Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-08
The ALABAMA.
Further Details About the Fight
why Semmes Concluded to Fight
ParoIing the PrisOners-Official Re-
uorfs. etc.
Ipari, Correspondonco N. Y. Times.

d lParlS correspondence W. llHeSsi
The result of this protest was that Semmes,
after the thing had gone through the "cir-
cumlocution olfice,p received a notice from
the Maritime Prefect to leave as soon as he
had provisioned and coaled, and not to wait
for repairs, as he had expected to 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. .,el
Captain Semmes, finding that he had no
alternative, determined to put the best face
on the matter, and to make as much capital
for himself as possible. re therefore wrote
a letter to the Maritime Prefect, requesting
him to inform Captain Winslow that he
considered the latter's conduct In pretend
ing to lie off and blockade him in a neutral
port as an insult ~ and that he intended to
come out and drive him off. Winslow re-
piled, /" Let him come out and try It," Both
parties made their preparations accordingly.
Semmes. whose business it was to ran and
not to fight, 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 restrictions of the French authori-
ties, that a less brave man than he would
have been driven by desperation to fight;
and Captain Winslow, who properly esti-
mated all these circumstances, felt perfectly
sure that Semmes was going to light
Semmes LEFT all his valuables In the hands
of the Brazilian Consular agent on shore,
and after inviting his friends to come out
and see the fight, went to sea. ~, .a,.t d
lg5I DISPOSITION OF THE PRISONERS.
tCherbourg Correspondence New York Herald.l
After saving all the men she could find,
! the Kearsase took a pilot and came into
Cherbourg, arriving here about two O'Clock,
without. it is believed, any serious dam
aces. although it will require her some two
weeks probably'to repair. 9i'3 a+l!a
IsiCaptain Winslow, giving as q reason that
Ebe had no room to keep them In, immedi-
ately paroled the prisoners--five officers and
sixty-two p1en-and they went on shore.
The officers thus paroled were Surgeon
Gait, formerly Of the United States navy
Third Lieutenant Wilson, Third Engineer
Pundt, Chief Engineer Freeman and the
boatswain. Several other officers, whose
names I have not yet been able to ascertain
were picked up by French boats. 300 90
1t is doubtful whether the action of Cap
tain Winslow in paroling the prisoners will
meet with the appreciation Of the Govern
ment. IL is equivalent, so far as his act car
make It, to recognition of the "belligeren
rights Of this British pirate, who has new
er vet entered rebel port. II may hay
the effect to seriously complicate the ques
| tion of claims which our Government viii
T. make upon Great Britain for property dc
: stroved by this vessel, built, armed, equip
, ned and manned in an English port.isl
ol was certainly inopposition to the linstruc
4 tions of Mr.. Dayton, to whom Capital
: Winslow applied as to whether or not h
oA should parole the prisoners. Mr.. Dayton
r answer by telegraph, however, did not al
II rive until after the men were pafoled.
d A Is certainly in opposition TO the feelings an
=, wishes Of his officers. As TO the matter
n-l room, MIR. Dayton informed me beforeI le
N Paris that he had telegraphed to CAPITAL
ID Winslow that the st. Louis would ARR,
at Cherbourg in few days from the Med