Part 31 (2/2)

Thus ended this marvelous battle, the first in the world's history between ironclad vessels. All Was.h.i.+ngton retired to sleep that night with a sense of relief, for it seemed as if the nation had been saved.

The brave Worden shortly after the famous battle went to Was.h.i.+ngton.

President Lincoln was at a cabinet meeting when he heard of the lieutenant's arrival. He rose hastily and said, ”Gentlemen, I must go to that fellow.”

When Lincoln entered his room, Worden was lying on a sofa with his eyes and head heavily bandaged.

”Mr. President,” said he, ”you do me great honor by this visit.”

”Sir,” said Mr. Lincoln, with tears in his eyes, ”I am the one who is honored by this interview.”

=336. Confederate Privateers attack Union Merchantmen.=--When the North began blockading the Southern ports, the South of course used all its energies to break the blockade by aiding s.h.i.+ps to pa.s.s in or out, and also to destroy our commerce wherever it might be found.

The first craft that went out on this errand of destruction was an ocean steamer then at New Orleans. It had been speedily altered into a wars.h.i.+p and named the Sumter. She slipped through the blockade in June, 1861, and did a lively business capturing and burning our merchantmen.

Then the South, as it had no navy of its own, had to seek aid abroad.

England seemed to be very willing that her s.h.i.+pbuilders should furnish s.h.i.+ps for the use of the Confederacy in seizing and destroying Union vessels.

The first of the cruisers secretly built in a British s.h.i.+pyard to destroy our commerce was the Florida. She burned or sank over forty vessels before she was captured.

=337. The Famous Alabama makes Sad Havoc.=--The Alabama was the most famous of the Confederate cruisers. She was built under false pretenses and with a false name, in an English port, of English material, armed with English cannon, and manned by English sailors.

The Alabama, once fairly at sea under Captain Semmes, skillfully avoided our men-of-war sent to capture her, and continued in her two years'

cruise till she had burned or captured sixty-seven of our merchant s.h.i.+ps.

=338. The Alabama destroyed by the Kearsarge.=--At last the Alabama went into the harbor of Cherbourg, in France. Captain Winslow of the United States wars.h.i.+p Kearsarge, then searching for her, heard of this and at once challenged her, and then waited outside. On the nineteenth day of June, 1864, the Alabama was compelled by law to leave the port. The battle began, and was watched by thousands from the sh.o.r.es.

The Kearsarge swept around in great circles, compelling the Alabama, about half a mile distant, to do the same. The men on the Alabama fired fast and wild. Their shots flew over, or fell short; but the Kearsarge fired carefully and with true aim. Nearer drew the Kearsarge, circling still. Its two eleven-inch guns made frightful havoc, tearing great rents in the Alabama's sides. She was sinking, and started for the sh.o.r.e. Winslow now steamed in front and headed her off. Then down came the Confederate flag.

Soon the far-famed and dreaded cruiser sank to her watery grave. The names Winslow and Kearsarge long rang through this country with plaudits of enthusiastic praise.

”I would rather have fought that fight,” said brave old Admiral Farragut, ”than any ever fought on the ocean.”

=339. England pays for the Damage done by the Alabama.=--After the war England refused for years to make compensation for the damage the Alabama had done to our commerce. But seeing that the same course might some day injure herself, and sensible of the injustice, she at last consented to make amends. In 1872 a Board of Arbitrators met at Geneva, and agreeably to its decision ”John Bull” promptly paid $15,500,000 to ”Uncle Sam” to distribute among those who had suffered by the depredations.

=340. Preparations for the Capture of Mobile.=--In the summer of 1864 a prominent Southern port, Mobile, was yet uncaptured. Its defenses were strong. Two splendid forts stood sentry at the gateway. Long lines of piles narrowed the channel to about three hundred feet, and a triple row of torpedoes threatened any approach. In the harbor the Confederates had a small fleet of gunboats and one tremendous ram, the Tennessee.

Admiral Farragut determined to capture Mobile. He had four monitors and fourteen wooden s.h.i.+ps. All the preparations were made with the utmost care. The officers and men of the fleet regarded the admiral with staunch loyalty and absolute trust. The attack was made early on the morning of August 5.

=341. Farragut's Crowning Victory at Mobile.=--The fleet pa.s.sing through the channel, rained shot and sh.e.l.l so furiously upon the forts that the Confederates could not well serve their guns. But our finest ironclad, the Tec.u.mseh, was struck by a torpedo, and she sank with over a hundred of her brave men!

Her captain, the gallant Craven, was at the time in the pilot-house with the pilot. As the huge ironclad lurched heavily over and began to sink, both rushed to the narrow door, but there was only room for one to pa.s.s at a time. Craven stepped to one side, saying, ”After you, pilot.” The pilot leaped to a place of safety, but the n.o.ble captain went to the bottom in his iron coffin.

The fleet now fought a desperate battle with the Confederate ironclads.

The armored vessels were soon sunk or scattered. The Tennessee tried to ram our s.h.i.+ps, but with little success. Then our ironclads gathered around our ”wooden walls,” steamed straight for the ram, and there was fought one of the most desperate naval fights of the war.

Sharpshooters fired into the ram's ports, our s.h.i.+ps successively poured in a terrific fire, and hammered at close range with huge solid shot and fifteen-inch bolts of iron, till the white flag went up, and once more the stars and stripes waved triumphantly over the harbor of Mobile.

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