Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-07-13
Official Report OF the Great Naval Com
hat

June ~, ISO4-p. m.-Nir: L nave the
honor TO inform the Department that
the dav subsequent TO the arrival of
the Kearsarge of this port on the l4th
inst, | received a note from Captain
Semmes, begging that the KearSarge
would not depart, as he intended to
fight her, and would not delay her but
q day or TWO.
. According to this notice. the Alaba-
ma left the port OF Cherbourg this morn
ing at about $50 O'Clock.
( At 1880, a. m, we discovered her
steering towards us, and fearing the
question Of jurisdiction might arise.
we steamed to sea until a distance of
six or seven miles was obtained from
the Chcrbourg breakwater, when we
rounded to and commenced steaming
/ for the Alabama.
/ As we approached her within about
1900 yards she opened fire, we receiv-
( ing two or three broadsides before a
7 shot was returned.
/ The action continued. the respect
i've steamers making a circle around
and around at distance OF about nine
hundred yards from each other
At the expiration of an hour the Al
/ ALBANIA struck, going down in about
I twenty minutes afterwards, and carry
! ing many persons with her
1t affords me great qualification to
/ announce TO the Department that ev
cry officer and man did their duty. ex-
/ hibiting degree of GOODNESS and forti-
tude which gave promise at the out
set OF certain victory.
| have the honor to be, most respect
/ fully, your obedient servant,
JOHN 4. WINsLow, Captain.
United States Steamer Kearsarge.
/ Cherbourg, France, June 20. 1S64-
Sir: enclose herewith the Surgeons
report Of the casualties on board this
vessel in the late action with the Ala
bama
Although we received some twenty
five or thirty shots, twelve or thirteen
taking effect in the hull, by the mercy
Of God we have been spared the loss
Of any one life, whereas in the case of
the Alabama the carnage, learn, was
dreadful
The ships We're about equal in match,
the tonnage being the same
The Alabama carried 100 pound
rifle. with one heavy 6S-pounder and
six broadside 32-pounders.
! The kearsarge carried four broad
side 32-pounders. two ll-inch, and one
| 28-poRnd rifle, being one gun less than
| the Alabama.
The only shot which | fear will give
us any trouble is a 100-pound rife
she'll which entered our sternpost and
remains at present uneXploded
1t would seem almost invidiOus to
particularize the conduct of any one
man or officer in an affair in which all
have done their duty with fortitude
and GOODNESS which cannot be too high
" praised. but feel it due to my ex-
ecutive officer, Lieutenant Command
er Thorton, who superintended the
working Of the battery, to particularly
mention him for an example of cool
ness and encouragement of the men
while fighting, which contributed much
towards the success of the action.
J have the honor to be, very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
JOHN y. w lNSLOW, captain.
Hon. G. Welles, Secretary of Navy
Surgeon Brown reports John w.
Dempsey, quartermaster gunner, has
an arm amputated, owing to fracture,
and William Gorvin and JAS. Macbeth,
ordinary seamen, severely wounded.
The French and English sympathi-
zing rebel papers all contained glow
ing accounts Of the bravery of Semmes
and his crew, and gave statements
that the Alabama went down without
striking her colors, all which CANNON
was dashed to pieces by Semmes' Off
cial report, in which he acknowledged
that he had surrenderedt Much cen
sure is cast on an English yacht called
the Deerhound, which witnessed the
fight, picked up Semmes and some
other officers, and then instead of sur
rendering them to the Kearsage, ran
off to the English coast. 1t is a pity
that Captain Winslow did not send an
IL inch shell into his vessel, and send
him down to keep company with the
pirate. 1t is now generally believed
that JEFF Davis's British ''niggers' will
furnish the pirate with another vessel
to prey upon our commerce. If so, we
hope orders will be given to sink her
wherever found, whether in French,
English or any other port.
The President has felt compelled
for the public good to declare martial
lo Ky IN Il aptucLyu