An Englishman's View Of The Battle Between The Alabama And The Kearsarge Part 5

Henry Fisher, " _Englishman_.

The above all belonged to the original crew of the Alabama.

The Deerhound carried off, according to her own account, forty-one; the names of the following are known:

Raphael Semmes, Captain.

John M. Kell, First Lieutenant.

Arthur Sinclair, Jun., Second Lieutenant.

R. K. Howell, Lieutenant of Marines.

(This person is brother-in-law of Mr. Jefferson Davis.) W. H. Sinclair, Mids.h.i.+pman.

J. S. Bullock, Acting Master.

E. A. Maffit, Mids.h.i.+pman.

E. M. Anderson, "

M. O'Brien, Third a.s.sistant Surgeon.

George T. Fullam, Master's Mate, _Englishman_.

James Evans, "

Max Meulnier, "

J. Schrader, "

W. B. Smith, Captain's Clerk.

J. O. Cuddy, Gunner.

J. G. Dent, Quartermaster.

James McFadgen, Fireman, _Englishman_.

Orran Duffy, Fireman, _Irishman_.

W. Crawford, _Englishman_.

Brent Johnson, Second Boat Mate, "

William Nevins, "

William Hearn, Seaman, "

The last four belong to the "Royal Naval Reserve."

MOVEMENTS OF THE ENGLISH YACHT DEERHOUND.

That an English yacht, one belonging to the Royal Yacht Squadron, and flying the White Ensign, too, during the conflict, should have a.s.sisted the Confederate prisoners to escape after they had formally surrendered themselves, according to their own statement, by firing a lee-gun, striking their colours, hoisting a white flag, and sending a boat to the Kearsarge--some of which signals must have been witnessed from the deck of the Deerhound, is most humiliating to the national honour. The movements of the yacht early on Sunday morning were as before shown, most suspicious; and had Captain Winslow followed the advice and reiterated requests of his officers when she steamed off, the Deerhound might now have been lying not far distant from the Alabama. Captain Winslow however, could not believe that a gentleman who was asked by himself "to save life"

would use the opportunity to decamp with the officers and men who, according to their own act, were prisoners-of-war. There is high presumptive evidence that the Deerhound was at Cherbourg for the express purpose of rendering every a.s.sistance possible to the corsair; and we may be permitted to doubt whether Mr. Lancaster, the friend of Mr. Laird, and a member of the Mersey Yacht Club, would have carried Captain Winslow and his officers to Southampton if the result of the struggle had been reversed, and the Alabama had sent the Kearsarge to the bottom.

The Deerhound reached Cherbourg on the 17th of June, and between that time and the night of the 18th, boats were observed from the sh.o.r.e pa.s.sing frequently between her and the Alabama. It is reported that English gunners come over from England purposely to a.s.sist the privateer in the fight; this I heard before leaving London, and the a.s.sertion was repeated to me again at Havre, Honfleur, Cherbourg, and Paris. If this be the fact, how did the men reach Cherbourg? On the 14th of June, Captain Semmes sends his challenge to the Kearsarge through Monsieur Bonfils, stating it to be his intention to fight her "as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements." Two full days elapse, during which he takes on board 150 tons additional of coal, and places for security in the Custom House the following valuables:

38 kilo. 700 gr. of Gold coin, 6 gr. of Jewelery and set Diamonds, 2 Gold Watches.

What then became of the pillage of a hundred merchantmen, the chronometers, etc., which the _Times_ describes as the "_spolia opima_ of a whole mercantile fleet?" Those could not be landed on French soil, and were not: did they go to the bottom with the s.h.i.+p herself, or are they saved?

Captain Semmes' preparations are apparently completed on the 16th, but still he lingers behind the famous breakwater, much to the surprise of his men. The Deerhound arrives at length, and the preparations are rapidly completed. How unfortunate that Mr. Lancaster did not favour the _Times_ with a copy of his log-book from the 12th to the 19th of June inclusive!

