Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-08

] shot away TIE action lasted from IO:3O
\. NJ , until noon. At the conclusion of
the action Rine badly wounded men Of the
Alabama went on board the Rearssge-
/ The crew of the Alabama, when she went
into action, were 40 men, all told. After
The action the Rearsage appeared in a dis
abled condition. Four men were killed
aud ten wounded ou board the Alabama.
Captain Semmes is az Kelvey's Hotel,
and the other officers and men are about
town getting clothes and necessAries they
are taken 10 charge Of at the Sailors Home
here Capt. Semmes and Chief Officer Lee
went this afternoon to Emmsouers, the
tailor in the High street 10 make purchases
The Captains hand was bsudaged, owing
to a woand be received in action. The
shop was crowded with people, endeayoring
20 catch a glimpse OF the Confederate com
mander.
Messrs. Emmanuel tapped several bottles
OF port, and treated their customer, his
Lieutenant, and those who came TO see
them with much hospitality. Capt. Semmes
anxi0gsly asked what the people of Fog
la I'D thought Of the South, said that slave
II there existed but in name, and that the
North and South would never sgsin be
united. he said, moreover, that he mad en-
deavored to DO his duty to his country.-
When he left the shop crowd had col
lected round toe door, who made way for
him aud treated him with much respect
He seemed to be lsboring under mental
anguish, and 10 feel most acutely the COM
plete defeat he had experienced, and tue
death aud sutferings which that defeat had
caused.
Capt. Semmes is thin, wiry built man,
WITH a stern and determined air. He is
about so years ST age, with "a small red
pointed face, and a beard and moustAche
10 she American style. He had on a very
old naval officers cap, aud sn English
naval lieutenants jacket. He declined TO
see any strangers At his hotel. His First
Lieutenant is a fine looking young man.
Ia answer to questions, Capt. Semmes said
that be LETT all the property he possessed,
aud upward of 60 chrOnomeIers, which he
had taken from captured Federal mer-
chantmsu, IN CnerbOurgi previous 10 going
out 10 fight the kearsage. lie says that he
was completely deceived as TO the strength
aud armament OF the Federal ship. What
he recoilacted Of the Kearsage was that
she was su ordinary sloOp Of war. II be
had known that she was an irOu-clad and
much more heavily armed than the Ala
bama, he would not have fought, as it
was madness TO do So He said that the
fight between the Alabama and Kearsage
has taught another lesson in naval war
fare, that of the uselessness of ordinary
ships of war like the Alabama encounter
ing an iron-clad aud heavily armed ship
like the Kearsage, He does not know
the extent of damage he did to the
enemy's ship; all he knows is that he lost
his own. II appears that Semmss aud
number of his officers and crew escaped
from the Alabama just as she was going
down. and that Mr.. Lancaster, the owner
of the steam-yacht Deerhoud, was desi-
red by the commander OF the kearsage
tO save as many of the officers and crew
of the Confederate vessel as possible
Capt. Semmes was in the water half an
hour, and was nearly exhausted when
picked up. 1t appears he begged Mr.
Lancaster to get away as fast possible TO
prevent him and those who were with
him from being taken prisoners, and the
Deerhound, being fast yacht, was ena-
bled to get out of the reach of the Feder~
al man-Of-war Mr. Lancaster describes
the Il ight as a magnificent sight. He saw
holes right through the Alabama made
by the tremendous shot of the Kear-
sage