The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-01-24
INTERESTING HISTORY tF the OPENING OF
THE AlaeAmA's GREER.


Tie London papers all pobliah the following
statement from tho late boasswsin ofths rebel
steamer Alabama, now second officer Of tho
Hritiah steamer Thistlss
- On leaving England, the $50 had
q crew Of SO men, for tha most part belong
inc to the English Naval Reserve, al being
trained gurnsrs, and the majority Old men-of
wars uaen She was temporarily commanded
by Csptsia .B llfock, who had under him the
proper complement OF comui stoned and petty
officers. Captain Bullock having learned that
q Federal man ofwar tho Tuscarora) isy in
wait for him ia Sc Georges Chsrnel, took Bis
departure by what is known az the North
Channel, thus esud'ng the Federal enemy /;
though even had he been intercepted. the
Nor.herner would Rave ftrnd himself in q
dilemma, as tae 290 had a set of Ecgiish pa.
pers aud other prescmptive proofs of her nsu.
tratisy, In the face Of which 1t might have
been difficult for her capsor TO have acted
The 290 ct the time carried no guns or other
warhke stGras, but consisted merely OF the
hall, spsrs and engines. excepting; OF cou sss
coal and other requis tes TO enable her to reach
ier destination, which was Tzrissa, eai-. of the
Azores or Wsstern Islands, belonsing to Por-
fursl This destination the 235 Gully reachsd,
astsr o fae rrn OF eight dave, and csn1e 70 an
anchor in Tarissa r ada netaing OF any mo-
uotou~ Of q sea voyage.
Sometime before the departure of the 290
frofa the Mer1ay, o large bark left the Thames
(c'sarea for DeInarara, West tndies,1 to meet
tae 300 at Tsrissa, a1d there transfer TO the
latter vessel TIE guus and stores destined for
her, and which formed the cargo cf sbe BARK.
some reason required to be assigned TO tue
Portu. mesa Authorizes for the 290 having
anchored in the hay, and accordingly the ex.
Sh.A .tor- fhct ho-a
had broken down. This plea was accepted as
a valid ore, and during The week taat inter
veneG between the arrival as Tar;ssa OK the
ssjt, aud the bark, tha crew Of the former
vessel were engaged ostensioiy in repairing
her engines. puE rea ly in preparing ber TO
receive her guns, &c. During this interval
large parties OF the inhabitants OF Tarissa
made daily visits 70 the 29j, their curiosity
evidently excited by the warike appearance
of what laid claim 10 be an English meronan'
vessel Many pertinent iestions were asked
by the Portus uese, AID were az iGGerionaiv
evaded or NE. by the officers of the 29U--
Among other things, the Portuguese wanted
10 know why the vessel had SO many ports,
and were told tha., as she was bonpd to &
warm climate, they were neces ssry for venti.
lation and hen they asked why there WA.
zach numerous crew, tie reply was, shat -
sac was going on q surveying sxpsd;fi III she
required to be we'll manned. Many simi .sr
Quee ions were put, aud iD Ike mzriler gu
swered but IL ysas I'll In vain TO attens 5t to ur.
deceive the Portuguese, and they woula rs--
siss il calling her u Gigata ingIesi."
About the Lapse OF week tTcE the arrival
Of the zS0 the bark above mentioned ssilsd ia
and anchored, her Captain ai.sgingass 8 reason
to the Portuguese officials ttst his vessel lad
spgr,nk leak, which would require to be re-
paired ere sh= could resume aer voyage; ana
on this understanding the Portuguese at ouea
placed her in quarantine, tvs Eich in the Azores
Lasts three days) Oaths day after tine bark's
arriva! Captain Bullock. OF the go, being any
ious TO Sc; his guns on board, hauled slongaide
the bsrk, and erected pair OF large shears
70 effect the transfer Of her cargo from ths
bark's hold TO tie I90's deck Ibis brought
off tbs Portuguese in q fnry that their rules
should have been broken By the 290 having
d2-ad 60 communicate with vesssl chat had
still two days G .arGutine 20 run, and they
angfiiy demanded TO know the reason WHY
their reguistions had beer ;afringed Thav
were told that the bark was ia sinking con
esi.soz, Sad. t6s aTsGtlan cE shes ssseasss
accounted for by ulSing the Necessity OF an
Immediate temporary transfer of her cacgo.
