Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-10-25
TEHE DEEDREDATR0Ns OF THE
ALABAMA.
Statements OF Captains Of Vessels
Destroyed ny tSpe Pirate.


gina and Elisha Dunbar, of New Bedford,
two of the ten vessels which were recently
destroyed at sea by the rebel privatecr Ala
bamaC aC290O. These accounts confirm former
reports of the wantOn destruction Of ship |
ping by Semmes, the commander of the !
pirate, and shows that his ship is in the |
direct track OF our vessels, and is likely to |
prove a dangerous craft if not summarily |
caught.
Captain Tilton, of the Virginia, says that |
he was ovcrhauled by the Alabama on the |
morning of the 18th Of September, in lati- |
tudc 80 deg. 10 min and longitude "a deg |
20 min. The Pirate showed British colors !
but when quarter of mile from the Nir
ginia set Confederate colors and sent an
armed boats crew aboard. Captain Tilton
was informed that he was prize to the Ala
bama, and was ordered to take his papers
and go on board that steamer. The pirates
then stripped the ship of all the valuable
articles on board, and at p NJ, set fire to
the vessel. Captain Tilton ADDS "On ar
irving on board the steamer | asked the
captain to release me, rs | was doing no one
any harm. His answer was you N0rthorn-
erS dro deStloytag or property, and New Bed
| ford people are having their war meetings,
Offering 5000 bounty for volunteers, and
send out their stone fleets to block up our
harbors, and am going to rctaliate.' - Cap
! tain Titon continues
II went on the quarter deck with my son.
when they ordered me into the ec-waist,
with my crew, and oH?f rs PIT IN irons, with
the exception Of two boys, cook and steward
l asked il l was to he put in irons The
reply was that his purser was put in irons
and his head shaved by us. and that he was
going to retaliate. We were put in the lee
waist, with an old sail over us and few
planks to lie upon.
The steamer was cruising to the west.
and the next day they took the Elisha Dun
bar the crew receiving the same treatment
as ourselves. The steamers guns being kept
run out, theside ports could not be shut.
and when the sea was a little rough or the
vessel rolled, the water was continually
coming in ON both sides, and swashing across
the deck where we were so that our feet
and clothes were wet all the time, either
from the water below or the rain above
I'VE were obliged to sleep in the place
where we were, and often rakci ag a. "a,
night acTiy nnder ,rlttr. Our fare consist
cd of beef and pork rice. beans. tea and
coffee and bread. Only one Of our irons
was allowed to be taken off at time, and
we had to wash in salt water We were
kept on deck all the time, night and day.
Il guard placed over us.
The steamer continued to cruise to the
northwest, and on the 81 of October fell in
with the ships Brilliant and Emily Farnham
the former of which they burnt. and her
crew, with ourselves. were transferred III the
latter ship after singing parole. On the
9Th instant was taken on board the brig
Golden Head. of ThomaSton, Captain Smith,
from Jersey lot Ne" lufk' VINO Treated Us
with great kindness :. r. TILTON,
L"'c ol 'hc p"IN Virginia. Nc" buuI"fu
STATEMENT or CAPTAIN Crrropn ot, rur
z,,,.,,, r,.,-,,p
, Captain Clifford, of the whalcr Elisha
, Dunbar makes the followinr statement.
: uo,, t,,,, ,,or,,;,,,.,,f ,,,, to,,,
y hor IN l,,,.tmla an-n l,,,,;,,,,i, -. n,;.i
tba yioI from, ,hH so,tb,,.,,t a,J 49, ',i "'ni
hoo,i;r, ,,,.l,. ,, -, 80. "
, ,ort -. t,I.. q IN! VIZ '"'
Sonr ,ftor f,r,,,i Si,oI ,i,l..1
and ,y,s s,n,.rir', t,r 'h,. Iai. W., 5,
y IN sa;i 80 ,r,.- -, ,,f i,. - .''.',''
-, IL = .;,,, I,,.,, 5''"E -
~
I omL frI I'm ''' ~ "
-, cr,. n'.i,'... ~, t;,a '',' 80.
,',,ro,, ~, ,i,,l'-,I 49,, C,.,," ,...
H,l, p.r,r. ,,., " ''''
III orn,oI ,rti,r. o,,l ,r,,' '.' ct, ''.,"
I.iGe omI nn cn,nino m, I.,arI ,i,,,l ~,
i,,t nv. ,o.-,r ,,.aI ,,ri,, -, tr ,
Il ~" .frarnnr tIannna iC'nt,i, S,o,,,''..
Wa. tLnn ori,rcL nn l',. y',.a,, '+I, -,
- mancry anI ti,,. l,,, -. f. ,I,..,. ,.i,
: ro, nf ci",Lim,, c,cl, Gn .,',,;'(, ,I,n ~"
tLe cart,in rI5;m"d M, nc 7,r;,,' ',,J ''i,
INV. vrIs, ,yo,,II Lo hum, ,,,,
CIH,hr. Win M. he ,rin,,, ,,,,. ,r,,, ~
! small trInL of rInfI,r,. ,Lr,,tFfc., ~, I,or,
T. T,cJ to nr"yCnt me- from, rHfn,, nm 'I, ,, ,'''I
+ | told him came after "a few clothes. wh,c,
c took, and returned to the steamer, |
/ blowing very hard ut the time, and yer
:. squally, nothing but the chronomctcr, sex
o tant, chaits' %c., were taken when theyes,c
II was set hEc 10 and burnt; there were sixty
I'VE barrels Of sperm oil on deck, taken o
II the passage which were consumed. W
were all put IN irons and received the sam
lr treatment that Captain lltons officers AN
crew dId, that was taken the day before
Nhlle on board, we understood that tn
steamer would cruise of the Grand Bank
=, Tor it" weeks TO destroy the large Amer
can Slnps to ana from the Channel ports
= lnCl hau khON!cbgc Ol Two ships bcln