Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part II
Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.
Sir: You will have received before this arrives, from other sources, the gratifying intelligence of the destruction of the Alabama by the Kearsarge, [Page 176] which took place on last Sunday morning. Mr. Dayton did me the favor to send the news by telegraph to me a few hours after it happened, so that I was enabled to be the first to announce it to a few loyal Americans who happened to be at my house on that evening.
I transmit copies of the various morning newspapers, which contain long accounts of the affair as drawn up exclusively from rebel sources. The conduct of the master of the British yacht in aiding the escape of the commander and a part of the crew will doubtless attract your attention. Thus far I have no direct information from Captain Winslow or any other source upon which I could base a representation to this government, if disposed to make one. I incline rather to collect testimony and await instructions.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
The naval action between the Alabama and the Kearsarge.
(From our own Correspondent)
Southampton, Monday.
The English steam yacht Deerhound, belonging to Mr. John Lancaster, of Hindley Hall, Wigan, Lancashire, arrived here last night and landed Captain Semmes, (commander of the late confederate steamer Alabama,) thirteen officers, and twenty-six men, whom she rescued from drowning after the action off Cherbourg yesterday which resulted in the destruction of the world-renowned Alabama. From interviews held this morning with Mr. Lancaster, with Captain Jones, (master of the Deerhound,) and with some of the Alabama’s officers, and from information gleaned in other quarters, I am enabled to furnish you with some interesting particulars connected with the fight between the Alabama and the Kearsarge.
The Deerhound is a yacht of 190 tons and 70 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 10 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 10 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:
[Page 177]“Sunday, June 10, 9 a. m.—Got up steam and proceeded out of Cherbourg harbor. 10.30.—Observed the Alabama steaming out of the harbor towards the federal steamer Kearsarge. 11.10.—The Alabama commenced tiring 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 12 a slight intermission was observed in the Alabama’s firing, the Alabama making head sail, and shaping her course for the land, distant about 9 miles. At 12.30 observed the Alabama to be disabled and in a sinking state. We immediately made towards her, and on passing the Kearsarge were requested to assist in saving the Alabama’s crew. At 12.50, when within a distance of 200 yards, the Alabama sank. We then lowered our two boats, and, with the assistance of the Alabama’s whale-boat and dingy, succeeded in saving about forty men, including Captain Semmes and thirteen officers. At 1 p. m. we steered for Southampton.,,
One of the officers of the Alabama names the same hour, viz: 11.10, as the commencement of the action, and 12.40 as the period of its cessation, making its duration an hour and a half; while the time observed on board the Deer-hound, 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 12.10. 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 2,000 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 150 rounds, some single guns, and some in broadsides of three or four, and the Kearsarge about 100, the majority of which were 11-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 blowpipe 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 the muzzles 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 [Page 178] 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 gun 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 11-inch shell guns—the so-called eolumbiads of the American navy. The Alabama, on the contrary, is stated to have had only two heavy rifled guns and six broadside 32-pounders. The confederate, too, after her long cruise, was sorely in need of a refit. A 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 150 when she left Cherbourg. Of these, 10 or 12 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 out 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, 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 up half an hour yet; look after some who are nearer drowning than I am.” He then made way for the Deerhound, thanking God that he was under British 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 11-inch shells which gave her the advantage, and that, after what he has witnessed on this occasion, wooden ships stand no [Page 179] chance whatever against shells. Both vessels fired well into each other’s hull, and the yards and the 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, &c. As far as could be seen, everything 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 sail 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 it 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’e son one of his officer’s 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 extraordinary 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 made 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 1,031 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 sthip-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. Trem-lett arrived by the 4 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.