The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-14

pdpers, and 10 deliver them 10 the FIRST COufeder-
ate authority that he should eBc0anter. The
principal papers and the chrOnomeiess had been
sent on the night before. The papers given 10 Mars
/ were dispatches from the Confederate G0vsrn
msnt and the ship's aecoanis Mars, on swimming
| toward the yacht, was cut of by a boat from the
| heaSsarae, aud was taken in He had the papers
In hts shirt, aud while pulling him In he 50 = 10 the
offcer La command OF the boat that he should Ike
another swim, and ieaped back isto the water
The same man Mars Rad already saved the lives OF
| two men who had fallen overheard On our passage
here, and was bold aad determined man. lie
was picked up by French pilot boat and brought
on shore, and delivered the papers TO Captain sin
eiair Captain semmes was picked upb one OF
| the yachts boats
On board the Kparsagc the crew were very much
| dispitited because they had not taken either
Semmes or The Alabama. Capt Senmes had never
| told US that we woad be badly treated IL taken
prisoners Capt Winslcw came forward among
US and gave us dry clothing, and gave orders 20
ueat us with every possible Kindness.
When We came to anc ber we were called aft and
pafo'ed. We promised not 10 servo in any maB-
Her against the interes Of the United States uat
bonorsbiy exchanged as prisoners OF war. We
iben were sent ON shore. We went to NJ Bona
n5, the Confederate agent, aud he sent as to
boarding houses. We saw Cap, Sinclair, Con
ieierste officer VITO had eOnie GOm Pals, and who
| Is acting IN place of Capt Semmes.
we were yesterday paid of by NJ Bona1s and
Surgeon Cali. Most of the men belong 10 tte orl
gihai crew. There has never been any regular
payment before, and on an average from hundred
ana my 10 two hunjfed dollars apiece due
| theta, They have had liberty two or three tines
| since the Alabaua fifst went ont and these
casinns nave fecriVed itfe liberty money.
CAPTAIN sgnass's OFFICIAL REPORT 10 MR. MASON.
SOUTHAMPTON, June 81, 1854,
sit: have the honor TO inform you tha, In ac
| cordance with my intention, as previously an
n0unced 10 yon, steamed Out OF the harbor OF
| tberbOurg between nine and ten O'Clock ON the
morning of the l9th Of June for the purpose of en-
gaging the enemy's steamer kearsarge, which had
eeeh lying on and on the port for several days pre-
| vioes'y Alter Gearing the harbor ws deserted
ihe enemy with his head off shore, az disiauce
OF about seven miles. We were three .,,s, arters
oi an hour III coming M with him. I had prevf
ousiy piV"ted my guns To ststbnard, aud III sGe all
| my preparations Tor engaging the enemy on that
i.siue When within about Eiie ana a quarter of
/ the enemy he suddenly wheeled, and bringing his
head IN shore presented his sta!board battery to
me- By this time we were distant aboat milo
from each other, when opened on him with solid
shot, TO which he replied in a few minutes and the
| eng ,gemen' became active GA both sides
- Inc tntRy now pressed his ship under full
@ead Dt steam, and 10 prevent our passing each
other TOO speedily, and 10 keep our respective
broadsdts bearing. IL became necessary To hight in
circle, the two ships steaming around common
centre, and preserving distance from each other
oil from Il qiartcr TO half a mile. When we get
within good she'll range we opened upon him with
she'll; some ten or fifteen minutes after The CON-
mehc'mtnt OF the action our spanker gaff was shot
| away, and our eesign came down by the run. This
was Immediately replaced by another at the mz
zeumast head The firing h0w became very hot,
and the enemy's shot ana shell soon began 10 tell
ugon our huii, knocking dowH killing, and dis
abling number Of meG In d fre.ent parts Of the
siip.
Percelving that our shell, though apparently ex-
ploding against the enemy sides, wefc doing him
but little damage, returned 10 solid shot firing,
and from this onward alternated with shot and
she'll
After the lapse of about one hour aud ten
minutes our ship was asrer,ained TO be in sink
Ing condition, the enemy'S shell having pio,ied
In our sides and between decks, opl ming large
ap"Etures, through which the water ru SHED with
great rapidi v.
