At length the Alabama made her appearance in company with the Couronne,
the latter vessel conveying her outside the limit of French waters. Here
let me pay a tribute to the careful neutrality of the French authorities.
No sooner was the limit of jurisdiction reached, than the Couronne put
down her helm, and without any delay, steamed back into port, not even
lingering outside the breakwater to witness the fight. Curiosity, if not
worse, anchored the English vessel in handy vicinity to the combatants.
Her presence proved to be of much utility, for she picked up no less than
fourteen of the Alabama's officers, and among them the redoubtable Semmes
himself.
So soon as the Alabama was made out, the Kearsarge immediately headed
seaward and steamed off the coast, the object being to get a sufficient
distance from the land so as to obviate any possible infringement of
French jurisdiction; and, secondly, that in case of the battle going
against the Alabama, the latter could not retreat into port. When this was
accomplished, the Kearsarge was turned shortly round and steered
immediately for the Alabama, Captain Winslow desiring to get within close
range, as his guns were shotted with five-seconds shell. The interval
between the two vessels being reduced to a mile, or thereabouts, the
Alabama sheered and discharged a broadside, nearly a raking fire, at the
Kearsarge. More speed was given to the latter to shorten the distance, and
a slight sheer to prevent raking. The Alabama fired a second broadside and
part of a third while her antagonist was closing; and at the expiration of
ten or twelve minutes from the Alabama's opening shot, the Kearsarge
discharged her first broadside. The action henceforward continued in a
circle, the distance between the two vessels being about seven hundred
yards; this, at all events, is the opinion of the Federal commander and
his officers, for their guns were sighted at that range, and their shell
burst in and over the privateer. The speed of the two vessels during the
engagement did not exceed eight knots the hour.
At the expiration of one hour and two minutes from the first gun, the
Alabama hauled down her colours and fired a lee gun (according to the
statements of her officers), in token of surrender. Captain Winslow could
not, however, believe that the enemy had struck, as his own vessel had
received so little damage, and he could not regard his antagonist as much
more injured than himself; and it was only when a boat came off from the
Alabama that her true condition was known. The 11-inch shell from the
Kearsarge, thrown with fifteen pounds of powder at seven hundred yards
range, had gone clean through the starboard side of the privateer,
bursting in the port side and tearing great gaps in her timber and
planking. This was plainly obvious when the Alabama settled by the stern
and raised the forepart of her hull high out of water.
The Kearsarge was struck twenty-seven times during the conflict, and fired
in all one hundred and seventy three (173) shots. These were as follows: