The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-23
The Alabama and kcarsarse.


The Yankees have not done writing about The
Tremendous exploit OF the KearsaTge in sinking
the Alabama. The Paris correspondent of the
New York Tunes writes an extremely Yankee let
ter TO that paper, dated July 5Ih. We copy
portion OF IL
La Erance, a paper which receives the lbs pir1
lions OF Mr. Siidei, says that on account of his
shattered hralh Capt Semmes Is sGon going to the
springs of Germany, and that his lst Lieutenant
has been recommended by the Captain TO the Con
iederate Government to take his place on the
new Confederate vessel which Is soon coming uGt.
The commission OF the new commander cannGt,
however, arrive before the end OF this month. La
France does not state, of course, where The ptw
vessel Is 10 come fom, hut IL Is almost certain
now that the Two iiigates which were built by NJ
Arman have gone deiaiiively into The hands of
Prussia; SO that il the succ essoI oi Capt Semmes
does get a new vessel, IL only be in Eng
land. Hut there Is gseat doubt as To The Hu:h at
The assertion of La fyG2sCe Notw hsi1ndiUg the
universal and active sympathy fsr 5emmes lii
England aud notwithstanding the desire TO help
thin or his successor 10 new ship, The EngIish
people are giuFing more careful about Vio attoh5
u The neutrality laws, and Ii may we'll be doubted
whether anOtieT vessel ot ANY Importance can be
got out. Moreover, Capt WiusUw claims evr,y
officer and man of The late Alabama rs his prii
onCls aud he believes The oiiIccis vii! admit The
point far at least not again 10 appear i'll the
SeIptcs. AS ioG The men, they rcceiv I'd loo good
lesson In the late combat Ia care about ven-
turing into the service again We are inclined 10
believe, therefore, that the assertions oi Ia FiaaCe
only talk
Whether II he the inventions of the Secession
Isis or Of the advertising agents oil the seabathine
places, constant excitement Is being malniaIn, Il
about another sea fight which Is soon TO come of
the Ffrnch coast. such an occurrence, how
ever Is NOT ali pGobabls nevertheless our Minis
teis al Pans and London, uE the siirHeih nj ces-
tain Intelligence, more of less reliable, TO The at
feet that the Florida, ON hearing al Nassau thai
had Il at
Ing 10 Join her, have oid-ted both the keaiaaIge
aud the Niagara II sea 10 watch tor her. The
Niagara had lust commenced taxing in coal al
Antwerp, aud Capt Craven and some ci his oii
cets were at Brussels, preparing Tor gland Iolli
fication at Nj s SaudiOid s, ON the -Four th, W hen
The order came To 60 10 STA The coaiihg opera
tioD was suspended, Mr. Sandiori's dinner was
deprived OF "a prominent part nt Its attraction,
aud the ship Is now AT sea. Capt WinsIow and
his officers also left Paris yesterday morning 10
join their ship, and 10 picpaIe al once TO go 10
the festivities offered to Capt Winslow and off,
cess by the American residents at Paris came to a
close on Sunday by handsome dinner given by
Mr. Monroe, IhG banker, AT the Hotel des kcsera0irS
al Versailles. Besides the Officers of the kear
sarge aud The members OF the American Legation,
a few other invited guests partOok oi Mi M0nroe's
liberal hospitality. IL was The annual Jete day OF
Versailles and after dinner the party repaired to
the Park 10 see the fie works and The iliuminaloa
in yarcgated coiors and by electric lights, Of the
hundred of GETS d eau OF The magnificent fountain
ot Neptune.
ON this occasion learned that the Commission
which had been appointed by the Emperor 10 visit
The kearsafge and inspect aud report upon her
malncnt, had performed that duty Oh Fiiday last.
On III Al day t.ieut 1hofnton, First t.ieuenant of
tbs KeaIsarge, reported TO Capt WinsoW that a
company OF Objects, who had descended from a
steamer which came down from the direction OF
uavIe, presented themselves alongside The Kear-
sarge In Il sRa boat aud deniandt Ii they might
come 90 board As ordets had been left by The
CAPTAIN permit visitors board, and as in fact
the ship had been visited daily by large number
OF officers aud othes Interested IN artiilffy or III
ship buitding, they were, oi course, given full
neruission 10 visit the vessel, and take drawings
aud measurement of the big guns, their carrin
~ and IamIuis. All The parry were la uniform
bul one, atsi tais one zoe hare b<sa told .pIs the
Emneror tHlOgnitO The names OF the officers
forming the commission We're Capt lcteuTo, Col
onei vi Artillery, Count Lancia Marine Engineer,
SanneyiIir, aud Rear Admiral Baron Dideiot.
Lieut. Thornton laid down To these gentlemen
the doettlne that iled guns board ship were not
10 be compa red TO the columbiads for usefulness;
that however perfect might be the iihtd gun, they
always, OF nearly always, missed their object at a
mile; Thai the o..iy gun 10 be rehcd on vas short
range gun AMI that the larger the caiibre
the beIIer Thus the Alabama welt into ac
lion with her riied guns giu4ed at 90
yards, wt..ie the Keafsarse went INTO ac On
with the range of her guns nxcd al QUO
wards. The result was that the Alabama wasted Il
great many balls at ioag range which never touched
the Kearsarge, while the latter was enabifd TO
save her ammunition until she arrived In close
quarters, aud her work Of destruction was easily
and rapidly executed. Thus, when Lieu eDunt
Thornton had exposed 10 the commission tina,
the great desderatum was an enoimpus shell
thrown Ia AT close quarters, with just velocity
enough 20 arrive Inside the enemy . ship, and
not pass through it. one OF the gentlemen turned
10 bis party and exclaimed "We haven't gun
ia The French navy worth a rush. When II
was declared 10 them also that the big guns did
not kick enough To make Ii a practical objection
10 their szs; that In fact, Ihels Iecoit not