Part 1 (1/2)
The Story of the Kearsarge and Alabama.
by A. K. Browne.
THE STORY.
On Sunday, June 12th, 1864, the U. S. Steamer Kearsarge was lying at anchor in the Scheldt, off Flus.h.i.+ng, Holland. Suddenly appeared the cornet at the fore--an unexpected signal, that compelled absent officers and men to repair on board. Steam was raised, and immediately after a departure made, when all hands being called, the nature of the precipitate movement became apparent. Captain Winslow, in a brief address, announced the welcome intelligence of the reception of a telegram from his Excellency, Mr. Dayton, Minister Resident at Paris, to the effect that the notorious Alabama had arrived the day previous at Cherbourg, France; hence, the urgency of departure, the probability of an encounter, and the confident expectation of her destruction or capture. The crew responded by cheers.
The succeeding day witnessed the arrival of the Kearsarge at Dover, England, for dispatches, and the day after (Tuesday) her appearance off Cherbourg Breakwater. At anchor in the harbor was seen the celebrated Alabama--a beautiful specimen of naval architecture, eliciting encomiums for evident neatness, good order, and a well-disciplined crew, indicative of efficiency in any duty required. The surgeon of the Kearsarge proceeded on sh.o.r.e and obtained pratique for boats. Owing to the enforcement of the neutral twenty-four hour regulation, to anchor, became inexpedient; the result was the establishment of a vigilant watch, alternately, at each of the harbor entrances, which continued to the moment of the engagement.
On Wednesday, Captain Winslow paid an official visit to the Admiral commanding the Maritime District and the U. S. Commercial Agent, bringing on his return the unantic.i.p.ated news that Captain Semmes declared his intention to fight. At first, the a.s.sertion was hardly credited, the policy of the Alabama being regarded as in opposition to a conflict, but even the doubters were speedily half convinced when the character of the so-called challenge was disclosed, viz.:
”C. S. S. ALABAMA, Cherbourg, June 14th, 1864.
”TO A. BONFILS, Esq., ”Cherbourg--
”_Sir_: I hear that you were informed by the U. S. Consul, that the Kearsarge was to come to this port solely for the prisoners landed by me, and that she was to depart in twenty-four hours. I desire you to say to the U. S. Consul that my intention is to fight the Kearsarge, as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements. I hope these will not detain me more than until to-morrow evening, or after the morrow morning at farthest. I beg she will not depart before I am ready to go out.
”I have the honor to be
”Very respectfully, ”Your obedient servant, ”R. SEMMES, ”Captain.”
This communication was sent by Mr. Bonfils to the U. S. Commercial Agent, Mr. Liais, with a request that the latter would furnish a copy to Captain Winslow for his guidance. There was no other defiance to combat.
The letter that pa.s.sed between the commercial agents, was the challenge about which so much has been written. Captain Semmes indirectly informed Captain Winslow of his desire for a combat. Captain Winslow made no reply, but prepared his s.h.i.+p to meet the opponent, thereby tacitly acknowledging the so-called challenge and its acceptance.
Requisite preparations were immediately inst.i.tuted for battle, with no relaxation of the watch. Thursday pa.s.sed; Friday came, and yet no Alabama appeared. According to report, important arrangements were being effected; a zeal was displayed in the reception of coals, the transmission of valuables on sh.o.r.e, and the sharpening of swords, cutla.s.ses, boarding-pikes, and battle-axes. To the observer this preparation confirmed the a.s.surance of the certainty of a fight. An intended surprise by night was suggested, and measures precautionary taken. Dispatches were brought from Mr. Dayton, Minister at Paris, by his son, who with difficulty had obtained permission from the Admiral commanding to visit the Kearsarge. To preserve a strictly honest neutrality, the French authorities had prohibited all communication with the respective vessels. Mr. Dayton expressed the opinion that the Alabama would not fight, though acknowledging the prevalence of a contrary impression at Cherbourg; he departed for the sh.o.r.e with intention to proceed immediately to Paris. In taking leave of the Admiral, the latter mentioned the fixed determination of Captain Semmes to engage with the Kearsarge on the day following (Sunday), and that he imparted this intelligence, since no subsequent communication could be had with the Kearsarge. Mr. Dayton consequently deferred his departure, witnessed the action, telegraphed to Paris the result, and was one of the first to repair on board and offer congratulations. He pa.s.sed a portion of Sat.u.r.day night endeavoring to procure a boat to dispatch to the Kearsarge the information acquired, but so securely was the coast guarded by the enforcement of the Admiral's orders, that all his efforts were useless.
