Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-08-16

and starred bl6 of y thTss hsufs &c Join his snAe
would no have hsd him miss being on board Tor tue
world Next day settled my affairs a1d loloTeo
saoond train alter arriTedn Oherbourg Of In the
morning aud went immediately down to the pier ana
had not the least culy IN going CT to tie ship tnen
LAYING with her steam up srd apparently about 70 move
The officers expressed great surprise 81 seeing me on
board asthe police had relu led to allow Willie or TWO
o.her OOnfederates to do so.
cannot exOrsss to YOU the feeling with which Salk'
ed round her decks The. eficers, including Ssmmes,
locked rough, jlded and worn out The men we're
rough-lookng, bu. fine set Of fellows had along lax
Of en- hour with Semmes. When 1 told him had
come on expressly 10 offer my services to him, 10
thanked mo but said Il impossible for him 70 40
cert them much a. be would lie 70 have tbem for he
could not do go without violating an implied o6Igahon
TO the French Government He then read 10 me, RON
his letter book letter he had wi ten Admiral Dupuoy
asking him to allow Willie to rejon the ship as one OF
her original and regular officers, who bad Only beea on
detached duty from his ship The reply of the Admiral
was very polite; but he declined 70 alloE IL; and
thus" laid mmee t. would be impossible foE me 10
allow yUu 10 CO. with euch views before me as those OF
the French Government" i could but agree with him;
ana am more convinced than eyer that the straght-tor
ward honori BILE course is the best for, had
gone coull have been Of little service and would
simply have had my ambition gratihed; whereas, STAY
ing on shore have had IL in my power TO bS OF real
seI vice TO as brave and nobe of ever lived
|, IL were to tt.empt TO give you an idea of the
magnificent spr that prevailed on beard that ship,
sh Sud ut erly fii-t something beyond anything
ever jmaVined-it was Nilcy heroic. II desired hom
motives Of personal ambition, go in the ship before
when saw the spirit of these Ofcrs AMI men, my soul
caught the FIRE, ard would have given anything
possessed TO Join them When the order was given Lift
| anchor they fairly few around with the capstan -
] Ssmmes Eas "a calm as though he were going to-
| church. He seemed 70 have weighed the haHer we'll
| IA tis own mind, and determination was marked in
| eyery line of his faded aud worn cOuntena1ce.
Our noble Alabama bad scarcely turned her bows to
s.aSsrd when the Kesrsage came in sight to the east
ward TIE two ships steamed oil TO eaWafd,
eopverRng towards each other. The French iron clad
Co-o ne went out TO see that they did not JOIN ssue
within French waters Twas a regular dre, ID tn
pers bItaAWaer, ht usetops masls OF the Ut war,
hills around the town, all crowded BY thcu'a1ds
of spsc,etors to witness the combat as they would
have assembled to witness q bull fight. II very
evident that the sympathy universal in favor OF the
Alabama locked go much smaller than the Ksarsage
Judge simply by the eye should have pronounce
the atter " be lager. had splendid glaeses aud
eouli zee every movement and saw as glance that
| the Kearsago had much the advantage in spted. The
/ 6rss gun was hgsd By the Alabama a. ll42 Tee two
chips then paased presenting their sarbOsrd brOadsde,
Alabama outside Broadsides we're discharged in pass-
ng and tho firing became rapid ard very heavy. Tee
Alabama fred much The fastest should say three guns
20 tao from the Ks2rsag; but she seemed 10 FIRE high,
Tor could see many Of her shells burst very high In
se air while those from tho Kearsage burst very
| the water. They I'D but commenced to fire when
ohssryed and remarked the difference In zee Goof Of
AZ, smoke from the guns Of the two ships II their
| Harepes il szs had not enabled 10 Distinguish
theG, could have cone il by thai. The smoke from
be Alabama W Ike puf4 of heavy steam, while that
| rom The Ktarssg9 WAS much lighter, and am nov
boroughy convinced that the Unprecedented cruse Of
tho Alabama had moro CT less damaged her powder;
ror in AZ least Two instances Lave sinco asceTained
mat her sho, failed 10 peuorats the ship when they
s,ruek the raked HoodOne OF Which struck her stern
oost and lad it hal proper power, should have des
ed both her Tuddsr aud screw. 10 only stuck in
Sci era struck the ch,i armOr, and at the distance
should have gore through aud into her boilers but they
/ broke the chain and fell harmless.
