The Portland daily press., 1864-07-08
Friday Morning, July 8, 1864.
Destruction of the Alabama.
Escape OF Capt. Semmes.
BEGINNING OF rnE rIanr.

BEGINNING OF THE FIGHT.
On the morning of Sunday, June 10Th, at
10 80, the Alabama was observed steaming
out OF cherbourg harbor, towards the steamer
Kearsarge. At ii 10 the Alabama commenc
ed the action by firing with her starboard
battery at distance of about a mile. The
Kearsarge also opened fire immediately with
her starboard guns, aud sharp engagement,
with rapid firing from both ships, Was kept
up, both shot and shell being discharged. In
the maneuvring both vessels made seven
complete circles al distance OF from a quar-
ter to half a mile.
At twelve o'clock the firing from the Ala
bama was observed TO slacken, and she ap-
psared to be making head sail anu shaping
her course for land, which was distant about
nine miles.
At 1890 the Confederate vessel was in
isabled and sinking state.
The encounter was witnessed by the Eng
lish steam yacht Deerhound, which made to-
wards the Alabama at this moment, and in
passing the Kearsarge was requested 10 assist
in saving the crew of the Alabama When
the Deerhound was still at distance of two
hundred yards the Alabama sank, and the
Deerhound then lowered her boats and with
the assistance Of those from the sinking vessel
succeeded in saving about forty men, ino6nd
ing Capt. Semmes and thirteen officers.
The Keaisarge was apparently much dis
abled.
The Alabama's loss In killed and wounded
is as follows: Drowned, one officer and one
man killed, six men; wounded, one officer
and sixteen men. Total, eight killed and
seventeen wounded.
Capt. semmes is slightly wounded in the
hand.
The Kearsarge's boats were lowered, and
with the assistance OF the French pilot, sue
ceeded in picking up the remainder OF the
crew.
Before going out 10 fight Captain Semmes
conided To a gentleman on shore his journals
and all the documents connected with the
cruise of the Alabama
The London Morning Herald says that the
Alabama was terribly in want OF repairs. Her
copper was strengthened 10 such an extent
as TO deprive her of her only advantage, supe-
riority OF speed, while the Kearsarge was
fresh from port, and kept purposely in order
for the contingency of an encounter with the
Alabama.
The Alabama was, however, from the first
overmatched. The crew of the Kearsarge
consisted OF one hundred and fifty to her Que
hundred and twenty, and the Kearsarge car
ried two one hundred-pounders, the Alabama
carrying no guns OF that calibre.
1t Is stated that formal challenge TO fight
was given by the Kearsarge. and accepted by
Capt Semmes.
According to some accounts the Kearsarge
had sustained considerable damage, her sides
being torn open, showing the chain plating
A despatch, however, from Cherbourg twhere
Ii is presumed the Kearsarge has arrived,)
says that she had suffered no damage OF i'm
portance, and that none of her officers were
killed or wounded, and only three OF her sea-
men wounded.
the Kearsarge captured sixty-eight of the
officers and crew OF the Alabama.
LANDING OF CAPTAIN sEMNEs AT SOUTH
AMPfoN.
A letter to the London Tunes, dated at
Southampton, England, June Il, says:
tine English steam-yachI Deerhound, be-
longing W Mr.John Lancaster, of Hindley
Hall, Wigan, Lancashire, arrived here last
hight and landed Captain SeInmes, (com-
mander of the Confederate steamer Alabama J
thirteen officers, and twenty-six men, whom
she rescued from drowning after the action
of Cherbourg yesterday, which resulted in
the destruction OF the world-ienowned Ala
bama. From interviews held this morning
with Mr.. Lancaster, with Captain Jones,
(master OF the Deerhoundl, and with some OF
the Alabamas officers, and from Information
CLEANED ia other quarters, 1 am able 10 fur
nish you with some interesting particulars
connected with the fight between the Alaba-
ma aud the Kearsarge.
"On arriving ut Cherbonrg at 10 o'clock on
Saturday night, by railway from Caen, MIR.
Lancaster was Informed by the captain Of his
yacht, which was lying IN harbor awaiting
his arrival, that it was reported that the Ala
bama aud the kearsarge were going out TO
fight each other In the morning. MIR. Lam
aster, whose wife, niece and family were also
on board his yacht, at once determined TO 20
out in the morning aud see the combat.
"The Alabama lett Cherbourg harbour
abont ten o'clock on Sunday morning, and
the Kearsarge was then several miles out 10
seaward, with her steam up, ready for action.
The French plated ship OF war Couronne
followed the Alabama out OF harbor, and stop
ped when the vessels were a leagne OFF tue
coast, her object being TO see that there was
no violation of the laws of nations By any
light taking bIace within the legal distance
from land.
lone of the officers of the Alabama names
the hour of ii 10 as the commencement ol
the action, and II !: 40 as the period OF its
cessation, making its duration an hour and d
half; while the time observed on board the
Deerhound, which is most likely to be accu-
rate, that vessel being free from the excite
ment and confusion necessarily on board the
Alabama, limited the action to an hour; the
last shot being fired at II 10. The distance
the Alabama opened fire was estimated on
board the Deerhound at about a mile, while
the Alabamas officer tells me that she was o
mile and half away IRON the Kearsarge
when she fired the first gun.
'Be this as it may, il is certain that the Al.
dbdmd commenced the firing, and as 1t i.
known that her guns were pointed for 4 range
oftwo thousand yards, and that the second
shot she fired, in about half a minute after the
first, went right into the Kearsaae. that NAV
be taken as the real distance between the two
ships. The firing became general from botl
vessels at the distance of little under a mile
and was well sustained on both sides, Mr.
Lancaster's impression being that at no time
during the action were they less than quar-
ter of q mile from each other Seven com
plete circles were made In the period owe
which the fight lasted. 1t was estimated OF
board the Deerhound that the Alabama fire.
in all about one hundred and fifty rounds
some single guns, and some in broadsides o
three or four, and the Kearsage about one hun
dred. the majority of which were eleven-nc
shells. The Alabama's were principally Bla
keley's pivot guns. In the early part of th
action the relative firing was about thre
from the Alabama to one from the Kearsagt
but as 1t progressed the latter gained the ad
vantage, having apparently greater powe
of steam. She appeared to have an advantas
over the Alabama OF about three knots TO a
hour, and steam was seen rushing out Of he