New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-08-12

mast. fell. have, for ono OF my age, spent very
a,uve Efe in tire pursue Of my avOca'ion, one ce,
,anly no, without it's trying moments, Dut can ca"
70 miod no scene or event 10 eli my past expe renee
that would not more Willingly pass through phah
10 zee nv ship inns wan'onlY dcHroyed.
Toe crew and officers were pat Ia irons. was
treated he came us the otber', with the exception
az the irons We all messed together, had plenty o.
hard tack and salt jung iWhlcn, however, WE "
good onniity, for they Lad t!ken them from the 'a-
rbez Spowl with something resembling tea ana COT
f.. nivLl aud morning. 1 saw 10 disposition Oh
r,e rarl Of nnv one belonging 10 he Alabama TO
fr.at the pjsoners with unnecessary severity. The
,vors, that can be said Is. that they, from habit,
have become indifferent 10 the comfort and wellpe-
inp Of these who have the misfortune to fall ihto
ibsir hands. The accommodations for the oilCe rs
ana crew IRE miserably poor 40 that they cannot,
even j: they were 80 disposed, render their fisoh'
ere very comfortable.
The order ard discipne on beard the Alstrms are
lust what might be expected from the nature OF the
service in which they are engaged. The oEcefs'
with a fow exceptions, have been fitted by sdnea-
ton and social position TO net the part Of gent euen
in the great drama OF human life. Their teaTipg
anG conduct toward me was generally courteous ana
civil. The crew are mostly younS able-bocie1 men |;
she very material out OF which good and eli lsnt
officers might make excellent seanen. Bot thr ionR
habit Of semi-weskly plundsripg and destfoying
ships Las bad the effect OF destroying every sense oil
part Of the officers, aud nearly every feelss oil re-
spec for their superors the part OF the petty ON
cers and seaInep. Semmes plumbers II the name Oh
tie c. 5. A., while the crew aud oilcers pidiuef
from Semmes and the prisoners, III Their own paue'
The crew kept In suboid'nauon manly oS
promises of great gains sccruiny from the iti-o
money. i found the mOst exiravagaht notions Gu
teraibed by the crew of the lmnen.e Pay t.ey are
TO receive on their return to Engiaud-which, they
sny, will be Ia few mouths. TLey are to be psid,
they say, for every vessel and cargo they destroy
the same az il they had been taken III and SOLD
This together with the fact that many OF their iGln-
lies have monthly hal;-pay orders paid by Frazer
Trenholm s. Co. Of Liverpool inspires them WIZ
the most unbounGed confidence o. sicccss. 30 long
40 Semmes keeps within the tropics, where be Ii
not hk " to encounter auy bud weather, and gives
them Al opportunity Of plupderirg slip every
few days, | ihInk he will have no difficulty III Keep
ing HIS crew III tolcrable degree of authorization;
bu, let hIm try any thing ee and tie case would Ue
very different.
No communication with the prisoners vas allowed
to the officers and crew. This | regarded favor,
ior any attempt st hospitality on their part, afor
plundeIing NE Of everything | hid, even 10 few
shilug,, should have fell rs an insult was =
prisoner on board tie Alabama siI day. On the
"a Of Jane the bark AusLouien was taken sud
burned, AID the crew and passengers, sixteen IN
number were taken on board the Aiabsls. On TIE
30 ws were yaroled and transferred 10 the Ham
overiAn bng WIdaT bound 10 RIO de Jaseiro. Here
We arrived gu the llth since which have been
waiting to get passage ~ tie United States under
O neutral fss.
Re.p.e,fa.iy your, GEO. W. CHM.