During the summer of 1864, while Grant and his army were fighting the
terrible battles which opened his way to the James, through Virginia;
and the whole country was upon the very tenter-hooks of anxiety, a
piece of news came across the water which gave more satisfaction to
the country at large than many a hard-won battle has given, where a
thousand times the numbers were engaged. It was the intelligence that
the Alabama was at the bottom of the sea.
We may borrow the words of Boynton, in his “History of the Navy during
the Rebellion,” to put the reader in possession of a part of the career
of the notorious Alabama, previous to her meeting with the Kearsarge.
No event of the great civil war excited such deep indignation, such
bitter resentment, as the career of the Alabama. It was not alone
because she committed such havoc with our commerce--burning our
merchantmen in great numbers; nor was it because she had sunk the
Hatteras--a merchant steamer converted into a gun-boat; but it was
because England had sent out a British ship, with British guns, and
seamen trained in her own practice-ship, a vessel English in every
essential but her flag, to lay waste the commerce of a country with
which she professed to be at peace. To add to the provocation,
this vessel was originally called the “290,” to show, by the large
number who had contributed to fit her out, how widespread was English
sympathy for the cause she was to support. The Alabama was not regarded
as a Confederate vessel of war, but as an English man-of-war, sent
forth under the thin veil of another flag, to sink and destroy our
merchantmen. The short-lived triumph in which England indulged turned
out to be about as costly a pleasure as she could well have taken; and
deeply mortified as we were that the successful rover should escape
our watchful cruisers, and so long pursue, unmolested, her work of
destruction, in the end the pride of England was more deeply and
bitterly wounded than our own, while at the same time she was held
responsible for the destruction of our property. England will probably
have reason to remember the Alabama quite as long as the Americans.
[Illustration: SINKING OF THE ALABAMA BY THE KEARSARGE, OFF CHERBOURG,
FRANCE.]
The successful movements of this vessel were such as to attract the
attention of Europe as well as America. Semmes, her commander, seemed
to have been adopted as a sort of English champion, and judging from
the expressions of most of the English papers, and what Americans
believed to be the effective though quiet support of the English
Government, the governing class, at least, in Great Britain were as
much pleased with the success of the Alabama as were the people of the
South. There was enough of mystery connected with the operations to
excite the imagination, and scarcely was any phantom ship ever invested
with a more unreal character than was this modern highwayman of the sea.
She seemed to be everywhere, and yet nowhere to be found when sought
for by our ships; and some were inclined to think that our naval
officers were not very anxious to find her. The result showed how
little reason there was for such an injurious suspicion. There could
be no more difficult task than to overtake a single fast steamer to
which all seas were open, and which constantly shifted her cruising
ground. She seldom entered a port, getting coal and provisions from
captured vessels, and so could not readily be traced. She burned or
sunk the captured vessels, and then disappeared. The public naturally
magnified her size, speed and power, but the Navy Department was well
informed about her, and knew just what sort of vessel to send in
pursuit of her.
Early in 1862 Captain John A. Winslow, of the United States Navy, was
sent, in command of the steam-sloop Kearsarge, to cruise on the coast
of Europe for the Alabama and her associate vessels.
He blockaded the Florida for some time, but was forced to give her a
chance to escape, by the necessity of going for coal and stores. He lay
two months off Calais, where the Rappahannock was found, and at last,
in despair of getting to sea, the Rebel cruiser was dismantled and laid
up.
Soon after this he learned that the Alabama was at Cherbourg, and he
immediately sailed for that port, and took up a position off the famous
breakwater.
Semmes was now, for the first time, placed in a position where he would
either have to fight the Kearsarge, or submit to be blockaded by a ship
in every way a fair match for him.
If he declined battle he would be disgraced in the eyes of all Europe.
Should he succeed, his victory would have a great moral effect,
especially from the scene of action attracting general attention.
People of all nations would hear of it, and augur well for the
Confederate cause, whose attention would never be drawn by such a
combat, if it occurred on the other side of the Atlantic.
Putting a bold face upon his situation, he challenged Winslow.
Considering that his ship was somewhat larger than the Kearsarge, that
she carried one more gun, and that he had trained English gunners, of
whom much was expected; more than that, that his men were confident,
from success, and had the sympathies of most of those about them, he
had good reason to hope for success.
