Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-07-13


the back of his friends and sympathizers.
and by the restrictions of the French au-
thorities. that less brave man than he
would have been driven by desperation to
fight; and Capt. Winslow, who properly
estimated all these circumstances, felt
perfectly sure that Semmes was going to
fight. 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.
Mr.. William Dayton, Jr., was aboard
the Kearsarge just before and just after
the fight and according to his account
the action lasted ubout an hour and
half. The Kearsargs, although hit in sew
eral places, received no vital shot. The
Kearsargc had but three men touched, and
these not mortally. 1t is not true that
at any part of the fight the Alabama had
the advantage; the maneuvering and fir
ing of the Kearsage were both superior to
those of the Alabama. There is no ev;
dence that Capt Semmcs tried to board
the Kearsarge, as the secession prints say.
Toward the end of the fight Capt. Wins
low succeeded in planting shot in the
machinery of the Alabama, which disa-
bled her; he then had things all his own
way. and running close to her be poured
into her a destructive converging broad.
side, which tore whole section of the
Alabama's side at the water-line and let
the water through in cascades Both
ships then stopped firing, and the Alaba-
ma, without striking her flag, started to-
ward Cherbourg, but Capt. Winslow,
hosting his flag of victory, started to
head her of. He saw, however, that the
Alabama was filling, and at once lowered
lowered two boats to 90 to her aid, and in
effect, the vessel sank before she had pro-
ceeded dozen lengths toward the harbor
The Kearsargc's boats picked up sixty
eight persons, of whom fourteen were
wounded and of whom three died. The
others were picked by the English yacht,
Capt. Lancaster, and landed at South
hampton. The Kearsarge steamed at
once into the port of Cherbourg with her
prisoners. These prisoners, many of
whom are Frenchmen. demanded to be pa
rolled, and Capt. Winslow, who was
crowded for room, also desired to Know Of
the American minister if he could not pa
role them. Mr.. Dayton telegraphed to
his son and to Capt. Winslow that the
prisoners could not be paroled, and that
they must be held till the St. Louis ar
rived, end then conveyed to the United
States.
In regard to Capt Semmes and the 9TH
er prisoners carried into Southampton,
Capt. Winslow claims them as prisoners,
and Mr.. Dayton has advised Mr.. Adams
to demand their rendition. Capt. Wins
low had ample time and means to pick
Iup all the officers and men of the Ala
bama, but boats cf the English yacht
ran in and actually stole them away. as
if acting upon pre-arranged plan, thus
constituting it clear case of interven-
tion. Capt. Semmes and party did not
therefore escape. They were stolen away
by a party who was indirectly interfering
in the fight. There was no wish on the
part of Capt. Winslow to see Capt Semms
drowned. On the contrary he would have
soon taken up Semmes' boat load himself.
The destruction of the Alabama by the
Kearsarge is striking vindication of the
superiority of the heavier armament of
our gunboats as compared with the light
er metal of the English models The
armament of the Alabama was made in
accordance with the English ideas, and
her fate will be rude shock to cher
ished British notion. This is curious
repetition of the experience of 1912, when
our vessels, armed with 49-povnders were
constantly superior to the English ships
armed with 32-pounders. The Kear-
sarge has battery of two ll-inch shell
guns throwing 264 pounds of metal. one
SO-pound rife pivot throwing 80 pounds,
and two light a2-pouudcrs throwing s4
pounds. making total of five guns throw