Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-08-19
loss Or TIE ALABAMA

LOSS Ok THE ALABAMA
Mo ru5lis!. bci1% IL dsscrir rs!cn Of tho Iigh
bstween ti.o Alabama and kenrsags. # diff
tcrs little irc,n 6tl!st nerra:ives, except iH
affirming, i:Ut, perhaps, upon adequate grounds
that The nlas..4iu. rf tho Alabsuia had toen
La.nsse4 III her leg r:uirea We do not doubt
lilo keatssgo Was ::er superior III weight 81
mstal Any alleged doleota il thu armament
oi Cur vessel will 10 doubt bs the subject 6!
Iinsestiga.ou The sesder' will sympsthize
With tho correspondent ia his regret for the
ios5 1i 0ur gaiaaf ship. as we'll as his hatred
III tie base loo who would never haye ohal-
lepgs.ff Or :s1ospt5d u ahallenas sxosps upon
oonyiciiou CT snpericr advantages:
P.Eis, Jaus %, 1861.
/ a. ! wus on board the Alnha.na
! w:IoI che got under say Ter her last. ne !
! Wa, iheu sh* got under way irr her trst
1 ,Tuisc ArI wttIieisod the BATHS IL all lis VA
Ii5d scent-, s,n account irnni Ie will know
! lie iEtarastin. IL YOU. m5!a ST. parahps. than
| ill.,, strictly otiaisl reports which you will
! redcna from uthtrs. shall, therefore, re-
iata % You Nil saw. with the Impressions
made upon my iiind. IA ,.s detailed u manner
| - | ;Ga.
| i:es,.ra begin my r:ogy. hhweYtr, let NE
! comfort yorr mind With ~ ASSURANCE that
! while wn haY.: !oSt 5ns ). .:ip, aua thereby un-
| ,iuni,ts:'!2 sustained h"uvq h.o|, yet l am
; convinced tilnt We Enfo gained i" :EGatige nnd
;,ouor iu :. .:ogr"s III very .rra. measure 70
c,,,r.;,I.r u. The r,aro' hrc :. brave.
heroic nc"..;A. A1i ut s;i appeal ~ has leell
mad; /" i:lia c:e,t Nl3Si:h. rrnolFiu ui lhtr
.,.,,n,r. hna nwaaGnnd aia1mg=t tia uass.s oi
iiA t.rn2i. rer!!e an .,.""uyt ui sympa'hY
,u,! admiration i": nur people ~hioh by nu
.i!,2r i,"ssiDls n:raGa could vi lia.c CHAINED
ard thus 1,,. Of oar sery great misfortune
.",d vii. ,..r: rutr rd!nli, los. wlti; ~! tI1
good viii III .!d EmrriCi l., .ai rs unr iriend
Lu has nntouhis't'Y bsen restfolncd By want Of
eYingaho!.' ite;,uG an ,he Fart 0t tho nation
". lNrga. q iotlus whiol Bio most heroic bat
t!6 hRs ki3llei all over the land.
| Twill na@ tell you I'll saw in detail Or
Eriinr, j. ih, board :dIt Semnlcs hal sent t.
lat!cr 70 Niasow, nccep,rg the ctfsr Of battle
whic!, he Lai ipsult;nyly made lin, By steam
ing around ha 3ni p aud then out uf the hsr.
bcS-wfiicSl is not i E;.turai one but prctsrttd
10y - hre:.kwater over which the ocean is ii
sigl.j ir0ri tho town and harbor. My son Ead
:,s"n oIitr to mipin hiH. ship. ard WAS in thi
midst If getting tlm rendy to leave On Mon
!a: iuE,'si 10 EiT :'nm, packed NJ AID
ui2tied i,l, nj IN three ho.iEs to join biz ship
as | wonid npt have had hirl miss being on
beard i,r the world. Mex, day settled my
aE'j:s III! i"liowed ~ the EoconI train after
arrived ri Chclhcur:. at eight in Tie inorE-
n., and want immediately down to tba pier
a hai To. tho ieasf difficulty in going Oil to tiis
, IL, al
!.;,arcntly shout ~ G;uvc. The 0fEcsrs cy.