At a supper in Cherbourg on Sat.u.r.day night, several officers of the Alabama met sympathizing French friends--the impending fight being the chief topic of conversation. In confidence of an easy victory, they boastingly proclaimed the intention either to sink the Federal or gain another corsair. They rise with promise to meet the following night to renew the festivity as victors, are escorted to the boat, and separate with cheers and wishes for a successful return.
Sunday the 19th comes; a fine day, atmosphere somewhat hazy, little sea, moderate westerly wind.
At 10 A.M. the crew are inspected at quarters and dispersed to attend divine service at 11 o'clock. Seemingly no one thought of the Alabama, for so long awaited and not appearing, speculation as to her probable advent had ceased. At 10.20 the officer of the deck reports a steamer coming from Cherbourg, a frequent occurrence, and consequently creates no excitement. Soon, by the aid of a gla.s.s, he descries the enemy, and shouts: ”The Alabama!” Instantly all hands are called and the s.h.i.+p cleared for action.
The position of the Kearsarge was off the eastern entrance to the harbor, at a distance of nearly three miles, the Alabama approaching from the western entrance, escorted by the French iron-clad frigate La Couronne, and followed by a fore-and-aft rigged steamer, flying the English yacht flag, the Deerhound. The frigate having convoyed the Alabama outside the limit of French waters, with characteristic neutrality, steamed back into port without delay; the yacht remained in proximity to the scene of action. To avoid a question of jurisdiction, and to prevent an escape of the Alabama to neutral waters in the event of a retreat, the Kearsarge steamed to sea making final preparations, the last being the sanding of decks (sufficiently suggestive of sober thoughts), followed by the enemy, until a distance of about seven miles from the sh.o.r.e was attained, when at 10.50 the Kearsarge wheeled, bringing her head in sh.o.r.e, and presented starboard battery, being one and a quarter miles from her opponent: the Kearsarge advanced rapidly, and at 10.57 received the first broadside of solid shot at a distance of eighteen hundred yards from the Alabama. This broadside cut away a little of the rigging, but the shot chiefly pa.s.sed over or fell short.
With increased speed the Kearsarge advanced, receiving a second and part of a third broadside with similar effect. Arrived within nine hundred yards of the Alabama, the Kearsarge, fearing a fourth broadside with evident raking results, sheered and broke her silence by opening with the starboard battery. Each vessel was now pressed under a full head of steam, each employing the starboard battery, and to obviate pa.s.sing each other too speedily, and to maintain the bearing of the respective broadsides, the circular method of fighting was necessitated, each steering around a common center, from a quarter to half a mile apart.
The action was now fairly commenced. One of the shot of the first broadsides of the Kearsarge carried away the spanker-gaff of the enemy, and caused his ensign to come down by the run. This incident was received as a favorable omen by the fortunate crew, who cheered vociferously and went with increased confidence to their work. Wild and rapid was the firing of the Alabama, that of the Kearsarge being deliberate, precise, and almost from the commencement productive of death, destruction, and dismay. The Kearsarge gunners had been cautioned against firing without direct aim, advised to elevate or depress the guns with deliberation, and though subjected to an incessant storm of shot and sh.e.l.l, proceeded calmly to their duty, and faithfully complied with the instructions. The effect upon the enemy was readily perceived; nothing restrained the enthusiasm of the crew. Cheer succeeded cheer, caps thrown in the air or overboard, jackets discarded, one encouraging the other, sanguine of victory, shouting as each projectile took effect: ”That is a good one;” ”that told;” ”give her another;” ”down boys;”
”give her another like the last;” and so on, cheering, exulting, joyous to the end. After exposure to an uninterrupted cannonading for eighteen minutes without casualties, a sixty-eight-pound Blakely sh.e.l.l pa.s.sed through the starboard bulwarks below main rigging, exploded upon the quarter-deck, and wounded three of the crew of the after-pivot gun. With these exceptions, not an officer or a man of the Kearsarge received the slightest injury. The unfortunates were speedily taken below, and so quietly was the action performed, that at the termination of the fight a large portion of the crew were unaware that any of their comrades were wounded. Two shot entered the ports occupied by the thirty-twos, where several men were stationed, and yet none were hit. A sh.e.l.l exploded in the hammock-netting and set the s.h.i.+p on fire; the alarm calling to fire-quarters was sounded, and persons specially detailed for a like emergency, promptly extinguished the flames, while the remainder of the crew continued at the guns without interruption.
