_The new vessel--Aide toi et Dieu t'aidera--Accommodation on
board--Cost--Laws of neutrality--Necessary caution--The 29th of July--A
breakfast party--The scene changed--Off--The pursuit--Too late._
The vessel to which Captain Semmes was now appointed had been built
expressly for the Confederate navy, by Messrs. Laird and Sons, of
Birkenhead. She was a small fast screw steam-sloop, of 1040 tons
register, not iron-clad, as was at one time erroneously supposed, but
built entirely of wood, and of a scantling and general construction, in
which strength had been less consulted than speed. Her length over all
was about 220 feet, length of keel, 210 feet; breadth of beam, 32 feet,
and 18 feet from deck to keel. She carried two magnificent engines, on
the horizontal principle, constructed by the same firm, and each of the
power of 300 horses; while her coal-bunkers were calculated to
accommodate about 350 tons of coal.
The Alabama, or as she should as yet be called, "No. 290," was
barque-rigged, her standing gear being formed throughout of wire rope;
thus combining strength with lightness to the utmost possible extent.
Her ordinary suit of sails consisted of the usual square sails in the
foremast, fore topmast staysail and jib, large fore and main topsails,
maintop sail, topgallant sail and royal, and on the mizen-mast spanker
and gaff topsail. Occasionally, this rig would be varied, as was the
case in entering Cherbourg, just before the close of her eventful
career, when a crossjack yard was got up across the mizen-mast, with
mizen topsail and topgallant yards to match; and the Alabama assumed for
a time the appearance of a full-rigged ship. This, however, was only a
temporary _ruse_, and her ordinary cruising sails were similar to those
commonly in use with vessels of her class.
A little forward of the mizen-mast was placed the steering apparatus, a
large double wheel, inscribed with the significant words: _Aide toi et
Dieu t'aidera_; a motto which, in the case of the Alabama, has been
better acted up to than such legends usually are. Just before the
funnel, and near the centre of the vessel, was the bridge, at either
side of which hung the two principal boats, cutter and launch; a gig,
and whale-boat, being suspended from the davits on either side of the
quarter-deck, and a small dingy over the stern. On the main deck she was
pierced for twelve guns, with two heavy pivot guns amidships. Her lines
were beautifully fine, with sharp flaring bows, billet head, and
elliptic stern. The cabin accommodation was perhaps somewhat scanty, but
this, in so small a vessel, built altogether for speed, not comfort, was
scarcely to be avoided. The semicircular stern-cabin was, of course,
appropriated to the captain, with a small state-room opening out from it
in the starboard side. Forward of this came the companion ladder, and
forward of this again the wardroom, or senior officers' mess, with small
cabins on either side for the lieutenants, surgeon, and other officers.
Passing through the wardroom, the visitor entered the gunroom, or
"steerage," allotted on the starboard side to the midshipmen, and on the
port to the engineers. Next came the engine-room, occupying an unusual
space for a vessel of the Alabama's size; the coal bunkers, &c.; and
finally, the berth-deck, or forecastle, with accommodation for 120 men.
The lower portion of the vessel was divided into three compartments, of
about equal dimensions. In the aftermost were store-rooms, shell-rooms,
&c.; the midship section contained the furnaces and fire-rooms; whilst
the forward compartment was occupied by the hold, the magazines, and the
boatswain's and carpenter's stores.
Such was the Alabama, or, as she was long called, "No. 290;" and
considering the peculiar circumstances under which she was built, the
numerous requirements to be satisfied, and the perfection of the
workmanship throughout the vessel, the cost of her construction and
armament cannot but be considered marvellously small. The builder's
charge for hull, spars, sails, boats, cable, and all equipment, except
armament, was £47,500. To this must be added the cost of her batteries,
£2500; magazine tanks, £616; ordnance stores, £500; and small arms,
£600, making a-total cost of £51,716, or in American money, of
250,305.44 dollars.
It must not be supposed, however, that in leaving the building-yard of
Messrs. Laird, the Alabama's equipment was by any means complete. The
strictest injunctions had been given both to Captain Bullock and Captain
Semmes, to avoid doing anything that would by any possibility be
construed into an infringement of either the municipal law, or the
anxiously-guarded neutrality of England; and as the Foreign Enlistment
Act clearly forbade the _equipment_ of ships of war for belligerent
uses, it was necessary that the new cruiser should leave England
unarmed, and take her chance of capture, until some safe place could be
found for taking her armament on board.
