New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-10-08
Cruise Of the Alabama Narrative OF Tier
Officers.

CArTURI or TIrrY-siX sIIrs AID DESTRUCTION OF
POUR MILLION DoLLARs or rRorTErY-cArT
sTSMEss DECISIONS A. TO MURAL PROPERTY.
We are indebted 70 The commander and OIL
Ger. u tie Alabama for the following detailed and
interesting narrative Of Der ifoccoiag, ffon Tie tine
che was commissioned twelve months ago. Until row
It was The i3u q Augu,t l7c2. that we ~ Liver
pool IN tie chartered steamer bahama % Tie ,sisin
Isles where were g. meet To Alabama, ".leh had
gone out before 20 receive her armament ohccfs.
und crew. for service. oar party consisted eAiea) ~
the former officers Il The Sgmtsg-tlc gallant
little vessel which created % much terror among th'
Yankee bottoms on tie American coast, md although
pufsucd by II thc Federal tcct crossed Tie ATTAIN
lie IN Winter with safety and found bar
Dor Of refuge under tho guns ~ "itfa4tr
There. however. slo was ho'Annru, ana "as
sold on account 81 ihe Confederate States toteTnen
She wss Tepurchased privately nld hcT hull tatc
over 10 England. whore SIC wa 10 be fshuea nra j.
doubt nfoE. andcr another naf' ~ ~ ncaf
INK proudly tie Southern nag llef oi4ccls followed
their captain ready 10 obey he orders. Tot AZ admired
HIN ns skiufg fcamha good tsctr4al. az aacolrAi
diplomalft ana brave man. Ihey sicii fhoii IA
Ia England when The Alabama 81 90 ns che Nhs then
named wss Purchased nnd Capt scnines 81 once pre-
pared a. tsfc command - her Under comnisfon ffon
President Dsy, with the object y doing ~ much dam.
age poss.J.e to The eaemJ COMMERCE OF the sea
TIE snIP AND HEA cKEw.
At roria Pfayn IN the leland oi IcToeira fAzores)
We found our slp taking IN guns ammunition. Sc,
which hid been Drought 90 tAir place y chartered yea
sels. The Alabama pleased us all she Is nae mp
beam s. feet, depth II hold IL feet JilcAes hns Two
engines combined u 90 horae power aad three ilr
nacer each below the water line. the diameter 81 her
propeller IL IA feet with two blades feet in width nld
III N.t pitch nud s capable of running 80 knots SAe
mounts gurs-ono rfod inch Blnkclays pnicni. aud
inch shell or SOLID shoi gun U!voir. and sh ~
Founders. 81 I 80 cwt. (bTOadsdcs). Her motto u
AID, foi It Dse fAtdTa.
The officers numbered twenty and TIE crew at tbs
time only eighty aud 'he terms which ID" latter IN
ftl he ftTl
Capt scmmcs that The modern sailor has greatly
changed Ia character ior be- DOW sickcs or pay Ike =
sharper and 10 have lost bis former love OF nd
venture and frchlcssnes III. ordinary hcancu got 10
much ms a. 40 pr month petty officers, a. to 40 fire
men a. An the officers hold commissions from The
Confederate States Government. and receive pay ne.
coIdng 10 the regular scale varying from alO 10 2eUO
per annunI.
On Aug. % the command oil the Alabamh was fpr
mally handed over by Capt Bullock (who had brought
Der out from Liverpool 10 Capt. Sommos aAd The
stars and bars' we're flung 10 tie Wind amid the
cheeIa ol III hands The Captain called all the crew
ud explained 10 them the risks and danger they would
have ~ undergo md the uducciAent of prilc money
furthermore Dc said he did not intend to rush head0nF
hiobn'ie VIII whole feet Of the enemy. but that he
I'D not intend 10 away Il d" met with any aud TINT
be- would give battle To- the lat that b. expected
every man to do his dnty. lie did not wsh to deceive
or enticr any one 10 go aud they wcrc fee - Judge To-
Themselves elilcI tOI stay Do tie Alabama ~ return
with the Bahama 10 Liverpool This speech had good
effect mud loudly chccred aud yeiy few eit Will
The EHlnnn, which then pnItrd company with us.
Aitcr leaving 1clCclIa tcftIa d.Jh were devoted 20
putting our slip ~ order and drilling the crew shO
were mostly good Hennen, but unucgui int,d with naval
discipline On The Jth Of September caught our ifi
pf.le tie Ockmulgce ~ the Azorcs and continued 10
cruise IN that vicinity for about ten diys capturing aLi
dcsToj several slips Of tie enemy From TIE Azores
We proceeded to the Banks Of Newfoundland. and
cfllcd thence lu tie direction OF Ncg York. capturing
AID dcshO' Ing several Dihcr valuable rlps. Among
Dur seizures were the Starlight. board Of Which We
ound some dispatches ioi secretary seward TIC Iona.
wanda, bolnd from New York 10 Liverpool with 80 pas.
ienRcrs 40 81 whom were women and the 4. Is. Wales
rom Calcutta with an American consul aud his lady ON
jOard. We provided Tor them ~ wen 90 posaihlctwo
4 tie wand room officers giving up their rooms FOR
hem.
The Consul. however, got so Troublesome and inter
neddng that Cqpt Scmmea had 10 tell him that he VIA
MY tolerated tho 20 On account OF bis lady; but II lac
gain spoke Ia tho iVenOr bis crew he would he put In
Onbo irons aud tied 10 Tie gun rackwlch threat had
Il intended effect on me Yankee The fo Of the yes.
els capul,d WAS to DO deetToJed by rc and the night
Loct u this spectacle at SEA was sometimes very slIk