For some few minutes had hopes of being able
to reach the French coast, for whic h purpose I
gave the ship all steam, aud set such of The fore
nd aft sails as were available The ship ilea 20
rapidly, however, that before we had made much
progress The fires were extingUisbed In the fur
uices, and we were evidently On the point Of sink
leg now bauled down my coio.s, TO prevent
the further destruction of life, and dispatched
boat t0 iRiOrm the cneH,y OF our conditions.
Although SO were row bat four hundred Yards
tom each other the enemy fred upan NE five
times after my colofs had been stuck, Its cbari-
table 10 suppose thatN ship Of war OF a Christian
nation could HOt have done Ihis inteBti1EaiIy.
We now turued all our exertions towards sav-
lag the wounded and such OF the boys OF The ship
wDo were unable to swim. These were dis
patched in my quarter boats, the only boats
ma nlag 10 me-the Waist boats having been torn
to pieces
Some twenty minutes after my furnace 6res had
been extinguished, and the ship being on tue point
order which had been given the crew, Jumped
overheard and endeavor 10 save himself.
There Was no appearance OF any boat coming
10 from the enemy after my sh!p went dow II
fortunately, however, the steam yacht DesTh .und
owned by gentleman of Lancashire, England,
MIR John Lancaster, who was himself board,
stt amcd up in the midst of my drowning men
and rescued II number of both officers and men
from the wdtef | was fortunate enough myself
thus to escape TO the shelter of the neutral flag
sethef with about forty others, all told.
About this time the keaisarge sent one, and
then, tardy, another boat
Accompanying yeu will find lists Of the killed
AMI wounded, and OF these who were picked up
by the Deerhoun;; the remainder there is rea son
TO hope, were picked up by the enemy and by 4
couple of French pilot boats. which were also
fortunately near the scene of action.
IT the end of the engagement it was dscove red
by these Oh our officers who went alongside tife
cneEy's ship with the wounded that her midshp
section ON both sides thoroughly iron coated,
this having been done with chain consruc ted for
the purpose, placed perpendicutariy fom the rail
To tie waters edge, the whole covered over by a
| thin outer anking, which gave no indication OF
| the armor beneath.
| This plan king had been ripped off In every
direction by our shot and shell, the chain broken
| ard indentSd In many places, aud forced partly
| into the ships side, She was most effectuaiiy
guarded. however, In this section from pene ira
| zion. The enemy was much damaged IN other
patti, but 10 what extent IL Is low Impossible TO
tei; II Is believed he was badly crippled
Sy officers and men behaved sieadiy aud gal
antIy, aud though they have lost their ship they
have not lost honor.
Where all behaved SO wei il would be invIdiuus
to partcuIarize, but cannot deny myself The
p'ea.ure of saying that MIR Keli, my brst lieuteH
ant deserves gieat efeuit for The fine condition
which ship went into action with regard 10 her
battery, magazine and she'll rooms, and t;lai he
rendered me gteat assistance by his cooiness and
judgment as The hsht proceeded.
The enemy was heavier than myself, both in
ship, battery and crew but did not SNOW until
the action was that she was also iron clad.
Our total loss In killed and wounded Is thirty,
TO VT: Nine killed, twenty one wounded.
have the honor 10 be, very respectfully, your
obedent servant. RsEaMEs, Captain.
Mr. sLIpgLL 8 POSITION TOWARDS ssMhEs.
From the Par,s Constituttonnel, June %
Several journals enter into details, more or less
exact, on the participation which Mr. SdeH IL
said 10 nave n I'd in the incident which has Just
taken place of Cherbourg We are requested to
state that MIR SideIl was not aware, until the
evening before the engagement, that aptain
Semmes's intention was 10 go out TO meet the
KearsaFge. Ar Siide had, besides, neither the
right nor The desire give any orders TO the
| manier of the Alabama. Had he been consulte
he would have probably not hasIiated to incur the
respon visibility OF giving counsel In conformity
win the nature of the particulars which he had
obtained as 10 the respective force and conditions
of the two vessels. Capt Semmes did, however,
refer 10 his superior, tina. Is 10 say, To the naval
| officer of the Confederate navy service 10 EI
rupe, who gave entire adhesion to his project.
We believe, also, th 1t we shall not be coutra-
Gcttd in adding that the line OF conduct followed
| by Captain 5einines has uarescrvedly the appfo-
| ba,ion OF Mr. Siideii-
the ALABAMA FORCED To LEAVE cHsRBouRG.
| Paris (June23 correspondence Of fLondon Times
in a shf,rf aft,ctp ha,