The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-22
THE KBARsAReB AND ALABAMA,
captain winsIow's Detailed Report of
the Action.

obedience 10 Instructions Of the Department,
have the honor to make the following supple
mentary report Of the action between tho Hear-
sarge and AIa50md:-
On the morning Of the 10Th nit, the day being
fnC with haly atmosphere, wind moderate rom
the westward, with q little sea- the position Of the
R,dysorge OF 10 o'clock was near the buoy which
marks tue line of shoals % the eastward OF Cher
bourg, and distant about three miles from the
eastern entrance, which bore 10 the southwark
and westward.
At twenty minutes after lOociOek, the 3a-
Jama was deserted coming out Of the western
entrance, accompanied by tho Cow9ane ,,ron-
cladD. had in an interview with the Admiral
Of Cherbourr, as5uredIhim that, IN the event Of
an action occurring with the iid5dma, the posi-,
tion of the ships should De so far OF shore that
no uestion could be advanced about the line Of
jurisdiction. Accordingly, to perfect this object,
and With the double purpose Of drawing the
da5omu so far Oh shore that, N disabled, she
could not return, directed the ships head east
ward and cleared for action, with tho battery
pyoted 70 starbOard. Having attained a point
about seven miles from the shore, the head of
the hcaySargC was turned short around, and the
ship stccrod directly for the AloJqma, my pur-
pose being to run her down, or, il circum-
starCes did not warrant lt, TO close in with her.
Hardly had the hsorSorgo come round before
the alabama shceTCd, presented her 7tnTbOard
battery, and slowed her engines On approach
ing her at long range Of about mlC she opened
her full broadside the shot cutting some OF OHr
rigging, and going over and alongside Of US.
Immediately ordered more speed, but In two
minutes the ilqbdma had loaded, and again fred
another broadsidc, and following II with third,
without damaging us, except in rigging.
We had now arrived within about nine hun
drcd yards Of her, and was apprehensiye that
another brOadside-ncarly rakng as IL vas
would prove disastrous. Accordingly ] ordered
the hedySdTge sheered, and opened on the la
bdmd. The position Of the vessels was now broad
side and blOadSide; but Il was soon apparent that
Captain Semmes did not seek close action.
became then fearful lest, after some lighting that
he would again make for the shore. To defeat
this determined TO keep full speed on, and with
q port helm 70 run under the stern Of the iid5dWO
and rake her, if he did not prevent 1t by sheerng
and keeping his brOadside % us. He adopted
this mode as n preventive, and as q consequence
the 1idbamd was forced with n full head Of steam
into q circular track during the engagement.
The effect Of this measure was such that at the
last Of the action, when the alabama would have
made OIL, she was near five miles from the shore
and, had the action continued from the first In
parallel lines, with her head in Shore the line OF
Jurisdiction would no doubt have been reached
The firing of the ildb0Md from the first was rapiC
and wild towards the close Of the action hel
firing became better. Our men, who had beer
cautioned against firing rapidly without direct
tions given TO point the heavy guns below, rather
than above, the water-line; and clear the deck
with lighter ones, was fully observed.
had Cndeayored, with port helm, to close in
with the dldbamd; but II was not until Just before
the close of the action that were in position 20
use grape. This was avoided, however, by her
surrender The effect Of the training of our men
was EVIDENT nearly every shot from our guns
was telling tearfully on the alabama, and on the
seventh rotation in the circular track she winded
setting foretry sail and two ibis with head il
shore. Her speed was now retarded, and BY
winding her port broadside was presented to US
with only two guns bearing, not having beer
able, as | learned afterwards, to shift over bu
one. / now saw that she was at our mercy, ant
few more guns well directed brought down he
flag.
was unable to ascertain whether it had beer
hnued down or shot away; but a white tai
having been displayed over the stern our fire wa
reserved. Two minutes had not more thai
elapsed before she again opened on us with tn
two guns on the port side. This drew Our fir
again, and the ReGrSdr1e was immediatell
steamed ahead and laid across her bows f6
| rakiDg. The white flag was still flying, and GU
| fire was again reserved. Shortly after this he
boats were seen TO be lowering, and an officer il
| one of them came alongside and informed MS th
| ship had surrendered, and was fast sinking. Il
! twenty minutes from this time the .4lGbGn3d wen
| dOWnJ nII uItiuILast, WnCn had hacu eho,
| breaking near the head IS she SUNK and her DO y
rising high out Of the water, as her stern rapid
settled
The fire of the Ra5aaa, although u is state,
| she discharged three hundred and seventy o
more she'll and shot, was not of serious damag
| TO Tie hedTSOrge.
Some thirteen or fourteen of them had tazei
! effect in and about the hull and sixteen O.
| seventeen about the masts and rigging. The
| casualties were small, only three persons hay
| ing been wounded yet IL is matter of surprise
| that 50 few were injured, considering the nUmbe
| Of projectileS that came aboard. Two shot
| passed through the ports IN which the thirty
| tNos were placed, with men thiclily sta
| toned around them, one taking effect in tn
I hammock netting, and the other going through
| the port ON the opposite side; yet no one wa
| hit, the captain Of one Of the guns being only
I knocked down by the wind Of the shot, as sup
posed.
The IRE of the KeaJSdrge, although only on
( hundred and seyenty-three projectles had beer
/ discharged, according 10 ,he prisoners accounts
was terrific. One shot alone had killed an,
| wounded eighteen men and disabled gun. An
\ other had entered the cOal-hnnkers, eXplodin.
and con pletcly blocking up the engine-rOom; an,
7 Captain Semmes states that shot and shell ha,
taken effect in the sides of the vessel tearing arg
! holes by explosion, and his men were everywher
knocked down.
OF the casualties in the AlabaDla no correC
| account can be- given. One hundred and ffteeI
persons reached the shore, either in England o.
| France, after the action. IL is known that tn
! Aia5ama carried q crew, officers and men, o
I about one hundred and fifty into CheThOurg, an,
/ was about one hundred and seventy, but deser
I tions had reduced this complement The prisoner
! STATE that number Of men came on board a
( CbCrbouTg, aud the night before the action boat
were gong 10 and fro, and in the morning
strange men were seen, who were stationed a
captains Of the guns. Among these there We
, one Lieutenant (Snclair), who joined her ii
CherhOurg
The .ita6Q,Hq had been five days in prepara
ton. She had taken in three hundred aud fifty
tons ofcOl, which brought her down In the water
The heDsage had only one hundred and twenty
tons in; tut as an Offset % this her sheet chain
were slowed outside, stopped up and down, rs al
additional prev nriyo and protection to her NOR
/ empty hunktrs.
Tnc uuuber Of the crew of the EcH@ag5, in
, clEding officers and sick men, was one hundred
and .iYty-thTIe; aud her battery numbered sever
gUns-tWo ll,ilch, one 3OpOund5r rife and foul
light 32-pOnuder guns.
The battery Of The Ald5aBld numbered eigh
gunS--CnG heavy 8i-,ty-eight, of nine THOUSAND
pounds; one OnC-huAdred. .and-ten- FOUNDER rife
ana six heavy thiriy-two. pOunder guns.
In the eng cement the 1l1JImd fought sever
guns and the Kerr grge five, both exercised tht
/ stuThOard battery, until the Ala5aaa wnded
( using thcn her po'. side with one gun, and an
| other shifted oyer.
( The collateral events connected with this actor
have already been laid before the Department.
I / enclose diaslam, showing the track whicl
was described during tho engagement by tn,
rotary course Of the vessels.
| have the honor 10 be, very respectfully, you