The more I reflect upon the conduct of the Deerhound the more grave do
the questions to be raised with this government appear to be. I do not
feel it my duty to assume the responsibility of demanding, without
instructions, the surrender of the prisoners. Neither have yet obtained
directly from Captain Wins low any authentic evidence of the facts
attending the conflict. I have some reason to suspect that the subject
has already been under the consideration of the authorities here.
Hon. William H. Seward,
&c., &c., &c.
[From the
London Times of June 23,
1864.]
The Alabama and the Kearsarge.
To the Editor of the Times.
Sir: I send herewith a copy of the official
report of Captain Semmes of his late engagement with the United
States ship Kearsarge, which you may, perhaps, think worthy a place
in your columns.
[Page 181]
I avail myself of the occasion to note one or two inaccuracies in the
letter ot your correspondent, dated at Southampton on Monday, and
published in the Times of Tuesday. The crew of the Alabama is there
stated at 150 men; she had, in fact, but 120, all told.
Again, as to her armament; that of the Kearsarge may be correctly
given by your correspondent. I do not know what it was. The Alabama
had one 7-inch Blakely rifled gun, one 8-inch smooth-bore pivot gun,
and six 32-pounders, smooth-bore, in broadside.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. M. MASON.
24 Upper Seymour
Street,
June 22.
[Untitled]
“Southampton,
June 21, 1864.
“Sir: I have the honor to inform you that,
in accordance with my intention as previously announced to you, I
steamed out of the harbor of Cherbourg between 9 and 10 o’clock on
the morning of the 19th of June for the purpose of engaging the
enemy’s steamer Kearsarge, which had been lying off and on the port
for several days previously. After clearing the harbor we descried
the enemy, with his head off shore, at a distance of about seven
miles. We were three-quarters of an hour in coming up with him. I
had previously pivoted my guns to starboard, and made all my
preparations for engaging the enemy on that side. When within about
a mile and a quarter of the enemy he suddenly wheeled, and bringing
his head in-shore, presented his starboard battery to me. By this
time we were distant about one mile from each other, when I opened
on him with solid shot, to which he replied in a few minutes, and
the engagement became active on both sides.
“The enemy now pressed his ship under a full head of steam, and to
prevent our passing each other too speedily, and to keep our
respective broadsides bearing, it became necessary to fight in a
circle, the two ships steaming around a common centre, and
preserving a distance from each other of from a quarter to half a
mile. When we got within good shell range we opened upon him with
shell. Some 10 or 15 minutes after the commencement of the action
our spanker gaff was shot away and our ensign came down by the run.
This was immediately replaced by another at the mizenmast-head. The
firing now became very hot, and the enemy’s shot and shell soon
began to tell upon our hull, knocking down, killing, and disabling a
number of men in different parts of the ship.
“Perceiving that our shell, though apparently exploding against the
enemy’s sides, were doing him but little damage, I returned to solid
shot firing, and from this time onward attended [alternated?] with
shot and shell.
“After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes our ship was
ascertained to be in a sinking condition, the enemy’s shell having
exploded in our side and between decks, opening large apertures,
through which the water rushed with great rapidity.
“For some few minutes 1 had hopes of being able to reach the French
coast, for which purpose I gave the ship all steam, and set such of
the fore and aft sails as were available. The ship filled so
rapidly, however, that before we had made much progress the fires
were extinguished in the furnaces, and we were evidently on the
point of sinking. I now hauled down my colors, to prevent the
further destruction of life, and despatched a boat to inform the
enemy of our condition.
“Although we were now but 400 yards from each other, the enemy fired
upon me five times after my colours had been struck. It is
charitable to suppose that a ship-of-war of a Christian nation could
not have done this intentionally.
“We now turned all our exertions towards saving the wounded and such
of
[Page 182]
the boys of the ship
who were unable to swim. These were despatched in my quarter-boats,
the only boats remaining to me, the waist-boats having been torn to
pieces.
“Some twenty minutes after my furnace fires had been extinguished,
and the ship being on the point of settling, every man, in obedience
to a previous order which had been given the crew, jumped overboard
and endeavored to save himself.
“There was no appearance of any boat coming to me from the enemy
after my ship went down. Fortunately, however, the steam yacht
Deerhound, owned by a gentleman of Lancashire, England, Mr. John
Lancaster, who was himself on board, steamed up in the midst of my
drowning men and rescued a number of both officers and men from the
water. I was fortunate enough myself thus to escape to the shelter
of the neutral flag, together with about forty others, all told.
“About this time the Kearsarge sent one, and then, tardily, another
boat.
“Accompanying you will find lists of the killed and wounded, and of
those who were picked up by the Deerhound; the remainder, there is
reason to hope, were picked up by the enemy and by a couple of
French pilot-boats, which were also fortunately near the scene of
action.
“At the end of the engagement it was discovered by those of our
officers who went alongside the enemy’s ship with the wounded that
her midship section on both sides was thoroughly iron-coated; this
having been done with chain constructed for the purpose, placed
perpendicularly from the rail to the water’s edge, the whole covered
over by a thin outer planking, which gave no indication of the armor
beneath.
“This planking had been ripped off in every direction by our shot and
shell, the chain broken and indented in many places, and forced
partly into the ship’s side. She was most effectually guarded,
however, in this section from penetration. The enemy was much
damaged in other parts, but to what extent it is now impossible to
tell; it is believed he was badly cripplad.
“My officers and men behaved steadily and gallantly, and though they
have lost their ship, they have not lost honor.
“Where all behaved so well it would be invidious to particularize,
but I cannot deny myself the pleasure of saying that Mr. Kell, my
first lieutenant, deserves great credit for the fine condition in
which the ship went into action with regard to her battery,
magazine, and shell-rooms, and that he rendered me great assistance
by his coolness and judgment as the fight proceeded.
“The enemy was heavier than myself, both in ship, battery, and crew;
but I did not know until the action was over that she was also
iron-clad.
“Our total loss in killed and wounded is 30; to wit, 9 killed, 21
wounded.
“I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