;,re.sUd crest suraTiss at seeing me on board
AZ .hs Tn!;cc hai rcsilsc1 ~ allow Willie HrL
ltTv-oiltor Cufip!erates TO 90 70.
c2nnet sxrfCSs 30 you tho feelicN will
wlich maih"i roun'l her DOCKS. The Off
sees, in;iuilug Semmes. looked rough, Iiaded
i-a&A wosa eut. The men wero r5ush-lotking
1ul Il uu sci It fellows. l,ai long talk 81
al hon: v I'll. Semmos Wteu | .o!t him
,.; ajI1o Oh % u; are;Y 10 "I:r my services It
::a, ia ,!,anket me: bul ea:d it WIS i.npossii
:!o Tor him 10 gceepE thin. nuch as he would
Ike To have them: iar 10 could t.oi 10 80 with
out Violating sH implied obligation to the
French Ca.aTu:asnt. lie then read to nj
lson1 his ietiar h1,,i;. !. )sti=r he he'd written
Admiral paTuo7. asking him to allow Willie
10 rfiii,r tie ship n1 oho ol her original and
regular Ulcers. .rl.n had only I,tsn en- de-
,aaht,i duty from !.is s!.n. The reply of tie
Admiral a;.a Tery pSl!;e: but Lo declined tu
~ u!i " Il: AID lLur," rnd Scruiuea, "it
wnu!A ia :n,po-:ihIe Tor mo 10 allow you to
80. vii. r,lr! y,H%s bo!0rc iDe az those IF tho
French Gnvcrnnsut could but ngrec with
! i,.,n and ~, u!Jre cuny;nc:d than eycr that
! tho n.raight fpywnri:, lrnneabIe c;urse ia ever
tie icat; tor hat s3nu. cvn!d have bean Of
! l:.!le service, uni would simply have bad my
ambition gratified, whereas. by staying On
! ahors, | h&To had 1t III my p0wor to bo OF real
! seryicD to Gs brave end Doble get Cf men as
| ever LIVED.
If ! we:e Ia atttoir. 10 give you en- idea Of
tie n,Agaifusmi spirit that prevailed un board
,!,i.. s:,p, ! et.uuld utterly failit Was sGme-
| ,i.irg Lvyun,t ..n7thips ever iiuagasd--it
vas Mildly ksEoir. Ii desired, from ia3lives
5f professional ambition. to 70 in the ship be-
lore, wliau / saw ths spirit of these oifcsrs
aod men, my rorT s1ul caught the fire. and
would l.sYn gi7en saYthiug possessed to join
them. Wien the ur'iar fag given lift an
cbur," they fairly llow around With tbe cap
| rei,s to church. lie seemd to have weighed
! l,s matter we'll in his o&n mind, and deter.
milation WAS marked in s1eTY line of his faded
and worn. Inunt5Eance.
! OarnoLIs Alabama lad raa,cey tnrned hef
bows to soaward when ths Kearssge came in
| eight to tbs eastward. The two ships steamed
; II tc esa~Gr,i, coLverging towards each other.
TIE French iron-olad uouronne wart out to SEQ
! tha: they did mol ioin .issns @i.hin Frsrch VIA
le.a.- Twas regular duel, and tho piers,
bIaaL wa:sT. h0ufe tons, nGsss Of the men of
war, Hills ground The icSn: wers all crowded
, = l. .I-t Al
bat ne they wonld have assembled to witaess
Is bull fight. II wa5 very evident that the
fynpalhy van nniscrsal in ineor OF tie Ala.
l,an,a. She onkeI sd nGo!, smaller ihan the
ksa:sagc. tnat. 20 iudsn amply hy tho eye,
sGoult hape pronounced tho latter to bs OUT.
{ third larger. lad splendid eIassss snd
coa!h eeo every lnoYemtut, and saW ss Il
glance ihGt tic Eeafsage had much the ad-
v.ntaGn in speed. Tho i.st gan ~ss iired by
tho Il Iafei1a al liz Tie two slips then
passed. presenting their stsrbcard hruRdside,
Alabama outeids. D:3aGaidas wsrs 'iischsrr,
III 10 passing, RnI TIE hr;nE became rapid
and very haavy. TIE Alabama fred mnoa
tbs fasttst, shon.d say three Gura 10 two
frIm the Kaa,sne9; lut shs' seemed 10 fro
high, far could sre many 0c ksr Rhells bnrs.
sr:S liga ia The air, wiiilo thOss from tue
ktarsacn lntst Szly Etu. tho waller. They
had huf commenced 60 fire 1hsn / observed
aid remarked IN tie d.i:,7anes iii ,hs cnlyr
:: tie sr'aSe IRON the guns 81 ,as t~o ships.
ii thoiI difference ia szo Lad not aIabied ii
10 distinguish them, I could ta7s ians it BY
rliss. The smoke ffar.i lie Alabama vas lika
tufts ct Esa7J steam. while that from tks
nearsa2a ".a iauci. lighter, and / aIa now
thoroughly 5onv;rGsd .hat tbs unprecedented
oIu!oe ~ :.e Alabama Lad I,0Ts 1s' lass dGin-
aeet i'5E rar';!eI for, 10 1T !eaat two instGnces,
have siU1s asat,teired that her shot failsd
to psiH;rats tho ship whsa they struck tho
naked wood-oIie .: which struck her stern
post, and, bsd it had proper power. should
ha7o destroyed both her Tuddsr and screw
1t Only stuck in. Several struck the chain
avr,or. aud, at the distance. should have gone