Winslow and his crew well knew the consequences involved in the battle.
They were indignant, as all Northerners were, at the manner in which
the Alabama had been fitted out, quite as much as at her depredations
upon our commerce, and death would have been preferable to them, to
being towed, a prize, into Cherbourg harbor.
The news of the approaching battle soon spread, and was telegraphed in
every direction. Crowds came down from Paris, yachts collected, and
bets were freely made upon the result.
The writer was in Cherbourg some time after this fight, and photographs
of the Kearsarge, her officers, her battery, and the state of her
decks after the action, were in many of the shop windows still. The
Cherburgeois seemed glad that the Alabama and her English crew had been
conquered off their town. At any rate, it was their interest to appear
so, after the event. It was rather curious that no photographs of
Semmes or his officers appeared in the windows.
At length, on Sunday morning, June 19th, 1864, the Alabama, having
made all her preparations, steamed out of Cherbourg, accompanied
by the French ironclad frigate Couronne. The morning was a very
fine one; the sea calm, and with a light haze upon the water, not
sufficient to obscure the movements of the ships. The French frigate
accompanied the Alabama only so far as to make it certain that she
would not be attacked until beyond the marine league, or line of French
jurisdiction. A small steamer bearing an English yacht flag came out at
the same time, but attracted no particular attention.
The Alabama was first seen by the Kearsarge at about half-past ten, and
the latter immediately headed seaward, not only to avoid all questions
of jurisdiction, but to draw Semmes so far from shore that, in case his
vessel was partially disabled in the coming fight, she could not escape
by running into French waters.
The Kearsarge then cleared for action, with her guns pivoted to
starboard. Having reached a point about seven miles from shore, the
Kearsarge turned short on her heel, and steered straight for the
Alabama.
The moment the Kearsarge came round the Alabama sheered, presenting her
starboard battery, and slowed her engine.
Winslow’s intention was to run his adversary down, if opportunity
presented, and he therefore kept on his course. When about a mile
distant the Alabama fired a broadside, which did only very trifling
damage to the Kearsarge’s rigging. Winslow now increased his speed,
intending to strike his enemy with full force, and in the next ten
minutes the Alabama fired two more broadsides. Not a shot struck the
Kearsarge, and she made no reply; but, as the vessels were now not
more than seven hundred yards apart, Captain Winslow did not deem it
prudent to expose his ship to another raking fire, and the Kearsarge
accordingly sheered and opened fire. The ships were thus brought
broadside to broadside; but it soon became evident that Semmes did not
intend to fight a close action, and Winslow began to fear that he would
make for the shore and escape.
To prevent this, Winslow kept his vessel at full speed, intending to
run under the stern of the Alabama and secure a raking position.
To avoid this the Alabama sheered, so as to keep her broadside to the
Kearsarge, and as both vessels were under a full head of steam, they
were forced into a circular movement, steaming in opposite directions
round a common centre, with the current setting them to the westward.
Had they fought on parallel lines, with the Alabama heading inshore,
she would have reached the line of French jurisdiction, and thus
escaped. But, being thus compelled to steam in a circle, she was
about five miles from the shore when, at the close of the action, she
attempted to run into Cherbourg.
The firing of the Alabama was, throughout the action, very rapid, but
also very wild. During the first eighteen minutes not a man was injured
on board the Kearsarge. Then a 68-pound Blakely shell passed through
the starboard bulwarks, about the main rigging, and exploded on the
quarter-deck, wounding three men at the after pivot-gun, one of whom
afterwards died of his wounds. This was the only casualty among the
crew of the Kearsarge during the whole engagement.
The firing of the Kearsarge was very deliberate, and especial pains
were taken with the aiming of the two 11-inch pivot-guns. At the
distance at which they were fired, about half a mile, they were
terribly effective. One shell disabled a gun on board the Alabama, and
killed and wounded eighteen men. Another exploded in her coal-bunker,
and completely blocked the engine room. Other shells tore great gaps
in the Alabama’s sides, and it was soon evident that her race was run.
