, 1863-12-24

WMY TEE ALABAMA ES.
CAPPED.


:.-,.,.-
eaooofo ssAAes' Aefences
- ......
WAsHNaroN, Dec. Il, 1868.
Tho following lotter has been sent tn Il
Secretary Of the Nnvy by Commodore Wllke
who considers it an ample defence of:bis col
duct in falling to catch the Alabama viii
cruising off the West Indies:
-. WAsusoroy. nec tr 1aee
Hon. c,deon wa,,ea s.c-a..r- o,+,. -. 49, .o"''
/ g.. n. n,, - - s9 s,1. y. ~ A"'' !,
r.nnst ~ ~ ~ Ensas Epsas;? 5ntptles, u 5oal ouei
tspx tsa%n,..,o ~ ~ as hassueu., ~ oe 4ala ne1oi
~ +ha hau 10y naMe plaeca oclofe u
sho rccj nr;Vetecra bv u ~ e4antta m
VIZ 1Is,a .suSi atasa1ee1a T.; " TUG detention OF 10
ns ~ W. a, ~ eae Hest lnolcs, IN terms INT
nous ny ena1ae1er us an omccr Justice
ttnsecit tulo 4uM1iy uemanos tAat should nc
hScP FL. sncaec 4 u1uel the lmpdtalon SO undt
ecIsGuiX ,niy ease upon me.
sua41, tncIe19Fe, repci 1he enarge IN a fe.
mofos' ,uougn 1eEreL mat 1t Is impossibl
toa TIT % ahn, kT .nS e enter INTO De
,nt W. ouom NY ~ p1la11ca foFefs "cr
rasGa1 n9n c1Ihn!eo II ne Mest 4nales but my
aan afaspoaueJo at W., ano M ny nr9ant cntreatie
~ +ha oanse,xr ~ f..as ,n tn.slt' 20 SEN
1as,e1s ~ f5 aute9 ~ ~ st anu euec1is
fsn, fcSn1ssls, sontau ~ tun JueuncaLon' IN
iauae M " capto1s mese- vessels IN tne Yves
n aeues he Z tc DC aIlllphlea solely TO the Wan
.:41.
resI @ VIII s.11 nc, oat ELSEWHERE.
1oa VIII nndo9p1eoly rcconect that upot
oJ ..J iEtuih III lne Gan JaclnLo, IN Uecember
tooi, 6laitu 10 you plah 1or protecting On
I1tMsu1e en1Ps ahu commerce IN the, Wes
!Huies, anuclpsllns, as then DID, that mimi
o. tnGm Woaid DC captured and burned, ant
tnat thls would be obFiated W a flying squad
ron, TO be composed Of not less than twelve
last steamers. 1t was not until nine months
afterwards september, 1862, that you con.
scnted to adopt it, and p1nccd nc in com.
mand: received orders on the 9Th Of that
month {Septcmber), to take four vessels OF
the james River ilotilla, which had been IN.
der steam for months, and were inefficient in
many respects; with these, after few DAYS,
and with few REPAIRS was hurried of Twn
other vessels tlien IN the Weaf Tof1;rs wara
also to join, and q promise also. that as soon
as others more effective could be cot ready
they would be sent TO Join me. amonr wtiei,
the Vanderbilt was designated. @'@~@@
The activity Of this email souadron of In
efficient vessels (anvthins Dut fTyinr snna1-
ron), through tic energy and perseverance, of
its officers and crews. Is well knoxr,' rcsn1f.
ing, rs 1t did, in the entire breaking m Of fhe
business Of Nassau, and holding in clieck The
blockade runners, tbout which tic Enrlish
press made so great an outcry,
Upon my return in July last rrnortea I'm.
mcdfate1y to you. as ordered. md rennestea
to know whyI was relieved. Yon rrn,ieI
Policy" and you gave mo to. infer t, from
your rru,arks that It wa1 thrnnrh fhe -ct;nn
Of the British Goycrument and fhe inf,ncncrs
that had been brought to. bear on you Tl,is
induced me TO call on the Sccrctnry of stotn
who INSURED nc TINT INV whole co,irse M ofcon. fem
duct lad met with the appsoyai of ti,e Stotc
Department, and neither diplomacy nor no1i-
CT had an, thing to do with Il Mt: = won,
Of dieapproral have r eyer rrcr;rcd cithar
vcrpaljy OF in writing. from the Dennrf,nent
about the detention Of the Vandtrkijt Nv
surprise was, therefore, sreat when i I.learnei
Instead Of the Vanderbilt Joining me i'm
mcdiate1y, as I ANTICIPATED. she maflc twn
cruiscs affer tbe A1s aan,a IN t,,c
North Atlantic during the last Of whIch tic
Alabana was alrcadv IN thc Wcat 1ndiasV se
md tic yandcrhilt ala ~ not T r,,"h ~ Ns1, W.91;,
act independently Of me within nv com.
1nend. tyhen I ret her cnnTon:3.. ns1I
win showed mr. "a Admiral md To1on.nJa--
IN Chief Of The West India S0nairnn liz ~
lcys, accordinr ia fhe nsare If fhn ser1,ca
when / decmed it nv infv and for ne hcs;
interest Of the Goyernment- and the ob;ects
to he attained, to take her as mv f1a@-sh;n to
NV tlag.ship. Inc Wachnseft har;nG aot;-nI1 n
broken down, and the Junfata. whieh Was ~
have replaced her. not heard from Was ~
Ii The Vanaerhilf7s orders had hee,, ~ mn.
iced DIRECTLY 10 the coast of Rrnx;l and h,J
detained lcr. I nIcht: heye brcn to hi,ms
Nhcrcas I oi1|y carried mt ynur nr,1o-s
which rcad :-HWhen yon arr rcrfec+1v sct;ss
led t]nt the Alabama h,s leff IN Hr1T ~
West Indies for sono other 1ora1itv von vii
proceed along tho coast ~ Hr,,;1 ;;
:tc. It was, therefore, not nv dctcn.
ion nf the Vanderbilt h,,t -cur n,r-,
,rdcrs that Tere carried ont far Tho car1
ainty Of the Alabama's denartnre 1ras mt
;nown in St. Thomas until the last of Nav
IT the first Of June, As soon, therefore. ~
be necessary repairs could BE- completed.
nd coal taken in. tho Vanderbilt ,ras sent ~
'u1suit, viz; Jurie Is, with instructions from
uc to carry ont the orders from vourseT
nth some suggestions ! deemed micht be
lsctul.
It Is believed that the movements Of the
Alabama were known in St. Thomas before
hey could hare been anticipated in Washing
on. -
No vessel could have been more active in
he search 1or the marauders than the Wander
tilt was whilst my hae was flyin. on her.
When took her under my command, she waa
Incapable Of making the cruise thlt Won had
,ointtd ont, and Com. Baldwin was Of opin-
on that she would be Obliged to return 10
scW York within twenty or Twenty-Five dlys.
or rc4airs; but thought otherwise, and
Int her repairs might be effected In ten days
t Key West Ehither I sent her, The re-
,airs were partially made, and I was enabled
0 hare her fully equipped and repaircl alter
ssrds at st. Thomas; and made large al-
ition to her officers, crew and marines, from