The New York herald., 1864-07-11

truly your obedient seryant, J. N. MASON.
Joak LAsoAsIsR Esq, Hindiey Hall, Wgan,
n p C Mr.. LANCASTER 70 Mr.. MASON.
RspLxY HALL, SEAR " ioAx, June %, 1854.
DEAR SR-I am in due receipt Of your esteemed favor
tsy % sa We rendered viii s yacht do 70 ne
gallant captain and ofces and crew OF the Alabama has
iha, even, With sssssction, Sowsver much We may re-
gret the result which neces shated interference.
Yours, very respectfully, JOHN LANCASTER
The Hon. J. n. MASON.
Defence or the Deerhound.
Mr.. LANCAsTER's LETTER OF EXPLANATION.
10 EDITOR LONDON
As two correspondents Of yoar Journal, giving their
versions the fgh. between Alabama and the Kear
sarge have designated my share the escape o. Captain
Semmes and portion OF the crew Of the sunken ship AZ
,S ona have morsovs. REQ sr%sa n snss my
before the engagement, and proceeded thence the
morning Of the engagement In order 70 assist the Ala
90 FAR Is TO ask for an opportunity 70 repudisls
the imputason and to deny The assertion They ad-
being near the Kearsarse. was hailed by Captain
wuslow and requested TO aid In picking up the
my services were expected 70 be merely mni.ssrs or
10 other words that 10 put myself under the COM
mand Of Captain wnslow, and place my yacht a his dis.
posa for the capture or the fellows who srug
Cling in the water for their lives The fact s that when
We passed the Kearsarse The captain cried OUT "For
my warrant for interfering In a. the aid and
succor Of his enemies. II may estion with some
whether, without that warrant lie have been jus.
tiAsd endeavoring any crew OF the Ala
bama but my own opinion is ths drowning in
1t the time to anybody, and IS therefore On
titled 10 the assistance OF any passer by. Be
this Is il may i had The earnest request OF Captain
winslow rescue many Of the who were in
water as could lay hold Of. but that request
not coupled with any stipulation TO the elect that
should deliver up the rescued 10 him his
prisoners. It bad been l should have declined the
task. because should have deemed il dshonorabe--
my yacht and the purpose Of rescuing those
brave men from drowning only 10 hand them over TO
perhaps execution One your correspondents opens
his letter by expressing desire TO crng TO the notice Of
commsnder con Of the Deersound which Hc followed the
engagement OF the Alabama and Kearsargo. Now
that my oenauc; .o;S has been am equal.
yacht clubs OF England, and am quite willing TO leave
the point Of honor 70 be decided by brother yacht
men, and indeed by any tribunal Of gentlemen AZ 70
my legal right 10 take away Captain semmes and bis
friends have been educated in the belief that Eng
even discover why bound TO surrender
the people Of tho Alabama whom ! bad on board my
England would have been Il they had swum to such
place and landed there than the Mayor Of Soubamp
ton was when they we're lodging that city, or than the
somewhere IN England.
Your other correspondent says that Captain wnsow
declares that "the he did pursue the Deer
hound FIRE into her that he could believe ct
the time that any one carrying the nag Of the Royal
carry Oh the prisoners whom he had requested him to
save from motives Of humanity was not aware then,
i
were or ever had been bis prisoners whether any Of
the which bad preceded the sinking Of the
not disposed 70 discuss can only say that 70
| 10 now doctrine TO mo that when one ship sinks
another in warfare the crew OF the sunken ship
debarred from swimming for their lives and seeking
fuge wherever they find It, and 10 doctrine which
shall not accept unless backed by better authority than
that Of the master Of the Kearsarge What Captain Wins
lows notion Of humanity may be point beyond my
not many members Of the Royal zach. Squadron would.
from motives OF humanity !" have taken Capt. Semmes
:ss o s's ods 20 give % s D 70 es tender
other than that assigned by correspondent
for that hero's orbearance may be imagined in the
necton that such performance that OF Capt wilkes,
who dragged two senemies" or "rebsls" from an Eng
lish ship. would not bear repetition Your anonymous
would have all the officers and OF the Alabama
prisoners had be not placed too much confidence the
Yacht Squadron This very questionable assertion
for why did Captain wnsow conhde in that Engishmani
0ods sake do uhot YOU can to sare MsmSD presume L
because he could not scotd not them himsK
had depended for safety altogether upon Captain Wins
low not half Of them would have been saved He
enough 10 deliver them from drowning.
come TO the more definite charges advanced by
your correspondents, and these will soon dispose Of
They maintain that my was 10 the narbor OF Cher
bourR purpose Of assisting the Alabama and that
her before the action prove that she attended
in Cherbouro suit my convenience and peasure and
I am quite sure that phen there neiLh<y did, nor
steamed out on Sunday morning 20 see The engage
ment, and the resolution to do SO was the re-
suit Of family council whersa. the question
discussed, and tho decision in the Affirmative was
carried BY the Juveniles rather against the wish Of both
the of ne Atdbdma do not think should hare
been accompanied h my suife and Young chilen
that the ueerhoupd did assist the Alabama and II he
does know this he knows more than do. As TO the
movements with which ] was acquainted were for the
objects Of enjoying the summer morning and getting
good and safe place from which to watch the engagement
Another OF your correspondents declares that since
the affair II has boen discovered that the Deerhound
consort OF the Alabama, and on the night before
had received many valuable articles for saekeepng from
that vessel. This awply untrsK Berore the engage
menf neither nor Of my family had any tno,c'eqs
sfor communication Nth either Captain Sempes, any Of
her Officers any OF his crec Since the fight have in
quired from my captain whether he any OF my crew
had had any communication with the captain or crew OF
the Alabama prior 70 meeting them on the Deernound
after the engagement and his answer, given in
the nost emphatic manner, has been Nome Shas
evcrn Az TO the deposit OF chronometers and other
valuable articles, G s1hole story myth Nothing was
brought from the Alabama to the Deerhound never
heard OF the tale until saw In extract from your
own columns. After the nght over the drowning
men picked up, and the Desrhound steaming away 70
Southampton, Of the officers who had been saved
began express their my services
and my reply to them which was addressed also to ali
TO give any special thanks should have done ex-
aey the same Cor the other people they had needed
H." lnm speocu WouIo nave oeen needless, ana 10
deed absurd piece Of hypocrisy there had any
league alliance between the Alabama and the Deer.
horn
Eo,h your correspondents agree in maintaining that
Cap'an Semmss and such Of his were taken
by the Desrhouud bound in honor 10 consider
themselves still prisoners and render themselves 70
their lawful captors as soon practicable This 10
point which have nothing to do with, and therefore
shall not discuss II. My object IN this letter merely
vindcate my conduct from misrepresentation; and l
trust In aiming At this have not transgressed any or
your rules OF correspondence and shall therefore be en-
Titled 70 place In your columns am, &C.,
JOHN LANCASTER
HnpLn HALL, woAS, June q, 1864.
A French Omcer's Report OF the Action.
The following is extract from q letter OF q French
naval officer who witnessed the engagement
CHERHouRG. June "a, 1854.
The contest that OF the earthen against iron
pot, think at Chcrbourg thai the Kearsarge
nothing TO boast OF IN her victory The latter wasar
incurred (nde) with chains covering the mdshp part of
the ship and the AAbama's shot fell yaIpy on the aldo