, 1864-07-12
THE DESTRtJCxIONO OF TME
ALABAMA.
Capt. Sen,mes, oMcial Report,

OFFICIAL REPoRT OF CAPT. sENNEs.
Mason, the rebel Minister (unrecognlzcd
by the European governmental sends copies
Of the following official report, By the pirate
Semmee, Of the fight between the Kearsarge
and Alabama, to the English papers, and
states that the Alabama had only crew Of
one hundred and twenty, ali told. As to her
armament, the Alabama had one finch
Blakels rIf]ed gun, one 8-inch smooth-bore
pivot gun, and six 32pounders, smooth-bore,
In broadeide+
SOUTHAMPTON, June q.
in accordance with my intention, as previous.
II announced to 5ou, steamed ont Of the
harbor Of Chcrbourg between and 10 o'clock
on the morning Of June 10, for the purpose
OF engacfng the enemy's steamer Eearsarge,
which had been lying off and on the port ior
harbor VIC deserted the enemy with bis head
oI shore, at distance Of about nine miles.
We were three quarters Of an hour in com.
ing up with him. I had previously piyored
my guns to starboard, and made all my pre-
Pa1ations for engaging the enemy on that
side. When witaln about mile and quar-
ter Of the enemy he suddenly wheeled, and,
bringing his head In shore, presented bis
starboard battery. to me. By this time NC
We're distant about one mile from each other,
when opened on him with solid shot, to
Which he replied in few minutes, aud the
engagement became actiye on both sides.
The enemy NOW pressed his ship under
ing each other TOO speedily, and to keep our
respective broadsides bearing, it became
necessary to tight In circle. the TWO ships
STAINING around q common center, and pre-
serving distance from each other Of from
gu ner to half mile. When we got within
y W un6 h ~,
SHE'LL Some ten OR fifteen minutes after the
commencement Of the action our sp.nker
EnH was shot away and our ensign came
down br the run. This was Immediately re-
placed by another at the mlzzenma asthead.
The firing now became very hot, and the en-
en,'s shot a9d smell soon BEGAN to teu upon
our hui, 6pock1ng down, killing and disabling
a number Of men in different parts Of the
ship. Perceiying that our shell, though ap-
paEent]y exploding against the enemy'a
sides, were doing but little damage, I re-
turned to solid shot firing, and from this
time afterWaEd alteruated with shot and
shell.
After the lapse Of about an hour and ten
minutes our ship Was ascertalned to be In q
sinking condition, the enemy's shell having
exploded In our sides Ind between decks,
opening large apcrt1res, through which the
water rushed with great rapidity.
For some few minutes I had hopes Of be-
4u9 oo4e ~ ACaEa tAo IcuEu Coa6L, LOT WHICH
purpose gave the ship ali steam, and set
such Of the fore and aft sails as were avail.
able. The ship filed 80 rapidly, however.
that before we bad made much progress, the
fires we're extinguished in the furnaces, and
we we're evidently on the point of sinking. I
now hauled down my colurs to prevent the
further destruction Of life, and dispatched
boat to inform the enemy Of our Condition.
Although We were now but fUur hundred
yards from each other, the enemy fired upon
me five times after my colore had been struck,
dangerously wounding several ofmy men. Ii
Is charitable to suppose that ship OF var of
Christian nation could not haye done this
Intentionally.
We now turned ill our exertfons toward
ne wounded, and such of tile boys Of the
snip 81 IS were unable to swim. These were
olspafchcd in my quarter boats, the oblv
Doats remaining to me, the waist boats llaT- |
Ing been torn to pieces.
Some twenty minutes after my furnace
fires had been extinguished, and the shin he.
ing on the point OF settling E. every man. IN
obedience to 4 previous order which had |
been given to the crew, Jumped OVERHEARD |
and endeaFored to save himself
1bere Was no appearance Of any boat COM |
1ug to nae from the enemy until alter the ship |
eteam yacht Deerhound, owned By a gentle |
man Of Lancaslite, England, MI. John Ian ]
caster, who was himself on board. steamed |
up In the midst Of my drowning men, aud |
rescued number Of both oniceFs and men !
to escape to the shelter Of the neutre1 fIae. |
together With about torty officers all told,
about this time the Eea1sarge sent one,
and then, tardily, another boat.
accompany ing you will find lists of the /
Killed and WOUNDED, aud Of those who were |
picked up bJ the Deerhonnd. The remain t
DER there Is reason to hope, were pt.ked up |
by the enemy and By q couple Of French |
PILOT boats, which were also fortunately near
the scene of action.
At the end Of the engagement 1t was dis |
coy cred By those Of our officers who went |
alongside the enemy's ship with the wound |
ed, that her mfdship SECTION on bpth sides /
was thoroughly iron-coated; this having been |
done with chains constructed for the pur.
pose, placed perpendlcular]y from the rail to
The waters edge-the whole covered over by
q thin outer p1anking which gaye no indica.
lien Of the armor beneath.
This planking had been ripped of in every
direction by our shot and shell, the chain
broken and indented in many places, and |
forced partly into the ships side She was
most et1ectually guarded, however, In this
section, from penetration. The enemy was
much damaged in other parts, but to whit
extent 1t is now Impossible to tell 1t is be-
ieyed be was badly crippled. /
and thongh they have lost their
ship they have not lost honor.
Where all behaved 60 well 1t wonld be in
Eidious TO particularize; but I cannot deny
nyeelf the pleasure Of shy wing that Mr. KeI,
ny first lieutenant, deserves great credit for.
he fine condition In which the ship went
into action, with regard to her battery, mag
zine and shell ROOMS; also TINT he rendered
ne great assistance by bis coolncss and iudg-
meDt as the fight proceeded
The enemy was heavier than mysef both
in ship, battery and crew, but did not know,
until the action was oyer that she WAS also
lron, clnd.
Our total loss in Killed and wounded is 90
10 Wit: killed and 81 wounded. have
!le honor to be, very respectfully, your obe-
1ient servant. {Signed)
II. SEMMEs, Captain"
Wilmer g. Smiths European Times Of the
'5th ultimo says that on the dag Of the publ
alton in London OF Capt. semmes' report
ountcr-statemcnt from Federal gentleman
q IN cf1icial position in Liverpool declared
mphatically that the Alabama, instead Of
cling inferior to the Kcarsarge, was actually
tons lareer-that the number Of
nnds was the SINE, the weight Of metal the
ame, and he .cmphatcally branded the
chain arnor'' statement as nonsense Ia
dds that the Kea1sarge had no one killed,
0 officer touched, and only three men
lightly wounded.