The Opelousas courier., 1864-09-03

copper started, III some places q ioVs ''"AA. 49,
frame, her hull terribly foul with weeds And
with his shin in this condition, her Captain came
to the one neutral Power which had the courage
to stand by its neutrality, and requested permis'
sion to thoroughly overhaul and reht her. Inc
Federal cruisers were soon informed OF her arfi.
val. and the Kearsage, which had been fitting @
Ostend, steamed off at once for Cherbourg. AT,
rived off the port, she found the Alabama still
afloat There are no private docks at CnerDouIE
There was some delay in the compliance with
Capt Semmes's request on the part OF the local
authorities, and the commander OF the kearsage'
It is said, at once sent in a challenge: whether
verbal challenge passed or not, We do not know.
But the defiance to combat was not the less
openly given. Steaming slowly outside the
breakwater, hosting his colors, firing guns 10
invite attention, Captain Winslow left no doubt
about his wish to fight, and Captain Semmes
was not the man to baulk him.
1t may be said, with some show OF justice,
that the latter was not bound to accept the chal-
lenpe; that the Alabama had other services to
render and that to risk her in her then condition
against an adversary so far superior in all the
conditions of success, was rashness in the ex-
trsme But there were many reasons to make it
almost imperative to fight The Confederate
cruisers had been represented by their enemies
as bold only by evasion, and safe only by their
steamne powers. 1t was denied that they were
fighting ships, and insinuated that they would
never risk fair combat What would have
been said had the Alabama declined the chal.
lenge-had she remained securely anchored be-
tween the breakwater, with the kearsaEe, nom.
nally her equal in strength, daring her to come
out, and announcing to al the world that ship
for ship the Confederate Navy was afraid to face
its adversaries1 III this war, on sea or on land,
the Confederates have never counted odds. 1t
could hardly have been expected that Captain
Semmes would be the first to calculate them
Circumstances justified. nay required. his accep-
tance of the challenge; no naval officer in any
service, would have dared to refuse it. The
sinking of the Ilatteras, herself larger SLIP
than the Alabama, shows that there was reason
able ground for Captain Semmes's confidence in
his brave little craft and her gallant crew. Her
loss is a misfortune but better far that she has
gone with honor than that the Captain Of the
Kearsage should have had it in his power to
boast that he had challenged the Alabama, and
the Alabama prudently declined to fight.
It was on Sunday morning, the 10Th inst, that
| the Alabama steamed slowly out to the encoun.
tor. 1t was known in Paris the day previously
| that Semmes would 90 out, and men came from
| Paris by train to witness the fight between the
| famous rover of the seas and the kcarsage. As
she passed the end of the mole great shout of
"God speed" rent the air, and as it died away
4
| iron plated frigate La Couronne accompanied her
| to the limit of the French waters. a small
! English steam yacht, the Deethound, followed
| in her wake, and at about eight miles from
Cherbourg the action began. The first shot was
| fired by the Alabama, at the distance of about a
mile, and was Immediately responded to by the
Kearsage. And SO for one hour in lessening cir
cles the combat was sustained. 1t was the OBJ
| ject If Captain Sesnmes to board his adversary.
His inferiority in the weight of metal made
''long bowls" dangerous game for him to play,
aud be sought from the first to close. The cap.
tain of the Ksarssge, however, knew his adyant.
age, and relying on his longer range and larger
caiiber avoided any attempt to grapple. And
the disadvantage under which the Alabama la.
bored was soon apparent. The kearsage beat
her in speed, her rate Of steaming during the &C.
| ton being estimated at three knots an hour
above that of her. opponent, SO that Captain
Winslow chose his own position and easily frus
trated the Alabama's manoeuvers.
Throughout the action the starboard batteries
were principally used. 1t was noticed on board
the Deerhound that tho Alabama fired far more
rapidly, and with greater accuracy, but that the
shells of the Kearsage did the more damage
And so for nearly one hour the two antagonist.
exchanged their deadly missiles, the Alabama te
the last trying to close, and her opponent ..
constantly keeping her at her own distance and
pouring in her ll.inch shell with fatal precision
1 Toward the end of the action Semmes made
last effort to reach the Kearsage but it failed;
shell carried away one of the fans Of the screw
and part of the rudder, another went through
her boilers and put out her fires. 1t was al
over. Sail was hoistsd, but to no purpose. Slow
" the sea gained upon her, and still more fierce
ly the Kearsage concentrated her FIRE upon her
: Finally, her flag was struck; the sea crept ove
her stern and up her deck. Her crew jumped
into the sea, supporting themselves by portion,
OF the wreck, spars, ETC.; and then came the end
her bows lifting from the waves. her bowspri
|perpendicular, the Alabama went down to he
last resting place. The Deerhound, whose
the action, at once bore rapidly down to pick az
the crew, and succeeded in saving the Captain
Is officers, and ~ seamen. Between 60 and 81
were subsequently rescued by the boats Of l.,
Couronne, the Kearsage, and some French pilot
boats, leaving balance of some Is CT 80 to b,
accounted for by the known casualties Of th,
action and the depths OF the sea.
i The Kearsage possessed every single advant
age in this unequal fght-speed, strength, mum
bers and weight of metal. Her boilers were il
perfect order, her hull clean, and the most ex
posed portions of her frame had been strength
ened by heavy chain CT les, constituting yer,
efficient sort of armor plating. Her crew con
sisted Of 200 men to 100 on board the Alabama
i her armament, compared to that of her adver
sary. was as 204 to "a, or Eve to two; for she car
i ried ten heavy ll-inch Dahlgren guns, while til,
Alabama had only one Blakeley 10O.pounder
one smooth bore pivot gun, and six broadsid,
ordinary 32pounders, Under these circum
stances we are justified in calling the fight AZ
unequal one, but as the combat might have beer
I n cd yr R<~ InAo Az