This was, of course, a delicate operation, and one requiring the
preservation of strict secresy, that the cruisers of the United States
might at least not be enabled to pounce upon their new enemy, until she
had been placed to some extent in a condition for self-defence. Nor was
this the only ground on which caution had to be observed. The career of
the Sumter had given Captain Semmes a clearer idea than he had probably
before possessed of the precise meaning of the word neutrality, as
applied to the present war, and there was too much at stake to run the
risk of detention from any such views of its obligations as had been put
forward in the case of his captive officer at Tangier. The law of the
case might be--he certainly thought it was--clear enough; but there was
no use in throwing temptation in the way of those by whom it was to be
interpreted. The recent cases of the Alexandria, the El Tousson, and the
El Monassir, have shown with sufficient clearness that this calculation
was tolerably correct.
Accordingly, the reticence which has so distinctively marked the men of
the South throughout the struggle, was most religiously observed in the
case of the Alabama. It was impossible, of course, altogether to conceal
from the diligent researches of Mr. Adams' spies the fact of her
destination. But beyond having a strong suspicion that the vessel so
rapidly approaching completion in Messrs. Laird's yard was intended for
the Confederate States, these astute gentlemen were altogether at fault.
This, however, was enough, and on the application of Mr. Adams an order
was despatched to the Customs' authorities at Liverpool to seize the
ship, and prevent her from going to sea.
Fortunately for the Confederate vessel her friends were equally on the
watch, and tidings of the projected seizure were promptly conveyed to
Birkenhead. It was necessary now to act with promptitude, and the final
preparations were pushed on with the utmost speed. At length, at a
quarter past nine on the morning of the 29th July, 1862, the anchor was
got up for the first time since she had been afloat, and the "No. 290"
dropped slowly down the Mersey, anchoring that afternoon in Moelfra Bay.
Even this, however, could not be carried out without considerable
precaution, and it was necessary, as a blind to the suspicious eyes so
constantly employed in watching every movement of the sorely suspected
vessel, to announce that she was merely proceeding for a short trial
trip. To give colour to this pretence, to which her even then unfinished
condition lent a _prima facie_ sanction, a gay party was assembled on
board. A number of ladies, friends and acquaintances of the builders,
enlivened the narrow, and as yet rough and unfinished deck with their
bright costumes, and seemed to afford a sufficient guarantee for the
return of the vessel to port. Luncheon was spread in the cabin, flags
decorated the seats hastily improvised on the sacred quarter-deck, and
all seemed bent upon making holiday.
Suddenly, however, the scene changed. At a signal from the Alabama a
small steam tug came puffing alongside, and to the visitors' great
astonishment they were politely requested to step on board. Relieved of
her gay cargo, the transformation of the Alabama proceeded with
rapidity. The luncheon had been already cleared away, and now seats and
flags, and all the rest of the holiday paraphernalia began speedily to
disappear. Late that evening and all the next day the bustle of
preparation continued, and at two o'clock in the morning of the 31st
July the anchor was once more weighed, and with a strong breeze from the
S.W. the "No. 290" started off, ostensibly on a voyage to Nassau in the
Bahamas.
Just in time. That morning the seizure was to have been made. At the
very moment that "No. 290" was heaving up her anchor, a huge despatch
"On Her Majesty's Service" was travelling down to Liverpool, at the top
speed of the north-western mail,[4] commanding the Customs' authorities
to lay an embargo on the ship. The morning was still but very slightly
advanced when through the driving south-westerly squalls came the
gold-laced officials in search of their prize, only to return in outward
appearance considerably crestfallen, inwardly perhaps not altogether so
deeply grieved as a good neutral should have been at the ill success of
their uncomfortable trip.
Two days more and another actor appeared upon the scene. Like her
colleague at Tangier, the United States frigate Tuscarora had got scent
of a valuable prey, and hurried round to the Mersey at full speed of
sail and steam to secure it. But by the time she arrived at Moelfra Bay,
the "No. 290" was already a couple of days upon her outward voyage. The
game was up, and the only resource of the baffled Yankee now lay in
scolding poor Earl Russell, who certainly had been no willing agent in
the escape of the daring little Confederate cruiser.