Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-11
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
TIE ALABAMA AND THE KEARsAHGE

An Account If the Naval Engagement in the British Chan
mel on Sunday June 10, 1864 from Information lu
nished to the writer by the wounded and parofa
ers OF the Confederate Privateer Alabama, me 1mce
the IJp ed State Soop nWar Kearsarge, ana cllZehs
Of Cherbourg. BY FREnEBICK MlLNEs Ep"s' A1o"'
don; William Rdgwsy. 1901
The Importance Of the engagement between '"o o".'
States sloopof war Kearssrge and the Coneuera'e Pa
teer Alabama cannot be estimated by the SIZE VI 'ne WV
vessels The conflict of Cherbourg on SUNDAY, Tue lSh
of June was the first decisive engagement pel"eeu sup
pnU proused by steam the first test of the merits OF
modern naval artillery 1t moreover contest LOT
superiority between the ordnance of Europe and America
xVhs t result furnishes us with data wherefrom to est
mate the relative advantages of red and smoothboe can
at short range.
Perhaps greater numerous mlsrepresehta-
tons made in regard to engagement than IN
reference to the one in question The first news OF the
conflict to US enveloped IN mass oil statements the
greater part of which not TO supplementary ex
preston dramatically opposed to the truth and al
though several weeks have elapsed since the Alabama
followed her many defenceless victims to their watery
grave these obtain as much credence
a. The victory of the Kesrsarge was accounted or
and The defeat of the Alabama excused or Paated upon
the following principal reasons:
l. The superior size and speed of the Kearsarge.
q The superiority of her armament.
g. The chain plating OF her sides
4 he greater number OF her crew
s. The unpreparedness of the Alabama
g. The assumed necessity OF Captain semmess accepting
the challenge sent him represented by The commander
of the KearsaTge:
Besides these msstatement there have been Others put
FORTH either in ignorance of the real facts OF the case or
with purposed intention of diminishing the merit Of the
victory by casting odum upon the ederas on the score OF
inhumspity In Tie former category must BE- placed TIE
remarks of the Times June 2is but IL just 70 state
that the observations question were made on receipt VI
the fret ne VS. and conformation furnished pooao py
parties unconnected with the paper and desr"ns o pa
atng the Aabamas deest by any means IN their power
We are informed 10 the article above referred 10 mat the
guns Of the latter had been pointed for TWO nou
sand wards and the second shot went right through the
Kearsarqe" whereas shot whatever went through as
stated Again the Kearsarge fred about one hundred
{sho chiefly l1nch shel the fact being that not one
third Of her projectes OF that caore fuener Oh
fnd The (of the Alsbsma) were all true 10 Inc
last they only ceased firing when the water came 10 the
muzzle Of the guns" Such declaration as THIS Is laugh
able in the extreme the Aabamas guns we're sl on the
apardeck like those of the Keararge, and to achieve
what the Times represents her must have fought on
until the hull Of their vessel two feet under water
The truth s the evidence the prisoners saved by the
Kearsarge may be taken-Cspt Semmes hauled down his
Dag immediately after being informed by his chief engineer
minutes the water gained rapidly the vessel that her
bow rose SLOWLY in the air. and half her guns obtained
greater elevation than they had known previously
1t unfortunate to find sGch cheap novel style OF wrlng
10 paper which future period may be referred 10
authoritative chroncler of events now transpfng
1t would be too long task to notice all the numerous
nisstatements Of private individuals and Of the English
aud French press in reference TO this action the beat
mode is to give fscts they occurred leaving the pub
lie Judge by internal evidence on which side the truth
exists.
Within few days of the fight the writer OF these page
crossed from London Cherbourg for the purpose of OBJ
tanning bv ersonsl examination full and precise inorma
finn IN reference to the engagement Ii would seem 81
though srepresentston if not positive slsehood were
inseparabe from every thing connected with the AabsnS
for on reaching French naval station be was positively
assured by the people shore that nobody was
to board the Keassrge Preferrng however 10 suoSta-
tae the truth of these allegations rcm the officers OF the
vessel themselves be hired boat and sailed out to the
sloop receiving his arrival immediate and polite re-
ceptop from Capt Wnslow and his gallant subordinates
During the six days he remained at Cherbourg he found
tbe Kearsarge open to the inspection above and bel Of
auy and every body who chose TO visit her aud he fire.
auenty heard surprise expressed by English and French
ysters alike that representations shore were 20 ncon
.onsnt with the truth of the case.
Iound the Kesrssge lying under the of the French
ship-ofthe-ne Napoleon, two cables length from that
vessel ind about mile and half from the harbor she
had not moved from that anchorage tnce entering the port
of Cbebourg and repairs whatever had been effected
in her hull since the fight had thus full opportunity to
examine the extent Of her damage and she certainly did
not look at all like which had just been engaged in
one Of the hottest conflicts Of modern times.
Size Of the Vesssls.
The Kesrssrge in is by the terrible craft
ed by those who, for other seek
10 etact from honor Of her victory she appeared Ia
me mere yacht in comparison with the shipping around
her and disappointed many Of the visters who
ace her The relative proportions OF the two antagonists
were follows:
Alabama. KeaTHarpe.
Length all ...,..-s..--...- ~ leet <ll4 ieet
Length II water line, ''.ss''''Zlu isok
BEAM. p -
Depth. --.-...-..- --.--..-.s--pa
Horse pow er, two engines of. -o'O each 4Ou b. ?.
Tonna9e...,.. ......,.......lI50 1881"
The Alabama barquergged screw propeller, aud
the hesvness Of her rig aud above ALL the greater size
and height Of her mGss would give her hAppearanoe
much larger vessel than her antagonist The masts OF
the latter disproportonatey low and small she has
than topsail