Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-23
The Alabama and the Kearsarge.

interest in Europe. The papers, English.
| French and German are full of it, and little
else was talked of in Paris and London up to
the sailing of the last steamer. There was a
great rush to see the Kedrsarge, painters are
making pictures of the fight, officers are ex-
amining the big guns Of the Rearsdrge, ladies
are getting relics from the two vessels to at
tach to their watch chains, the subject is
discussed in Parliament and the newspapers,
congratulations are pouring in on Captain
WINsLow and his crew.
The New York papers have further letters
from their correspondents, and extracts from
European papers, but we have not room to
copy.
Some new points are brought out. Capt.
WINsLow admits and regrets that shot or
two was fred after the alabama surrendered.
The mistake arose from the fact that ten
minutes before the alabama sunk she pulled
down her battle-fag, which was white, with
a union,jack and blue stars in the upper cor
ner, and tearing the colors out, ran it up
again as a white flag, in token of surrender.
The flag looked about as white before the
colors were torn out as after, and he did not
understand that the alabama had surrender
ed till boat approached with an officer and
two men. The correspondent Of the New
York Times says Capt WINsLow hailed the
officer thus "Do you surrender your ship,
sir ~ 1--WE do" was the reply; "our ship
is sinking, and we want to know if you won't
send your boats to help save the men ?"--
Certainly, sir" replied Capt WINsLow. At
the same time Capt. WINsLow hailed the En-
glish boat, and asked them twice if they
would not also send their boats, and help TO
take off the crew of the alabama. The Off
Ger who had come to surrender the alabama
was also authorized by Capt. WINsLow to aid
in picking up the men. Capt. WINsLow, in
view of the fact that the boat had surrender
ed, never doubted for moment but that ev-
erybody engaged in picking up men would
deliver them to him as his prisoners. He
never thought of anybody attempting to run
away under such circumstances, and supposed
the English boat, the Deerhound, like himself,
was SOiuS DdCh W NhOAOOuiS'
There were nineteen different nationalities
represented on the alabama, principally Eng
lishmen and not more than six Americans.
One of the crew told the New York Herald
correspondent that the men shipped to make
money, but had not received any prize money
and thought themselves swindled. He did
not think majority would reship in the Con-
federate service.
As near as can be ascertained, the AlabGmG
lost over thirty men killed and wounded Her
crew was one hundred and fifty men and Off
GERS. Sixty-seven of these were saved by the
KenSarge, forty were taken on board the
yacht Deerhound, and nine were brought into
Cherbourg in French pilot boat, leaving
thirty-four unaccounted for.
There are but three things which mar our
pleasure in regard to the destruction of the
Alabama First, that SEMMEs should have es-
capped; Second that the Deerhound was not
sunk the moment it was ascertained that she
was running away with our lawful prisoners;
Third, that the crew OF the alabama, rescued
by the RearSaTye, should have been paroled.
For the first no blame can be imputed to
Commodore WINsLOw. 1t is better to err on
the side of humanity, and he could not have
supposed that the enemy would take so mean
an advantage of his clemency in saving their
lives. For the second, Commodore WINS
Lows explanation is sufficient for his full JUS
LITIGATION. He did not fire upon the Deer
hound because he never imagined that any
one carrying the flag of the Royal Yacht
Squadron would act so dishonorably" He
could not know that this pretended British
Yacht was really Confederate tender. We
have been taught a new lesson as to the hon
or of the Confederates and their accomplices.
In paroling his prisoners because he had not
modore WINsLow seems to have acted hastily
and unwisely.
An eye-witnes of the naval fight commune
Gates to the London Daily Neacs the following
interesting narrative:
81 regret to see that some of the London
papers are perverting and classifying the facts,
| so as to do great injustice to the gallant off,
GERS and men of the Rearsarye.
'The fight began at IL a. M, and ended
few minutes after IL, lasting little more
| than an hour. The alabama fred seventeen
shots at the Kearsdrge before the latter fired
a gun. The Kearsarge fred one hundred and
seventy three shots. She was struck in the
| hull seven or eight times, but has sustained
no important damage, and is perfectly ready
| for active service.
"She has a crew Of about one hundred and
sixty-fve men, that of the Aiabama being
one hundred and forty-seven. The Alabama
had eight guns, the Rearsarge only seven.-
| The firing of the alabama was very inaecu.
rate, that of the Hsarsarye was excellent. A
! large pivot gun was particularly effective
| The Kearsayye is spoken of as being iron-clad;
she was no more iron-clad than the alabama
| might have been had they taken the precau-
| ton. She simply had double row of chains
hanging over Der sides to protecther machin-
cry. Two shots from the alabama struck
these chains, and fell harmlessly into the wa
| ter"
"The Rearsarge picked up sixty three men,
one dead body, and two men who have since
died on board. She also took five officers.
Captain Wipsloac acousld nor haze all tie officers
and men of the alabama as prisoners had he not
| placed too much confidence IN the honor Of an
Enqlisl,n,an wko carried the flag of the Royal
| Yacht Squadron. The Club will be indelibly
disgraced unless they take measures to repu-
date and condemn the conduct of Mr.. John
Lancaster, owner of the yacht Deerhot1,d. I
hare no doubt that this yacht wds IN the harbor of
Dbe-bo,,, N oce;ef fhe Alabama b,t ego5 means