engineer.

Benjamin L. McCaskey, Boatswain.

William Forrestall, Quartermaster, _Englishman_.

Thomas Potter, Fireman, "

Samuel Williams, " _Welshman_.

Patrick Bradley, " _Englishman_.

John Orrigin, Fireman, _Irishman_.

George Freemantle, Seaman, _Englishman_.

Edgar Tripp, " "

John Neil, " "

Thomas Winter, Fireman, "

Martin King, Seaman.

Joseph Pearson, " "

James Hicks, Capt. Hold, "

R. Parkinson, Wardroom Steward, "

John Emory, Seaman, "

Thomas L. Parker, boy, "

Peter Hughes, Capt. Top, "

(All the above belonged to the Alabama when she first sailed from the Mersey, and John Neil, John Emory, and Peter Hughes belong to the "Royal Naval Reserve.")

Seamen.--William Clark, David Leggett, Samuel Henry, John Russell, John Smith, Henry McCoy, Edward Bussell, James Ochure, John Casen, Henry Higgin, Frank Hammond, Michael s.h.i.+elds, David Thurston, George Peasey, Henry Yates.

Ordinary Seamen.--Henry G.o.dsen, David Williams, Henry Hestlake, Thomas Watson, John Johnson, Match Maddock, Richard Evans, William Miller, George Cousey, Thomas Brandon.

c.o.xswains.--William McKenzie, James Broderick, William Wilson.

Edward Rawes, Master-at-Arms.

Henry Tucker, Officers' Cook.

William Barnes, Quarter-gunner.

Jacob Verbor, Seaman, } Robert Wright, Capt. M. Top, } _Wounded_.

Wm. McGuire, Capt. F. Top, } Wm. McGinley, c.o.xswain, } John Benson, Coal-Heaver.

James McGuire, "

Frank Currian, Fireman.

Peter Laperty, "

John Riley, "

Nicholas Adams, Landsman.

James Clemens, Yeoman.

James Wilson, Boy.

These men, almost without exception, are subjects of Her Majesty the Queen. There were also three others, who died in the boats, names not known.

The following are those reported to have been killed or drowned:

David Herbert Llewellyn, Surgeon, _Welshman_.

William Robinson, Carpenter.

James King, Master-at-Arms, _Savannah Pilot_.

Peter Duncan, Fireman, _Englishman_.

Andrew s.h.i.+llings, _Scotchman_.

Charles Puist, Coal-pa.s.ser, _German_.

Frederick Johns, Purser's Steward, _Englishman_.

Samuel Henry, Seaman, "

John Roberts, " _Welshman_.

Peter Henry, " _Irishman_.

George Appleby, Yeoman, _Englishman_.

A. G. Bartelli, Seaman, _Portuguese_.