that the leak might De reached and stoDpsd,
and Captain Bullock finally succeeded in bear
ing down all opposition by feigning TO gst ia
a passion, saying he was doing no Inore for
the bark than any Engtishnan would do for
a country man in distress The Portuguese left
the vessel, and the trsnsfipmelt proceeded
without further hindran:s from those on
shore
About the aSterncon of the second day, and
when the transfer was nearly complete, the
British scrsvy steamer Bahama came IL h1v
;ngon beard Captain Semu,ss and the other ;.Ee
officers OF ths Sumter, bss.dss tho remainder
of the 23ps armament snd ar addition c:
twenty odd men to her crew. On the BAHIA
mas arrival and anchorage on somewhat
siuilar pretexE to those given 10 her two pre-
deeeasors, the Portuguese Ssisly lost all pa
tence, and pers.apsoriy insisted Oh the in
staat departure of all three vessels. The Ba
hama at once commnnica ed with the 293, and
having hanisd over 10 the latter vesse; every
thing destined for her, got up seam and left,
followed by the 290, towing the now empty
bark. A II three Went, not 20 sea, as they ha /
been ordered to do, bns to Angra Bay, IA bay
in the same island, and Only "a 10 " lea 1uss dis
tant from TarisEa Roads Here they rema'n ned
una.oiested until noon the 1ollowing day, IA
Sunday, when, for the second time aii thras
vessels were ordered out of the Portuguese
waters. Ali the 29O's guns being nosv mount.
cd, and the vesse! otherwise ready for {. cruise,
the order WA Obeyed, and all took their de-
paTtur0, tho Dark, az before, il tow Of the
800, which having conveyed Ter we'll out to
sea, cast her OF. and, with q favoring breeze,
sn0 EIe6re0 ICE GEFQlu 10 ES,Tl6l cur g IUrE0Sr
supply of Goa. far tho 29Vs uae
m $50 and the 3 III ANS now s.eamsd round
the island, aud Capt SAmuss, corn.HS oct OF
Ills eabin, ordered the First Lieutenant TO mur.
ter the crew aft. This having been DONE aud
ali the officers assembled on ths poop in their
full uniform-i. g., Confederate gray frock
coat ana troussrs-Capt S,mmes q, insd 81,
lence, and read his commss On as Post Cap'
tain IL the Confederate navy. 1t was doeu
mert duly attes'e1 at Richmond, and bore he
signature Of Jefferson Davis, President Con.
federate States Of America" He thea opened
ard read bis sealed orders from the Pendent
directing him I, assume co~Uand OF the Con
fsderats sioop-of-war Alabama, hitherto known
as tho 296, in which, having been duly c,m.
missionG2, he was to hoist tie Confederate
ensign Rnd pend ant, and ''sink, burn, and dc
sttoy everything which a.w the e,isign of the
90 called United S atas cf America, Captain
Ssmmss then ordered the Fret Lieutenant to
fire 3 gun and run up the Confederate tag and
pendant.
The gun was fired by the second Lieutenant,
iArmstrong, q relation of the famous inventor,)
and ere it's smoke had cleared away the Stars
and Bars Of tho young Coafecsracy were
d5&ting on the brsexe, and the cereEony WIS
complete, Captain Ss.nmss declaring tbs yes.
eel hencerorth to be known as the Alabama to
have been duly Go onmissionsd. Tne next step.
was formally to engage tue crew to serve and
fight under bhs Confseera's dag, which hav,
ilx been done, the men were addressed by
their Captain in en- eloquent and stirring
speech, in ths course Of which he seid there
were only four vessels in the United Saates
Navy that were more than match for tho
Alabama; bat he said that in an En- isa built
heart OF, oak, ~ che was aid surrounded. IS
he then saw himself, by British hearts OF oak,
he wouldn't strike his newly -hois,ed flag for
any one ct tae four.