For an hour this fire was exchanged, the Kearsarge suffering little,
while almost every shot of hers struck the Alabama. The vaunted English
gunners, with their Blakely guns, did not seem to get the range. The
Kearsarge’s shell came with due deliberation, but as certain as fate,
crashing through her sides, exploding within her or upon her decks,
and sweeping away her crew, many of whom were literally torn to pieces
by the fearful missiles. She was rapidly reduced to a wreck; her decks
were strewn with the dead and wounded, and the water was pouring in the
gaps in her sides.
Semmes now made one desperate effort to escape, and suddenly bore up
for the land, and made all sail that he could. But he was too late. The
Alabama was sinking, and the water which poured into her soon put out
her fires.
One or two more shot brought down her flag. For a moment it was
uncertain whether it had been hauled down or shot away, but soon a
white flag was exposed, and the Kearsarge’s fire ceased.
In a moment more another gun was fired from the Alabama, and this was
at once returned. The Kearsarge now steamed ahead, and was laid across
the Alabama’s bows, with the intention of sinking her, but as the white
flag was still flying, the fire was reserved. Then it was seen that
the Alabama’s boats were being lowered, and an officer came alongside,
to inform Captain Winslow that the Alabama had surrendered, and was
rapidly sinking. Only two boats were in a condition to be sent to the
assistance of these people. These were promptly lowered and manned, but
before they could reach her they saw the Alabama settle by the stern,
raise her bows high in air, shake her mizzen-mast over the side, and
plunge down to the bottom of the channel. The crew were left struggling
in the water, and the boats of the Kearsarge picked up as many as they
could, and hailed the small English yacht steamer, which had come out
of Cherbourg in the morning, giving him permission, and requesting
him to assist in saving the prisoners. Both parties saved such as they
could reach, and when no more were to be seen floating, the Americans,
to their surprise, found the yacht making off, instead of delivering
the prisoners she had picked up.
[Illustration: NEW BATTLESHIP KEARSARGE.
Displacement, 11,525 tons. Speed, 16 knots. Horse-power, 10,000. Triple
screw. Length on load water line, 368 feet. Extreme breadth, 72 feet, 5
inches. Mean draught, 23 feet, 6 inches. Thickness of armor on sides,
15 inches; turrets, 17 inches; barbettes, 15 inches. Main battery, 4
13-in. breech loading rifles, 20 6-pdr., 14 5-pdr., 6 1-pdr. rapid-fire
guns, 4 Gatlings, 1 Field gun. 5 torpedo tubes. 40 officers, 480 men.]
Winslow was astonished that such a thing should be done, and, supposing
some mistake, and that they were disturbed by the catastrophe which had
just occurred, did not fire into them, as he should have done. Among
the rest, this Englishman, whose name was Lancaster, had picked up the
Captain of the Alabama.
The officer of the Alabama who came to surrender himself and the ship
had permission to return, with his boat, to assist in saving life. He
went to the English yacht and escaped in her. None of them seemed to
feel any disgrace in making off in this way while the Kearsarge was
engaged in saving life. The saddest sight of all was, that England was
not ashamed of this man Lancaster, and associated him with Semmes, in
the banquets and other recognition which the latter received in England.
It was afterwards understood that this Lancaster was a
“_nouveau-riche_,” who had a yacht, and who was glad to be seen and
identified with any notorious person. Many persons in England shared
his feelings, and when the Alabama was sunk, she was much regretted by
the rich men of Birmingham and Manchester, as well as by those of the
higher nobility, who would not, on any account, speak on equal terms
to those with whom they were in complete sympathy in the matter of our
war. We must also consider that the man Lancaster had no experience
in any kind of warfare, and that he probably knew no better, and even
thought he was doing a clever thing.
In his letter acknowledging Captain Winslow’s despatch announcing the
result of this action, Mr. Welles, the Secretary of the Navy, says:
“The Alabama represented the best maritime effort of the best English
workshops. Her battery was composed of the well-tried 32-pounders of
fifty-seven hundred weight, of the famous 68-pounder of the British
navy, and of the only successful rifled 100-pounder yet produced in
England. The crew were generally recruited in Great Britain, and many
of them received superior training on board her Majesty’s gunnery-ship,
the Excellent. The Kearsarge is one of the first gun-boats built at
our navy yards at the commencement of the Rebellion, and lacks the
improvements of the vessels now under construction.
