Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-07-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
New Points. DeycIOncsl.

An eyewitness of the naval fight com.
munlcates to the London DnHb Ners th,.
following interesting narrative, which brings
out some new points -
VI returned last night from Cherbouru.
where had been a witness. to the tiuht be-
tween the heTsarge and the .iLtbtrna |
regret to see that some of the London papers
are perverting and talsifying the facts, so as
to do great injustice to the gallant officers
and mtn of the hedrsdrge.
The fight began at II A. NJ. and ended
q few minutes after ~ lasting little more
than an hour. The Aldjdmd fired seventeen
shots ut the Hearsarge before the latter fired
q gun. The hedrSdrge fired one hundred
and seventy-three shots. She was struck in
the hull seven or eight times, but has sus.
tanned no important damage, and Is per
iectly ready for active service.
''She has crew of about one hundred
and sixty men, TINT of the .Alabama being
about one hundred and torty-sevcn. The
Alhtmd had eight guns, the kedrSarge only
seven. The firing of the .Il,tl,pma was very
inaccurate. that OF the hedrSQOge was excel
lent. large pivot gun was particularly
effective. The Hedymrge is spoken OF as
iron-clad; she was no more iron clad than
the Itabdmd might have been had they
taken the precantion. She simply had IL
double row of chains hanging over her sides
to protect her machinery. Two shots from
t"e ltobtma struck these chains, and fell
harnlcssly into the water.
The fcaTS0rge picked up sixty-three men,
one dead body, and two men who have
! snce died on board She also took five Off
GERS. Captain Winslow would now have all
The officers and men of the ALtbdmd as pri-
Soners had he not placed two much conf
dcnce of an Englishman who carried the
dag of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The
Club will be indelibly disgraccd unless they
take measures to reputliatc and condemn
the conduct of Mr.. John Lancaster, owner
of the yacht Decrhound | have no doubt
that this yacht was in the harbor of Cher
hourg to assist the ALab,ma 10y every means
in her power that she did so | know: her
mo> ements before the action prove it.
When the .ildjtmd went down the yacht,
| cing near WIS hailed by Captain Winslow,
and requested to aid in picking up the men
| in the water. The request Was complied
/ with, and the NccrhUund, after having res
cucd as supposed, about twenty person, in
( Guiding Captain Semmes and First Lieu
! tcnenl Kcll, Immediately left, running to-
wards England. Captain WinslOw says the
reason he did not pcrsuc her, or fire into her,
Was hat lie could not believe that any one
carrying the flag of the Royal Yacht Squa-
drun could act so dishonorabc Il part rs to
carry off his prisoners, whom he had re-
! ques'cd him to save, from feeling Of hu-
/ manity.
/ Captain Win.low considers Semmcs and
/ his officers bound upon their honor to give
+ themselves up as his prisoners OF war.
( About five minutes before the ihaLo,HG went
1 L.. a.
with an officer, UhO surrcndcrcl the rcosei,
and then asked permission to return with
his boat to assist in picking up the men,
This was grartcd, when the officer left, and
after rcscuing anumher-principally officers,
I | understand he went on board the Eng
! lsh yacht and escaped. Please excuse the
hurried style ot this letter, but was any
/ ious that while Captain Semmcs and his
! party were hcng tctcd for their glorious con
duct, you might be appriscd Of these posi-
4 tive facts