The record of the Deerhound is suggestive on the morning of that memorable Sunday. She steams out from behind the Cherbourg breakwater at an early hour,--scouts. .h.i.ther and thither, apparently purposeless--runs back to her anchorage--precedes the Alabama to sea--is the solitary and close spectator of the fight whilst the Couronne has the delicacy to return to port, and finally--having picked up Semmes, thirteen of his officers and a few of his men--steams off at fullest speed to Southampton, leaving the "_apparently much-disabled_" _Kearsarge_ (Mr. Lancaster's own words) to save two-thirds of the Alabama's drowning crew struggling in the water.

An English gentleman's yacht playing tender to a corsair! No one will ever believe that Deerhound to be thorough-bred.

CONCLUSION.

Such are the facts relating to the memorable action off Cherbourg on the 19th of June, 1864. The Alabama went down riddled through and through with shot; and, as she sank beneath the green waves of the Channel, not a single cheer arose from the victors. The order was given, "Silence, boys,"

and in perfect silence this terror of American commerce plunged to her last resting place.

There is but one key to the victory. The two vessels were, as nearly as possible, equals in size, speed, armament and crew, and the contest was decided by the superiority of the 11-inch Dahlgren guns of the Kearsarge, over the Blakely rifle and the vaunted 68-pounder of the Alabama, in conjunction with the greater coolness and surer aim of the former's crew.

The Kearsarge was not, as represented, specially armed and manned for destroying her foe; but is in every respect similar to all the vessels of her cla.s.s (third-rate) in the United States Navy. Moreover, the large majority of her officers are from the merchant service.

The French at Cherbourg were by no means dilatory in recognizing the value of these Dahlgren guns. Officers of all grades, naval and military alike, crowded the vessel during her stay at their port; and they were all eyes for the ma.s.sive pivots and for nothing else. Guns, carriages, even rammers and sponges, were carefully measured; and, if the pieces can be made in France, many months will not elapse before their muzzles will be grinning through the port-holes of French s.h.i.+ps-of-war.

We have no such gun in Europe as this 11-inch Dahlgren, but it is considered behind the age in America. The 68-pounder is regarded by us as a heavy piece; in the United States it is the minimum for large vessels; whilst some s.h.i.+ps, the "New Ironsides," "Niagara," "Vanderbilt," etc., carry the 11-inch _in broadside_. It is considered far too light, however, for the sea-going ironclads, although throwing a solid shot of 160 pounds; yet it has made a wonderful stir on both sides of the Channel. What, then, will be thought of the 15-inch gun, throwing a shot of 480 pounds, or of the 200-pound Parrot, with its range of five miles?

We are arming our ironclads with 9-inch smooth-bores and 100-pounder rifles, whilst the Americans are constructing their armour-s.h.i.+ps to resist the impact of 11 and 15-inch shot. By next June, the United States will have in commission the following ironclads:

Dunderberg, 5,090 tons, 10 guns.

Dictator, 3,033 " 2 "

Kalamazoo, 3,200 " 4 "

Pa.s.saconaway, 3,200 " 4 "

Puritan, 3,265 " 4 "

Quinsigamond, 3,200 " 4 "

Roanoke, 3,435 " 6 "

Shakamaxon, 3,200 " 4 "

These, too, without counting six others of "second cla.s.s," all alike armed with the tremendous 15-inch, and built to cross the Atlantic in any season. But it is not in ironclads alone that America is proving her energy; first, second and third-rates, wooden built, are issuing constantly from trans-Atlantic yards, and the Navy of the United States now numbers no less than six hundred vessels and upwards, seventy-three of which are ironclads.

This is, indeed, an immense fleet for one nation, but we may, at all events, rejoice that it will be used to defend--in the words of the wisest and n.o.blest of English statesmen--"the democratic principle, or, if that term is offensive, popular sovereignty."

APPENDIX.

LETTER OF CAPTAIN JOHN A. WINSLOW.

"U. S. S. S. 'KEARSARGE,' OFF DOVER,

_July 13, 1864_.

"MY DEAR SIR--I have read the proof-sheet of your pamphlet, ent.i.tled 'The Alabama and the Kearsarge. An Account of the Naval Engagement in the British Channel on Sunday, June 19, 1864.' I can fully endorse the pamphlet as giving a fair, unvarnished statement of all the facts both prior and subsequent to the engagement.

"With my best wishes, I remain, with feelings of obligation, very truly yours,

"JOHN A. WINSLOW.

"FRED'K M. EDGE, ESQ.,

"LONDON."