Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-07-09
PIRATE ALABAMA SUNK.
Particulars Of ihe AHi,fr.

dates to the 23u ult., arrived at tuls Poit"'
half paft nine o'clock this morning. Ihe
steamship Asia arrived on the 18th, the
Kedar on the Goth, the Nova Scotia on the
21st, and the Etna on the 22d.
The pirate Alabama, Capt Scmmes, lett
Cherbourg on the 10th ult., to engage the
Z. s. st amer Kcarsage, Capt. John A. Win
slow, and attacked her ten miles from Cher.
bourg. The engagement lasted an hour anu
forty minutes Both vessels made seven
complete circles in manGuvering, ut dis
tance of from a quarter to half a mile. The
alabama nas then sunk.
The pirate Scmmes and his crew were
nearly all saved by the English yacht Deer
hound. Semmcs was slightly wounded in
the hand Nothing additional has been re-
cciyed of the Kcarsagc and Alabama fight.
The where abouts of the .Kcarsage is doubt
ful, one rumor placing her a. Ostend and
another at Cherbourg. She landed some
wounded men at the latter place.
Before going out Scmmes left all his chro-
nometcrs, sixty in number, with his specie
and ransom bonds at Cherbourg.
1t is confirmed that no one was killed on
the Kearsage ana only three sailors slightly
wounded. The vessel sustained very little
injury.
Semmcs declined public dinner which
was rendered him at Southampton, and
went to Paris to report to the Confederate
commissioner. Three of the Alabamas Off
GERS and six other crew landed at Cherbourg
from French pilot boat and also several
from the British ships.
Capt. Semmcs publishes an account of the
engagement lie says he had nine killed
and twenty wounded, and charges the
Kearsage with continued firing after the
Alabama struck her flag.
New York, July 5.-The steamer New
York from Bremen reports that on the even
| ing of the ed ult., she passed in the British
| channel q bark rugged screw steamer with
the rebel colors flying and bound south
east.
The Paris correspondent of the London
! Globe SAYS: The Alabama made two at
| tempts to board the Kearsage, but the COM
mander of the latter out manuuvered Sem
mes, and finally sent a prolectile right
through the Alabamas boiler and seeing
what had occurred he brought all his guns
to bear on the pirate in concentrated
broadsdc from starloard and made Il breach
four yards in length under her water line
when she began to sink rapidly.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
New YoRK, July 5.
The following is the extended report of
the battle between the United States gun
boat Kearsagc and the Alabama. The en-
counter was witnessed by the English steam
yacht Deerhound, which vessel picked up
Semmes and the crew of the pirate and took
them to Cowes and furnishes the following
details of the affair:
On the morning of Sunday, the 10th ult.,
at 1890, the Alabama was observed steam
ing out of Cherbourg harbor towards the
United States steamer Kearsage At IL O'Clock
and ten minutes the Alabama commenced
the action by firing her starboard battery at
a distance of about one mile. The kearsage
also opened fire Immediately with her star
board guns. A sharp engagement with
rapid firing from both sides was kept up
with shot and shell being discharged.
In manpuveri ing both vessels made sever
al complete circles, at a distance of from
one-quarter to half mile.
At twelve o'clock the firing from the Ala
bama was observed to slacken, and she ap
peared to be making head sail, shaping hei
course for land, which was distant about
nine miles. At 1890 the confederate ycssc
was in disabled and sinking state.
The Deerhound Immediately made to
wards her and in passing the kcarsage was
req lested to assist is saving the crcr of til,
Alabama. When the Deerhound was stl
at distance of two hundred yards the Ala
, bama sunk, and the Dcerhound then lower
{ ed her boats and with the assistance of thost
) from the sinking vessel succeeded in saving
about forty men, including Captain Semmct
and thirteen officers. The Kearsage was ap
parently much disabled.
The Alabama's loss in killed and wound
ed was as follows: Drowned, one officer anC
one man killed, six men wounded, one otfi
r Ger and sixteen men.
4. .l,l 4 -, Il
r The Kearsage's boats were lowered, anC
| with the assistance of the French pilot, sue
ceeded in picking up the remainder of tn
crew. 1t is stated that formal challcng
5 to fight was given by the kearsagc and nc
5 cepted by Capt. SemmeS.
e According to some accounts the kearsag
sustained considerable damage, her sides be
: ing open through her chaln-plaiting. \ dis
c patch, however, from lherbourg, where it i
Q presumed the Kearsage had arrived, sayi
: that she had suffered no damage of impor
| tance, and that none of her officers wer
: killed or wounded The Kearsage capture,
sixty-eight Of the officers and crew of th
= Alabama,
a The Kearsage is a steam sloop Of ,03
c tons, carrying eight guns. The followin;
c is list of her officers:
e Captain, John A. Winslow LicutenGn
c Commanding, James 5. Thornton Surgeon
John NJ. Brown; Paymaster. Joseph \
= Smith; Engineers-Chief, William ii. Cusl
: man Second Assistant, William ii. Badlam
= Third Assistants, Frederick l.. Miller, Snide
2 L. Smith and Henry Mcconnell.
i BOatswain, James {. Walton; Actin
n Gunner Franklin A. Graham.
STILL FURTHER PARTICULARS.
: The English steam yacht Deerhnund be
y longing TO Mr.. John Lancaster, of llindley
= hall, Wigan, Lancashire, arrived here las
;, night and landed Capt. Semmcs command
cd of the late Confederate steamer Alabama
l3 officers, and 20 men, whom she recue
from drowning after the action OFF Cher
bourg yesterday, which resulted in the dt
structiOn OF the world renowned Alahaml
y From interviews held this morning with NJ
u Lancaster, with Capt Jones (master of th
: Deerhound), and with some of the Alaba
l. mas officers, and from information gleane,
in other quarters, | am enable 10 furnish yo
>, with some interesting particulars connecte
y with the light between the Alabama and III
IS kearsage.
The Alabama left Cherbourg hsrbor abou
" ten o'clock on Sunday morning, and IN
Kearsagc was then several miles out 10 sea
s ward, with her steam up ready for actor
. The French plated ship-oi.Nar Couronn
. followed the Alabama out Of harbor, an
}, stopped when the vessels were league o
:, the coast, her object being TO see that ther