/. Uss soon evident TO my mind hat tie Alabama
Eas ctippled; for she made sa and put Eef head in
shore Teey had the Eight IN circle, running round
common cgnre about seven times. The sarsags how.
oyer now came up rapidly passing the Alabama on the
mort side delivering her heavy broadsise from the star
hoard guns; bit receiving only two guns in sLsWer II
was ali over and al IL 80 cur noble ship went down
stern foremost and our miserable, hated foe steamed
by In triumph with her sccursed atgs flying from her
mssthesds l cannot give you an idea Of Wha. we're
INV feeIi 90. knew that had one nephew and many
dear friends OIL board, and thought ii more than
key h,t mY sOn and another nephew had gone out in
one Of the pilot boats or of the E,gsh yachts that
| bsd gone out before her, and joined heF outside
but all feelings originating in blood we're lost
| Ia the one great absorbing one Of my
oountrys 10 g. sndtd olt buzz the buSteF and brag
| aud growing that We would hear from the Yankees. l.
/ no never, bad not much time for such thoughts; for
very soon the necessity for me 10 do my share
went to my room and eon - an account Of the sffr,
and then started out wish the hope that of tie
brave fellows picked up by The beats that know be
on. would be landing. Pus5i1g my way through, ran
down the steps just in time TO Geet boat that landed
Lieut. Armstrong, Mr. Brooke, Assistant Engineer, ths
| sa maker and some men. They were, OF course ha
| naked ard thoroughly wet; and Mr. Armstrong was
slightly wounded by pirco of o she'll gave him my
arm and i the rest 10 fclIoW, pushed lhr Jugh the
| crowd 10 my hotel
| As soon az we arrived there, q man named Mas
placed 10 b package OF valuable papers hat had
/ been COMMITTED 10 his care by Semmes. This brave
fellow had been picked up by OF the boats of the
/ K assge but he jumped out OF her and swan to the
pilot boat he rea. risk Of hs life in order that he
might not fs to save these papers, which ho had prom
| is his Captain, IN the gdter, TO do.
| soon had Armstrong comfortable In some of my
e,cthes and sent for tut for earh Of the aud o..
red them glass Of brandy and dinner al round,
aud the bill when it came in showed that they did not
dtlike the former had just got these men coufort
able when Dr. q it came IN landed uHder parole, with
TIE wounded. He informed me that 6tty-;Wo # the
men would be landed at parole, aud that here
we're on beard the CATpePter and three men Who had
.dp d f their Wounds.
As soon as l could have arrangements uaie 80 ao-
immediate the well, started TO- the hospital to see 10
the wounded and provide for the burial OF the dead
soon came up with the long line of cots, each With s
bloody tensnt twelve from the Alabama and three from
tho Klarsage, carried on the shoulders Cf French
sylors As drove by some of the brave felUws re
oognzsd me and raising themselves up oheersd Tor the
ASbaml and Captain mnes. Their brave sp its
were still urcor qleIed Toe French sailorsa soldiers
took up al Ghs il TIE feeling which speak OF in
TIE hegnDng of my letter which this terrible lies to us
has awakened in the hearts of the Frenol people aad
which think will be worth 10 us, dczsn Alabama.
NJthing could exceed the kindness Of the French eff
GERS Had tuF msn bAen their oWn they could MOI have
slown r. geDuil sympa by and. kirdaess IRON the
d Surgeon down to the nurses; while the presence Of
those sweet Sisters Of Charity vas in itself sunbeam
digres1 little to speak PARTICULARLY of to 60
man ed and wounded men, Ii the spirit of the crew
Of tho Alabama grand when che vent out to the IN.
EQUAL contest what can call that of hose noels I'LL
lows nos? |. struck even the impu.iVe Frtnohm n
Siih adm ration. Their first inq iry was sbou the