* * * “The President has signified his intention to recommend that
you receive a vote of thanks, in order that you may be advanced to
the grade of Commodore. Lieutenant-Commander James S. Thornton, the
executive officer of the Kearsarge, will be recommended to the Senate
for advancement ten numbers in his grade.” * *
Thornton was well known in the navy for his firmness, ability and
courage.
In regard to the conduct of the English yacht, the Secretary says,
“That the wretched commander * * * should have resorted to any
dishonorable means to escape after his surrender; that he should
have thrown overboard the sword that was no longer his; that before
encountering an armed antagonist the mercenary rover should have
removed the chronometers and other plunder stolen from peaceful
commerce, are not matters of surprise, for each act is characteristic
of one who has been false to his country and flag. You could not have
expected, however, that gentlemen, or those claiming to be gentlemen,
would, on such an occasion, act in bad faith, and that, having been
called upon or permitted to assist in rescuing persons and property
which had been surrendered to you, they would run away with either.”
* * * *
“The Alabama was an English-built vessel, armed and manned by
Englishmen; has never had any other than an English register; has
never sailed under any recognized national flag since she left the
shores of England; has never visited any port of North America; and
her career of devastation since she went forth from England is one
that does not entitle those of her crew who were captured to be
paroled. This Department expressly disavows that act. Extreme caution
must be exercised, so that we in no way change the character of this
English-built and English-manned, if not English-owned, vessel, or
relieve those who may be implicated in sending forth this robber upon
the seas from any responsibility to which they may be liable for the
outrages she has committed.”
The sagacity and far-sightedness of Mr. Welles in preventing the
English Government from having any technical ground for escaping
responsibility has since been triumphantly approved by the action of
the Geneva Convention, in the damages brought in against England for
the actions of this vessel. Unfortunately the English masses had to
help to pay these damages, as well as the classes which had in every
way fostered the Rebellion.
It was stated in the English newspapers that the Kearsarge was an
ironclad in disguise; and much more powerful, in every way, than the
Alabama. Let us look at the facts.
In the first place, the two vessels were much the same in size, the
Alabama being a little longer, and about one hundred tons larger.
Captain Winslow covers the whole ground in the following statement:
“The Kearsarge’s battery consists of seven guns, two 11-inch Dahlgrens,
four 32-pounders, one light rifled 28-pounder.
“The battery of the Alabama consisted of one 100-pounder, rifled; six
32-pounders, that is, one more gun than the Kearsarge.
“In the wake of the engines on the outside the Kearsarge had stopped up
and down her sheet chains.
“These were stopped by marline to eyebolts, which extended some twenty
feet, and this was done by the hands of the Kearsarge; the whole was
covered by light plank, to prevent dirt collecting. It was for the
purpose of protecting the engines when there was no coal in the upper
part of the bunkers, as was the case when the action took place. The
Alabama had her bunkers full, and was equally protected. The Kearsarge
went into action with a crew of one hundred and sixty-two officers
and men. The Alabama, by report of the Deerhound’s officers, had one
hundred and fifty. * * * * The action lasted one hour and two minutes,
from the first to the last shot. The Kearsarge received twenty-eight
shots above and below, thirteen about her hull; the best shots were
abaft the mainmast, two shots, which cut the chain stops, the shell
of which broke the casing of wood covering; they were too high to
damage the boilers had they penetrated. The Kearsarge was only slightly
damaged, and I supposed the action for hot work had just commenced when
it ended.
“Such stuff as the Alabama firing when she was going down, and all such
talk, is twaddle.
“The Alabama, toward the last, hoisted sail to get away, when the
Kearsarge was laid across her bows, and would have raked her had she
not surrendered, which she had done, and was trying to get her flags
down, and showing a white flag over the stern.
“The officers of the Alabama on board the Kearsarge say that she was a
complete slaughter-house, and was completely torn to pieces. This is
all I know of the Alabama.
“Of the one hundred and sixty-three officers and men of the Kearsarge,
one hundred and fifty-two were native Americans, and two of the
remaining eleven were Englishmen.”