Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-08

tried to board the Kearssge, as secession
prints say. Toward the end of the hght
Capt Winslow succeeded in planting a
shot in the machinery OF the Alabama,
which disabled her; he then had things all
his own way, aud running close to her be
poured into her a destructive conVerging
broadside, which tore through whole sec
tion of the Alabama's side at the water
line aud let the water through in cas-
cades. Both ships then stopped firing,
and the Alabama, without striking her
flag, started toward Cherbourg, but Capt.
| Winsiow, hoistiug his flag of victory, start
ed to head her of. de saw, however, that
the Alabama was filiiug, and at once low
cred two boats to go 10 her aid, and, il
effect, the vessel sank before she had pro-
eeeded dozen lengths toward the harb0r.
The KeaFsage's boats picked up sky
eight persons, OF whom fourteen were
wounded. The others we're picked up by
the English yacht Capt. Lancaster, and
landed at Southampton. The KearsaPe
steamed at once into the port of Cherbourg
with her prisoners
Aud now here arises two important que5-
tions One relates TO the prisoners brought
into Cherbourg, and the other TO those car
ried into Southampton. The prisoners
brought into Cherbourg, many OF whom are
Frenchmen, demanded to be parOled, and
Capt. Winslow, who was crowded for room,
also desired to know OF the American Min
ster if he could not parole them. Mr..
Dayton telegraphed TO bis son and 10 Capt.
Winslow that the prisoners could not be
paroled, aud that they must be held till the
ST. Louis arrived, and then conveyed to the
United States.
In regard to Capt. Semmes and the other
prisoners carried into Southampton, Capt.
Winslow claims them as his prisoners, and
Mr.. Dayton had advised Mr.. Adams to de
maud their rendition. CaUt. Wiuslow bad
ample time and means to pick up all tue
officers and men of the Alabama, Out the
boats OF the English yatch rau 10 and &C
tually stole them away, as If acting upon a
prearranged plan, thus constituting It a
clear case of Intervention. Capt. Semmes
and party did not therefore sSclPs They
were stolen away by party who was iudi-
rectly interfering in the fght. There was
no wish on the part OF Capt. Winstow TO
see Capt. Semmes drowned. Ga the con
trary he would have soon taken uD Semmes'
boat load himself. .......
Here let me place a reflection. Is it not
strange that at her birth and her death, aud
all through the course of ner short eIis-
tence, whenever the Alabama needed help
there was always an Euglishmau there To
render II? She was Constructed by Eug-
lishmeu in an English porti she was taken
to sea, armed, equipped and started on ner
career of pillage and devastation by Eag-
lishmen; she was fed, harOored, petted and
protected 10 English portsi aud hhally.
when she arrives at the last tragic scene IN
her destructive existence, there steps in an
EDglishman to steal away her Captain and
officers
The Moniteur and other secession
sheets say that the contest was an une-
quail one, and this in the face of the boast
of Laird and other bombastic English
ship builders, that the Alabama could
either whip or out run the Kearsage, and
that Capt. Semmes demanded nothing bet
ter than trial of the qualities OF the TWO
boats. The facts are, that the Kearsage
could both out run her and whip her. An
officer of the Kearsage said here the other
day, that if they could get sight of the
Alabama in the morning, no matter at
at what distance, he was sure that they
could catch her and sink her, before night.
Both are wooden vessels, the Alabama
being l,06O tons, and the Kearsage l,O3O.
Both carried about the same number Of
guns, but the one carried Yankee guns
and the other English, and this gave the
Kearsage a great advantage a man
who will trust himself to English guns at
this advanced age ought TO have his ship
sunk. The kearsage carried u complies
ment of $50 men, and the Alabama l5O.
The difference was not great as regards
number, for ships of that size can be just
as we'll handled in an epen sea fight with
$50 as with $50 men. But the kearsage
had a great advantage in the kind of men.
I i 81,
old gunners of the United States Navy
the first sailors and the first gunners in
the world The officers of the Alabama,
/ am told, are all superior men in their
profession, but their crew volunteered
for privateering purposes, and were prob
ably not the kind of men to fight such
foe as they found in the Kearsage. For
it is not the most adventurouso or the most
clustering man who makes the best fight
in a case of life or death.
DR.. Gait, Of Norfolk, Va, the surgeon
of the Alabama, and gentleman who
seems to have been much beloved and re-
spected on board the vessel, was drown
ed. So at least it is reported.
The Yeddo, new Confederate ship at
Bordeaux, was yesterday preparing to
sail to-day. The owners say she Is sold
to a neutral party, and the Government ap-
pears to contide in the statement We
will soon see
1t is to be hoped that our Government
will hurry over some additional men-Of-
war. They would be very useful in va
rious ways. MALAKOFF.
STATEMENT OF ONE OF TIE PETTY oFTIcERs
OF THE ALABAMA-wHAT CAPT. sEMNEs
SAID.
Prom the London News, June Il.
The following ia a statement of one Of
the petty officers of the Alabama: "Toe
Alabama arrived at Oherbourg on the .2yh
inst, 10 days from Cape Town. The
Kearsage arrived OF Cherbourg OF the
18Th inst. Challenges TO 6ght were recip-
rocsted by the Commanders OF the Ala
hama and Kearsage. The former haFinZ
taken in coal and undergone some redt-