The New York herald., 1864-08-20
THE KEARsARoE AND ALABAMA.
o~Ptatn Winsiow's Detailed Report or
the Action.
usfED STATE STEAMSHIP RaAasA sus.
EnGLIsH CHANNEL Iulx 20 IsaI

| N"sASo ohANhkL, July 80. 1864. (
] SR-in obedience TO instructions Of the Departu,ent
nave the honor TO make following supplementary re-
port o. the action between the Kearsargo Aabama
On the morning OF The Ielh tit the day being ane
win hazy atmosphere. wind moderate from tho wes,
waro with little sea ths position OF the Ksarsarge at ter
O'Clock was tho buoy which marks the line Of shoals
70 the eastward or Cherbourg and distant about thrcc
miles from the eastern which bore to the
Y ward and westwa-d All twenty minutes ate
ten O'Clock the Alabama was deserted coming ou
OF tNs western ensrasce, accompanied by tn'
Couronns (irou.clsd). I had. IN 40 interviev
with the Admiral Of Cher rbourg, assured hin
that In the event OF action occurring with the Ala
bama the posislcn or the ships should co far oil
shore that questions could bo advanced abci the ns
Of jurisdiction. Accordingly to perfect this object and
with the double purpose OF drawiog the Aiabana 50
far OF shore that, II disabled, she coua retpT
directed the ships head ssaward and cleared for
with the battery pivoted to starboard. Having attans
point about mes from the Shore sha head o.
the kearsarge turned short around, ard the ship
steored directly for the Alabama my purpose being 10
run her down. circumstances did no. warrant 1t, TO
Hardly had the Kearsargc ooms round before ito Ala.
oams sheered, presented her starboard battery and
f>abopt mle she opened her fun broadsde the shot
cu0ing some o. our rigging and going over and alcng
Imxaeuiatsly order cd moro speed But In two mnu,ss
tho Asbans had loaded and again AREA another broad
stde and following with third, without damaging Us
We had ooSx arrived within about n,o hundred yards
near, rakins as Il wss~woud prove disastrous Ao
cordmgy ordred the Keersarge eheered and opened
and broadsde but was soon apparent that Capt semmcs
did not sock close action became then fearful lest after
some lighting, that he would again make ior the shore
To defeat this determined 10 keep full speed and with
a port helm to under the OF tho Aabams and
rake her ne did not prevent BY sbeerug aat Keeping
venhve, ahd consequence the Alabama was forced
with full head Of steam uto circular track during tho
The effect or this such that last OF
tho action, when tho Alabama would have mads OF,
she was near I've mites from tho shore and, bad the
action continued from tho frat 10 paraael lines, with
her head shore the line OF jurisdiction would no doubt
have been reached. firing the Alabama from the
rapid and wild towards the Of the action
hor firing became better. Our men, who had oeon eau
toned against firing rapidly without direct aim
much more deliberate and The instructions given 10
point the heavy guns below rather than above the water
ue and clear the deck with lighter ones was fully OBJ
served.
had epdeavored, with port helm, to close in with
the Alabama but was not until Just before the close OF
the action that In position tOuso grape This
was avoided however, by her surrender The elect OF
the training Of men was evident nearly every shot
from guns telling earfully the Alabama and
the seventh rotation in the circular track she winded
setting oretrysa and two ibs, with head in shore Her
broadside was presented to us, with only two
guns bearing; not having bee been able as ! learned
guns we'll directed broush. down her flag was unable
away: but a white flag baving been displayed over tho
Ore reserved. Two minutes had not more
guns the port side. This drew IRE again. and the
Kearsarge was immediately steamed ahead aud laid
flying our fire was again reserved. Shortly after
this her boats to bc lowering, and an officer ia
surrendered and was fast sinking twenty minutes
from this time the Alabama went down, her mainmnst,
SUNK and hsr bow rising high out Of the water az her
stern rapidly settled:
discharged three hundred and seventy more shell
and shot, not OF sefous damage TO tho KeaIsase
abou. the hull and sixteen seventeen about the mass
aud rigging. The casualties we're small, only three per-
sons having been wounded YET y matter Of surprise
that few injured considering the number OF pro
ectes that aboard Two shot passed through the
ports in which the thirty.twos were placed with men
hammock netting and the other going through the port
On hs opposite side yes no one was hit .he eap,an
the shot, as supposed.
The re or the Kearsarge, although only one hundred
seventy three proectes had been discharged ac-
cordng 70 the prisoners accounts was terrsc one shot
alone had killed and wounded eighteen men and disabled
gun Another bad entered the ccsl bunkers exploding
and completely blocking up the engine room apd Capt
states ha. shot and she'll had taken effect in the
sides OF vesso tearing large holes by explosion and
his everywhere Knocked down.
be given one hundred and fifteen resched the
shore, either in Engand or France, after the action
k1own that the Alabama carried crew, ofhccs ana
men, OF about hundred and City, into Cherbourg
and that while In the Southern ocean her compile.
ment about hundred and seventy but descr.
tons had reduced this complement The prisoners state
that number Of board at Cherbourg, md
the night bc,ore the action boats going to and ro
and in tie morning strange were seen who were
stationed captains Of the Among these there
Lieutenant (Sinclsr who joined her in Cher.
bourg
The Alabama had been Eve days in preparation sho
had In three hundred and City tons Of coal, which
brought her down In the water The Kearsarge had
only hundred ard twenty but Offset to
this her sheet chains were slowed outside stopped up
and down. an au additional preventive 400 protection TO
her more empty buDkers.
The number Of the OF the Eearearge, including
officers and sick men, hundred and sixtythree
and her battery numbered seven gun6two eleven nch
thirty pourder rife and four light thrtytwo poun.
der guns.
Tho battery OF the Alabama numbered eight gunsons
heavy sixty eight OF nine thousand pounds one onehun
dred and Ioundcr rife and elk heavy thrty.two.
pounder guns.
In the engagement the Alabama fought guns aud
the Kesrsarae I'VE, both exercising the sarboard bat
ery until the Alabama wpded, using then her port side
with gun, and another shifted over.
The collateral events INJECTED will this action have
already been laid before the Department
enclose diagram, showing the track which was de-
scrbed during the engagement BY the rotary course Of
the vessels.
have the honor to be, very respectfully, your ODE.
dent servant, JNU A WlNSLOW, Captain.
hon. GIDEON wxLLE secretary Of the Navy, Washing
ton D, c.