The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-06
FRENCH ACCOUNTS.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSELS
AMERIcAN sEMI.oFFIcIAL AooouNr.

HNhN NhN - HNh-Nhe hAh=
hama" Fairly whIpped-N Clear Case
of Intervention The Surrender OF the
Prisoners Picked Up by tho English
Yacht 20 be Demanded.
PARIS, Tuesday, June 81, lS6i.-Thls time VIC
have bit Of exciting war news TO send you from
this side Of the water. The sinking Of the Ala-
bamd by the Kedrsarge, of the port Of Cherbourg,
occupies, for the moment, the thoughts and she
conversation Of everybody, for 1t is rare that so
many circumstances combine TO give interest to
any one event.
The joy Of our loyal people here Is, as might
be expected, something beyond description; 1
need hardly tell you that for the secessionists
and their European sympathizers, the blow was
terrible, and provoked louder and more pro-
longed swearing probably than any event OF this
eventful war. shall attempt to give you all the
most important details relating TO this exciting
drama.
In one Of the many conversations the American
Minister has been Obliged 10 hold with the French
Government on the subject Of the asylum which is
furnished to the Rebels in the French naval ports,
Mr.. Dayton, am told, said to the Foreign Min
lister that all that was wanting 10 complete
the hospitality of France towards the Rebels
was TO give refuge TO the Aa6andj that
then they would have given aid and pro.
lection to the whole Confederate navy, and
he terminated by saying that this vessel, know
ing how its mates had been received in France
would no doubt soon enter French port 10 de-
mand the hospitality which had been accorded
to have replied with great energy that il would
uot be permitted, that he would not allow the
alabama to come In, and that their ports should
not be made place of common resort for these
vessels.
This was three months ago. At that time, al
though watching with interest the course of the
Aidbdma, we did not anticipate so early visit
from her. Only a fortnight ago Mr.. Forbes, of
New York, arrived from Shanghai, and gratifed
us all by assuring us that we would never see the
Aidbdnd again in European waters, for that she
was badly used up by her long and active ser
vice, and from this fact and the fact that the
maritime interdctions against her in the East
had been made very severe, she would probably
be sold there.
We we're therefore not little astonished TO
find that the alabama was in the port of Cher
bOurg, and that she had made the run from the
East in the remarkably short time, for vessel
in her condition, of hundred days. So impos-
sible did II seem, that when she entered the
port OF Cherbourg last Friday week, both the
American Vice-Consul at that place and tho
Maritime Prefect telegraphed to Paris that 1t was
the Florida.
Immediately the American Minister at Paris
teegraphed 10 Captain Winslow of the Redrsarqe,
then lying in one of the ports of Holland, and TO
the old sailing frigate Sc. Louis, supposed to be
at Cadiz, TO repair Immediately to Cherbourg 10
catch the pirate If possible. The RedrsGrge ar
rived at once, but the So. Louis had not YET had
time TO arrive at the moment of the fight.
The American Minister also protested at onco
10 bHc FItuCu uOfoIOulcnL against ble ADMISSION
Of the Alabama, and reminded the Foreign
Secretary OF his previous promise in regard TO
this vessel.
The American Minister could with more JUS
tlce protest energetically in view Of thei fact
that the alabama did not come into French
port under stress of weather; she seemed TO have
struck straight line from the Cape to Cherbourg;
she did not turn either to the right 10 the left
she did y, not attempt TO go into either the
or OF Spain, or of Portugal as she might have
done with the same facility.
Mr.. Dayton therefore made q most apt and
most forcible point in declaring TO the Foreign
Minister that, by his indulgence, the Rebels were
using French ports exactly as If they were their
own; that they paid no regard TO the stress of
weather clause; and that such had been the
hospitality shown them in France that they were
fast learning to make it their only rendezvous.
The result OF this protest was that Semmes,
after the thing had gone through the "clrcumlo-
cution Office" received notice from the Mari
time Prefect TO leave as soon as he had proVi-
stoned and coaled, and not TO wait for repairs,
he had expected 10 do. As soon as this order
was sent to Semmes, Mr. Dayton sent his son,
Mr.. William Dayton, Jr., with instructions TO
Captain Winslow to make preparations for a
fight, for that Semmes had been ordered out and
would be obliged to go.
Captain Semmes finding that he had no alter
native, determined TO put the best face on the
matter, and 70 make as much capital for himself
rs possible. He therefore wrote letter 70 the
Maritime Prefect, requesting him TO inform Cap
tain Winsow that he considered the atter's con-
duct in pretending 70 lie off and blockade him in
a neutral port as an insult D. and that he in
tended to come out and drive him of. winsow
replied, "Let him come out and try it,"
Both parties made their preparations accord
iDRly. Semmes, whose business 1t was 10 run
and not to tight, was so badgered and worried by
the taunts Of our side, by the pats on the back Of
his friends and sympathizers, and by the restric-
tons of the French authorities, that less brave
IA tuOulh haa ftiy hu
ton TO fight; and Captain Winsow, who properly
estimated all these circumstances, felt perfectly
sure that Semmes was going TO night.
Semmes left all his yaluaDles In the hands of
the Brazilian consular agent on shore, and after
inviting his friends 70 come ont and see the fight,
went 10 sea.
You will See so many accounts OF the fight,
that need not dwell at length on that part OF
the affair. Mr.. William Dayton, Jr., and An
toine, the well known messenger Of the American
le9aliOn, however, saw the fght,
They were On board the Rsarsdrge Sstore and
after the action, and their account differs from
most of those published, and very much from the
one-sided accounts of the MOHiteur and the other
Secession prints, to whom the affair has been
very bitter pill. According 10 Mr.. Dayton, Jr.'s
account the action lasted about an hour and
half.
The Redr8arge although hit in several places,
received no vital shot. The hedrSdrge had but
three men touched, and these not MORALLY. 1t
bdma had the advantages the mannuvring and
firing of the KeGrsarge were both superior to
those of the Alabama.
There is no evidence that Captain Semmes
tried 20 board the RearSarge, as the secession
prints say. Toward the end of the fight Captain
WnslOw succeeded in planting shot In the ma
chneTy of the Alabama, which disabled her; he
then had things all his own way, and, running
close to her, he poured into her destructive con-
yerging broadside, which tore through a whole
section of the AlabaBaS side at the water-line,
and let the water through In cascades,
Both ships then stopped firing, and the AlGbana,
without striking her flag, started toward Cher
bourg but Captain Winslow, hOisting his flag Of
victory started to head her of. He saw, how
| ever that the Alabama was filling, and at once
lowered two boats 10 60 to her aid, and, in effect
| the vessel sank before she had proceeded dozen
| lengths towards the harbor.
The Kodrsarge'S boats picked up sixty eight
persons, of whom fourteen were wounded, and of
! whom three died. The others were picked up
| by the English yacht, Captain Lancaster, and
| landed at Southampton. The ReaTSarge steamed
at once into Vac port of Cherbourg with her
! prisoners.
And now, here arises two important questions.
| One relates TO the prisoners brought into Cher
bourg, and the other 10 those carried into South
ampton. The prisoners brought into Cherbourg,
| many OF whom are Frenchmen, demanded 10
| be paroled, and Captain Winslow, who was
| crowded Tor room, also desired 10 know OF the
American Minister II he could not parole them,
| MI Dayton teiegraphed to his son and 10 CAP
tain Winslow that the prisoner could not be pa
rolled, and that they must be held TN the 81
LOUIS arrived, and then conveyed to the UnitCC
| Gtatpg