Terrific was the effect of the eleven-inch sh.e.l.l upon the crew of the doomed s.h.i.+p: many were torn asunder by sh.e.l.l direct, or horribly mutilated by splinters. Her decks were covered with blood and the debris of bodies. One gun (after-pivot) had its crew renewed four times, fourteen out of nineteen men being disabled during the action. The carnage around this gun was more frightful than elsewhere; so great was the acc.u.mulation of blood and fragments of limbs, that a removal was required before the gun could be worked. A man upon the bowsprit is struck in the abdomen by a shot, staggers aft holding up his entrails, and near the main hatch falls dead. Another is cut in twain, one-half of the body going down the engine hatch, the other half remaining on deck.
A poor wretch paralyzed by fear leaves his station and vainly seeks safety by a plea of indisposition; he is ordered to resume his position at the gun, and not obeying, is killed by a pistol shot from the officer commanding the division.
It is truly wonderful that so few casualties should have occurred on board the Kearsarge with so large a percentage to her adversary--the first having fired one hundred and seventy-three shot and sh.e.l.l, and the second nearly double that number. Probably no future similar combat will occasion like results.
The fight continues. The eleven-inch sh.e.l.l tell with astonis.h.i.+ng precision; one penetrates a coal bunker, and immediately a dense cloud of coal-dust rises and like a pall hovers over the fated s.h.i.+p. Others strike near the water-line between the main and mizzen masts, explode within board, or pa.s.sing through burst afar off. Crippled and torn the Alabama moves less quickly and begins to settle by the stern, yet relaxes not her fire, but returns successive broadsides, ever without disastrous effect. Captain Semmes witnesses the dreadful havoc made by the sh.e.l.l, especially by those of the after-pivot gun, and offers a reward for its silence. Soon his battery is turned upon the particular offending gun with endeavor to compel its abandonment; in vain, for its work of destruction goes on. Captain Semmes places sharp-shooters in the quarter boats to pick off the officers; in vain, for none are injured.
He views the surrounding devastation--a sinking s.h.i.+p, rudder and propeller disabled, a large portion of the crew killed or wounded, while his adversary is apparently but slightly damaged. He has completed the seventh rotation on the circular tract and is conscious of defeat. He seeks to escape by setting all available sail (foretrysail and two jibs), leaves the circle and heads for the neutral waters of the French coast. The speed of his vessel is lessened; in winding she presents the port battery with only two guns bearing, and exhibits gaping sides. The Alabama is at the mercy of the Kearsarge. Captain Semmes calls his officers aft, briefly states the condition of the two vessels, and orders a surrender to prevent a further loss of life.
The colors are struck and the Kearsarge ceases firing. Two of the junior officers of the Alabama swear they will never surrender to a ”d.a.m.ned Yankee,” but rather go down in the s.h.i.+p; in a mutinous spirit they rush to the two port guns and open fire upon the Kearsarge. Captain Winslow, amazed at this unwonted conduct of an enemy who had hauled down his flag in token of surrender, exclaimed: ”He is playing us a trick, give him another broadside.” Again the shot and sh.e.l.l go cras.h.i.+ng through the bulwarks, carrying death and destruction; the Kearsarge is laid across the bows for raking and in position to employ grape and canister with deadly effect. Over the stern of the Alabama is displayed a white flag, her ensign half-masted, union down; Captain Winslow for the second time orders a cessation of firing.
Captain Semmes in his report says: ”Although we were now but four hundred yards from each other, the enemy fired upon me five times after my colors had been struck. It is charitable to suppose that a s.h.i.+p-of-war of a christian nation could not have done this intentionally.” He had not the generosity to afford the explanation; he is silent as to the renewal of the fight after his surrender; an act which in christian warfare would, in severe justice, have authorized the Kearsarge to continue firing until the Alabama had disappeared beneath the waters; nay, even to have refused quarter to the survivors.