Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-01-23
History aud Career of the Pirate
Alabama.

Mr.. ;. VI. Underhill furnishes TIE Sc5',-
man with the following short hist0r- cf the
career OF the Confc,ieret. war steamer Ais-
bama. Mr. CndeThill, who whites from
s.. Thomas, West Indies, states that Lr has
obta-ned lis Information from the latg Gat-
swain OF the 's2I0. who is now second of
Ger Of the Thistle
1Ec ''2y0' is a large wooden screw gun
boat. such as i- in European navies styled a
corvette. She Is very strongly built Of the
hest materials. and Is constructed 70 carry
ten guns, via one riACd lC0-pOundcr.
one 6S-pou6ir. nd eight 32-pounders
-. 2. four a2-p0unders on each broad
side-throwins collectively l2S lbs shot
at each discharge, and two pivot guus. She
is barque Tigged. and Is fitted with pair Of
very powerful engines by Penn, of London.
She left Birkenhead towards the end u
july. ostensibly on a Trial trip. having on
hoard a large party Of ladies and gentlemen.
On getting out Of the MersCy, this party was
sent back in tugtoati and the - 300. as
had been previously arranged. neglected 20
return to Birkcnhead, hut steamed direct faT
the island in the Atlantic where she was -
take her guns. ammunition &c.
On leaving England, the - 2J0'' lad a
crew Of ninety-thTec men. for the most part
belonging to the English naval reserve, al
being trained gunners, and the majority old
men-oi-war's men. She was temporarily
commanded by Captain Bullock, who bad
under him the proper complement Of commis-
stoned and petty officers.
Captain Bullock having learned tia; t..e
TuscaroTa lay in wait for him in St Georges
Channel, took his departure by What i
known as the North Channel, thus elgdi1c
his federal enemy I; though even had he been
intercepted the Northerner would have faand
himself in a dilemma, as the 900 had
set Of English papers, and other presumTtive
proofs of her neutrality, in the iace Of which
it might have been dithcult for her capto- u
have acted.
The " 900 at this time carried no guns or
other warlike stores, bat consisted merely OF
the hull, spans, and engines, excepting. Of
course, coal and other requisites to enable
her to reach her destination, which was Ia
rissa, one Of the Azores or Western Islands,
belonging to Portugal.
This destination the 200" duly reached,
after fine run of eight days, and came To
anchor in Tarisss roads.
Some time before the departure of the
''290" from the Mercy, large bsTque left
the Thames (cleared for Demerara, West In
dies,) to meet the "290'' at Tarissa, and
there transfer To the latter vessel the guns
and stores destined for her, and which form.
ed the cargo of the barque. Some reason te-
quired TO be assigned to the Portuguese au-
thoritiee for the e 290'' having anchored in
their bay. and accordingly the excuse fur
nished to them was that her engines bed
broken down.
This plea was accepted as a valid one. and
during the week intervening between the ar
rival at Iarisss Of the "290" and the barque,
the crew Of the former vessel were engaged
ostensibly in repairing her engines, but
really in preparing her to receive her guns.
About the lapse of a week from the arrival
Of the 290," the harque above mentioned
sailed in aud anchored. der captain alleging
as reason to the Portuguese officials that his
vessel had sprung leak, which would re-
quire to be repaired ere she could resume her
voyage and on this understanding the Por-
tuguese at once placed her in quarantine
(which in the Azores lasts three days)
On the day after the barque's arrival.
Captain Bullock, Of the 1920" being anx-
ious to get his guns on board. hauled ulons-
side of the barque, and erected Iairof large
shears TO effect the transfer Of her cargo from
the barque's hold to the '.290's'' deck.
This brought oil the Portuguese in luIy
that their rules should have been broken bv
the '.290'' having dared T. ccmmuDicafc
with vessel that had still two days' quar-
antine 10 run, and they angrily demanded to
know the reason why their regulations lad
been infringed. They were told that the
barqne WAS in sinking state. and the eiec-
ton Of the shears was accounted for by ur-
ging the necessity for an immediate tempo
rary transfer ii her cargo, that tie l.sk
might be reached and stopped and Captain
Bullock finally succeeded in barring down ali
opposition BY feigning 10 get in pas-ion,
saying he wac doing 10 more Tor the haIque
than any EnSiishman would do fora coln-
ryman in distress.
The Portuguese left TIE vessel, and tie
transhipment proceeded without further lind
arnce from those on shore.
About the afternoon Of the secoud dsv.