The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1864-07-26

been obtained from one of the crew:
Capt. Semmes about the same time was
wounded in the hand by asplipter. He
tied his handkerchief round his hand but
never left his post.
The dead, Of whom there were about
eight, and the wounded, numbering perhaps
twelve, instead Of being carried below were
lying upon the deok. The carnage was
awful, some Of the men being literally cut
to pieces. There was much confusion on
board, though nolhiug like panic, except
ing on the part of one or two, who We're
not Engishmen. One young .Prusian, sta
tioned ut a gun, having ran below aud sta.
ted TO the doctor that he was wounded.
was ordered OIL deck, he cot being wounded
and was immediately shot in the hack by an
old man named Hicks, and English seaman,
who had been long in the English navy
soon afterwards
Our hrst lieutenant, Mr. kell, seeing the
battle was lost, ran TO Semmes, and told
him he must strike the colOrs, as the yes
sci was sinking fast. Scmme> merely re.
piled, "Try TO get little more beadway
on her," aud to the last would not order
the colors to be struck The color halliards
about this time were shot away, and the
colOrs fell to the deck. The report wus
circulated fore and aft that they were down
and for moment the kearsage ceased FIR
ing. When our men saw our colors. were
down they were enragea, and G,ost Of them
turned round on their officers Several of
them ran aft TO Captain Semmes with drawn
cutlasses.
One Of them told him that if he did not
Immediately hoist the colors he would cui
him down. AT the same time blr Sinclair,
the fourth lieut., pointed IL revolver at this
mans head to shoot Ii.n dead iu case he
made an attack on the captain.
Captain Semmes was perfectly cool and
did not even draw his sword. lie said he
admired the courage Of tho men, but the
col"rs were down, the vessel Was sinking,
and he did not wish that any more lives
should be lost. II was for their own bene-
lit that he refused to raise the culors As
soon rs the colors were shot away, by the
orders Of kell, white flag was held up rs
u signal OF surrender. A man jumped up
on the spank.r boom and held il up the
best way hs could in his hands. This
caused the officers OF the Kearsage 10 in
agine that II was one OF cur men still per.
sisting in holding up the Confederate flag
They continued firing and poured at least
three broad ides into us after the white flag
vas held up We had also at this time
fired zee gun in token of surrender, but
seeing the kearsage. still firing on us, the
word was passed aleng th- deck among us
there's no quarter for u.s." Some vi eur
guns were then fired again, particularly our
foremost cIirty.two, whie the usSn were
cutting away the boats. Capt Semmes
gave orders for the wounded to be put IN
the boats as quickly M possible and tuk en-
away, refusing everything IN the shape or a
boat himself The men were to be taken
to the yacht Deerbound, if possible. and not
10 the kearsage. At this time the ward
room was full Of water and the ship rapid.
ly settling.
The chief engineer did not leave the en-
CINE room til he was up to his waist in wa
ter While the men were cutting away the
boats and putting in the wounded, Captain
SemRes walked down into his cabin with.
out saying word. His cssbin Mas then
partly filled with water.
Two OF our boats pulled off, carrying the
wounded-the Kearsade having ceased fr
ing-the remainder Of our buaia I've had
six) being all seriously damaged. One OF
these boats took the wounded On board The
kearsage, on which she left them, and then
receiving permission 10 20 and pick I'D
more drowning and wounded msn, iustead
Of doing 80, pulled off % the yacht. THIS
may not have b, On e.aaSly right; but we
were justified in anything after the Kears
are had fired three brOadsidss al us after
our colors were down. l vas ordered down
by the hrst lieutenant to carry the wound
ed, and went away to the Kearsags. In
that boat were few wounded men: AIR.
Howell, nominally occupying the rank Of
captain OF marines, 1--WE had no marines On
board j Mr. Wilson, third lieutenant; Mr.
Bullock, master, and n few othsss This
boat went To the keearsage.
The Alabama at this time was Just going
down, and Mr. kell passed the order for
the men 10 save themselves if they could.
The greater part Of them jumped over.
board. Among them was Dr. LewsiIyn,
our assistant surgeon lie was an Engl,sh-
man, and had long been or the sick list
with sore leg, cons q"cnti,, not depend.
ing 1pon his s.imming powers. he had
lashed himself to a box but tho box turned,
and. putting him und.r h.. 49,. d.o.I